(Image courtesy: New York Public Library). Ruth St. Denis in The Incense. Dates / Origin Date Created: 1906 - 1908 Library locations Jerome Robbins Dance Division Shelf locator: *MGZEB (Denishawn) Shelf locator: *MGZEB (Denishawn, no. Barefoot and clad in a sari, she choreographed the rising plumes, danced with them, and in the words of biographer Suzanne Shelton, “Up and up her arms flowed, boneless, mesmeric, the disembodied essence of smoke.”, St. Denis noted, “The rising smoke of the incense was to me a symbol of devotion, of prayer and meditation, of the surrender of the self and the ecstasy of release, and I attempted to say with my rippling arms and my whole body what I felt in my heart.”, In describing the performance, Elizabeth Drake-Boyt saw “the tensions between a physical self transformed into ephemeral spirit, the same way burning incense is transformed from powder into perfumed smoke.”. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Ruth St. Denis had an astonishingly long career; she performed “Incense” until she was 86 years old. She first performed The Incense along with another Ruth St. Denis solo in 1973, presenting the performance seen here more than 20 years later. 0:00 / 0:00. More Details I have done some illustrations inspired by St.Denis. The New York Public Library. The New York Public Library is now offering grab-and-go service at 50 locations as part of our gradual reopening. Longtime Pillow accompanist John Sauer played live for this iconic Ruth St. Denis solo which had been performed so many times on this very stage by St. Denis herself. Many companies currently include a collection of her signature solos in their repertoires, including the programme, "The Art of the Solo", a showcase of famous solos of modern dance pioneers. 170) Topics St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968 Her exotic, oriental-inspired dance interpretations opened new possibilities for dancers and stimulated a wave of creative experimentation in modern dance. Ruth St. Denis in The Incense, (1916)|author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library |accessdate=December 26, 2020 |publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}, The New York Public Library is a 501(c)(3) | EIN 13-1887440, Click to visit the main New York Public Library Homepage. "Ruth St. Denis in The Incense" Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-8511-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99, {{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-8511-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 | title= She was a sensation as a performer and influential as a teacher, counting Martha Graham among her students. Read More Denishawn Collection. The New York Public Library. Yellow rays of light and wisps of white incense spiral through the stage. 2 of the Chamber Dance Company Archive ( … Ruth St. Denis in The Incense Names Peyton, Strauss (Photographer) Collection. The Incense (1906, performed Feb. 17, 2001) / dancer, Rebecca Enghauser ; music, Harvey Worthington Loomis ; musician, Asta Vaicekonis. The Incense, 1997. Ruth St. Denis as well as Isadora Duncan toured Asia in the late '20s and were enthusiastically received as well as imitated. She was then an eccentric showgirl named Ruth Dennis, touring through Buffalo in David Belasco’s theater company. She used her arms for the most part and really did not dance too much. Next: Mark Morris Ten Suggestions, 1996. Ruth St. Denis in The Incense. Denishawn Collection. (1916). This is footage of Ruth St. Denis performing an Indian Noche dance in the persona of a street dancer.The performance is dated 1932.Enjoy! In Ruth St. Denis … of her first dance work, Radha (based on the milkmaid Radha who was an early consort of the Hindu god Krishna), together with such shorter pieces as The Cobra and The Incense.A three-year European tour followed. Collection. 114-176. The first, The Incense, was based on a 1906 work by American dancer Ruth St Denis whose interest in spirituality led her to look to India for inspiration to nurture her choreographic and performance career. KEYWORDS: Ruth St. Denis, Hindu culture, 'Radha', 'Incense" and 'Nautch' INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is the following: • To explore the full extent of Ruth St. Denis's engagement with Hindu themes and its implications with respect to modern dance in America. Legacy. Ruth St. Denis in The Incense A cigarette poster changed Ruth St. Denis’ (1879-1968) life in 1906, an unlikely event which eventually altered the course of modern dance in America. See my wordpress page if you are interested. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. 177-230. A dancer dressed in a midriff-revealing blouse embellished with blue … Ruth St. Denis (January 20, 1879 – July 21, 1968) was an early modern dance pioneer. One of hundreds of thousands of free digital items from The New York Public Library. ( Log Out /  Read More. (still image) Philp Baribault filmed a short recording of the dance in 1953. