Charles Weidman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Weidman
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Portrait of Charles Weidman by Carl Van Vechten, Dec. 4, 1933
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| Born | July 22, 1901 |
| Died | July 15, 1975 (aged 73) New York City, US
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| Known for | Choreography |
| Movement | Modern dance |
Charles Weidman (July 22, 1901 – July 15, 1975) was a famous choreographer, modern dancer, and teacher. He is known as one of the first people to create modern dance in America. He wanted to move away from old dance styles. Instead, he aimed to create a new, truly American way of dancing.
Weidman started making dances in the 1920s and continued until he passed away in 1975. He is most famous for working with Doris Humphrey. But he also did a lot of important work by himself. His ideas helped create a whole new type of dance that is still changing and growing today.
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Charles Weidman's Dance Career
Charles Weidman started making dances during a very exciting time in American history. He began as a dancer with the Denishawn Company. But he soon wanted to create a new style of dance that felt more American.
In 1927, he started the Humphrey-Weidman Company with Doris Humphrey. This was during the Roaring Twenties, a time when American society, art, and culture were really blooming. Jazz music became popular, and dancing was a favorite activity. New technologies appeared, and the United States was doing well economically.
Weidman felt this was a positive time. He said it was "full of vitality" and people wanted to express themselves and the time they lived in. He brought this spirit of change to the dance world. Weidman kept choreographing for four more decades. He created dances through tough times like the Great Depression and World War II. Even though his work wasn't usually about politics, his dances showed the spirit of American culture.
New Ideas About Dance
Charles Weidman dreamed of creating a dance style that was truly American. He didn't want dances based on animals, bugs, or fairy tales, which were common in ballets. He also wanted to move beyond the modern dance ideas of the Denishawn Company, where he had danced. He wanted to "dance man and woman in America today."
Weidman is best known for his work with Doris Humphrey. They met while dancing at the Denishawn Company. Soon after, they decided to start their own dance company. They wanted to build a "dance style that sprang from American Soil." Weidman's work was fresh and new. He wanted to move away from ballet, which often tried to make dancers seem to float. Instead, he explored how dancers could use the natural "pull of gravity."
Weidman's Unique Dance Style
Weidman's dance movements were all about gravity. He explored how giving in to gravity makes you fall. He also looked at how balancing against gravity could create movement. He focused on the moments right before and after a fall.
From these ideas came two important concepts:
- Suspension: This is when the body resists gravity, like holding a pose just before falling.
- Succession: This is when a movement flows smoothly through the body, from one joint to the next.
These ideas led to a whole new way of moving. It included a lot of floor work, jumping, and falling.
Besides his new movements, Weidman brought something special to dance: his amazing acting skills. Many people said no one had dramatic talent like Weidman. His dances were very expressive and often full of emotion. His work could be funny or very serious. But expression was always a key part of his choreography.
Different Dance Themes
Weidman was also famous for the many different styles of dances he created. He made religious dances, comedies, tribute pieces, and serious works.
One of his most famous works was Flickers. This was a funny dance that made fun of old silent movies. It had "jerky movements and corny situations." The dance was split into four different "reels," each telling a different story. The pieces were very theatrical and funny, with many exaggerated facial expressions.
In contrast, Weidman also created a serious series called Atavisms. This included three pieces:
- Lynch Town: This dance showed a wild, angry crowd acting like vultures.
- Bargain Counter
- Stock Exchange
Another well-known work by Weidman was This Passion. This was a series of dances based on famous murder cases. He also created Brahms Waltzes, which he dedicated to Doris Humphrey. He said it was the kind of movement she loved and danced beautifully.
He also made a series of dances called On My Mother's Side. These dances honored different members of his mother's family. Later in his career, he created his Oratorios, which focused on religious themes. One writer, Daniel Clay, called an Oratorio "magnificent in its scope and power" and possibly Weidman's greatest work.
Weidman's Legacy in Dance
Charles Weidman changed how dance was performed by exploring new ways of moving. His important contributions were recognized when he received the Heritage Award in 1970. One of his former dancers said that "all male dancers took concepts from Charles."
He trained many famous choreographers in his company, including José Limón, Bob Fosse, and Louis Falco. Charles Weidman created a new dance style by moving away from ballet and using gravity in new ways. He helped build the foundation for modern dance. Many of his ideas are still used in modern dance today.
Sadly, much of his work is not widely known. It has been hard to recreate because very little of it was recorded on video. Only some of it was written down using a special dance notation called Labanotation. Because of this, his former dancers have had to reconstruct most of his works from memory. However, his passion, influence, and ideas have greatly impacted how movement is studied and created today.
Weidman was honored in the National Museum of Dance's Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame in 1987.
See also
- List of dancers
