Doris Humphrey was born in Oak Park on October 17, 1895. Her father, Horace Buckingham Humphrey, was a journalist and one-time hotel manager. Her mother, Julia Ellen Wells, was a trained concert pianist. Through both her parents, Doris was a tenth generation American. Her mother’s ancestors had come from England to Boston in 1636. Her father was a descendent of the famous William Brewster who had arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. Humphrey Avenue in Oak Park is named for her paternal grandfather, the Reverend Simon James Humphrey, who settled in the village in 1867. Another village street, Elizabeth Court is named for his second wife Elizabeth Emerson Humphrey.
A slim, graceful child, Doris Humphrey showed inclination for dance at an early age. Her mother encouraged her and arranged for lessons with eminent ballet masters. However, her real inspiration came from Mary Wood Hinman, who taught dance at the school she attended from kindergarten through high school, the Francis Parker School in Chicago.
Mary Wood Hinman had retained interest in her talented pupil. She encouraged her to go to Los Angeles for a summer course offered by the renowned Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in 1917. At their Denishawn School, Doris’ talents were recognized. She was given solo roles in presentations and, to assist her to financial independence, she was assigned classes to teach. For the next decade, Doris’ ife and career were tied to Denishawn.
At Denishawn, Miss Ruth encouraged Doris to choreograph. Her first composition was “Valse Caprice” (also known as “Scarf Dance”), followed by “Soaring”, and “Scherzo Waltz” (“Hoop Dance”), all of which continue to be performed by various companies today.
After a two-year tour of the Orient and several seasons of dancing throughout the United States in top vaudeville theaters, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman (with like rebellious ideas) broke away from Denishawn in 1928. They settled in New York where they became leaders of the radical new dance form known as “modern dance”.
In 1945, suffering from arthritis, Doris Humphrey gave up performing and devoted herself to serving as Artistic Director for the Jose Limon Company and creating works for it. Among these were “Day on Earth,” “Night Spell,” “Ruins and Visions.” In 1958, she made her last and very lasting contribution, a book, The Art of Making Dances, in which she set forth her choreographic principles. Doris Humphrey died December 29, 1958.
Accessed - 20/01/2012
Last updated - 2000-2012
The Early Years - Doris Humphrey
Doris Humphrey was a talented dancer who started off teaching Ballet.
ReplyDeleteShe went to a summer school run by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. This is where her talent was recognized. She then began to choreograph at Denishawn.
She died because shes suffered from arthritis and gave up performing and became an artistic director. She died in 1958.