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-8511-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, At the time, St. Denis was preparing for a tour of the southeastern region of the United States, and needed a male partner to help present new ballroom dances.Shawn, who had admired St. Denis since seeing her perform in 1911, auditioned for and was awarded the role. She was a sensation as a performer and influential as a teacher, counting Martha Graham among her students. St. Denis set the tone for the piece by having incense burnt in the theater lobby before the performance; her only props on stage were two large incense burners. Dates / Origin Date Created: 1916 Library locations Jerome Robbins Dance Division Shelf locator: *MGZEB (Denishawn) Shelf locator: *MGZEB (Denishawn, no. One famous example of these works is her "East Indian Nautch Dance," shown here. Nice history on St. Denis’ “Incense” performance. In 1910 he saw Ruth St. Denis perform Incense. Cite This Item, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, Denishawn Collection, no. Culture How India Inspired a Dance Pioneer With little exposure to the real thing, Ruth St. Denis dazzled audiences across America and Europe with her creation of Radha and other Indian dances In our January, 2009, issue, Dr. Joshi recounted Europe's introduction to Indian dance, the 1838 debut of the bayaderes, a South Indian troop of temple dancers or devadasis. Music for the dance was composed by Charles Wakefield Cadman. Denishawn Collection, no. Ruth St. Denis 1878-1968 was a pioneer of contemporary dance in America.. She was a sensation in her early years performing individual dances like Radha and Incense, Ruth St. Denis entered the inner realisation of the figures of divinity that she chose to perform – like Mary, Kwan Yin, the Yogi, O-Mika and others and from that feeling danced a vision of perfection. Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn were also instrumental in creating the legendary dance festival Jacob's Pillow. “Incense” is based upon the Hindu ritual of puja, in which an individual worships the deities with offerings of flowers, food, fruit and incense. Initially solo artists, Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn began collaborating on work in 1914. She was the co-founder of the American Denishawn School of Dance and the teacher of several notable performers. One of her earliest pieces, “Incense,” was first performed in 1906 in New York’s Hudson Theater. A centennial salute was scheduled with the revival premiere of St. Denis' "Radha", commissioned by Countess Anastasia Thamakis of Greece. Photos of Ruth St. Denis from the New York Public Library Digital Gallery, “Really Oriental Is Ruth St. Denis” The New York Times October 18, 1908, “Chapter Two: Incense” from Dance as a Project of the Early Modern Avant-garde (2005), Elizabeth Drake-Boyt; Florida State University Digital Library Center, Ruth St. Denis: A Biography of the Divine Dancer (1990) by Suzanne Shelton. New York Public Library Digital Collections. ( Log Out /  Ruth St. Denis was the first American dancer to incorporate the traditions and practices of the vaudeville stage into the world of serious concert dance. Ruth Saint Denis, a pioneer of modern dance, created choreography that was often inspired by traditional indigenous dances from Asia. (Image courtesy: New York Public Library). Ruth Saint Denis (January 20, 1879 – July 21, 1968) was a modern dance pioneer, introducing eastern ideas into the art. Ruth St Denis in 'The Incense'. × Get Citation. Watch some of the dances of Ruth St. Denis, including The Incense, White Nautch, Kashmiri Nautch, and Soaring , at the Media Arcade in Vol. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-8511-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, Dates / Origin Date Created: 1906 - 1908 Library locations Jerome Robbins Dance Division Shelf locator: *MGZEB (Denishawn) Shelf locator: *MGZEB (Denishawn, no. Denishawn Collection, no. Ruth St Denis in Incense.\Also available in electronic form, digitized by The New York Public Library.\Photographs NYPY680122226-F Related subjects VIEW IMAGES Denishawn 154 / photograph by Paul Boyer. Image / Ruth St. Denis in the Dance of Incense. "Ruth St. Denis in The Incense" A vibrant reversal print of Ruth St. Denis performing her famous East Indian Nautch Dance. EXPLORE MAURA KEEFE’S MULTIMEDIA ESSAY ON CARMEN DE LAVALLADE. She was particularly successful in Vienna, where she added The Nautch and The…. View source image on contributor's website. Several early St. Denis solos (including "Incense" and "The Legend of the Peacock") were presented on September 29, 2006, at the Baltimore Mu… During the 1920's the Denishawn company toured the United States and the Far East. Denishawn Collection. By 1914, St. Denis and Shawn married, and the following year they established the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts in Los Angeles. Dates / Origin Date Created: 1916 Library locations Jerome Robbins Dance Division Shelf locator: *MGZEB (Denishawn) Shelf locator: *MGZEB (Denishawn, no. Dance Appreciation Video Logs “Incense” September 21, 2012 1906 Modern Incense Choreographer: Ruth St. Denis Music by Harvey Loomis Dancer: Deborah Zall Accompaniment: Eric Repensheck This dance seemed very gloomy and scary because of the darkness and the clothing that the dancer was wearing. The New York Public Library. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Paris : 1 photographic print : b&w ; 15 x 11 cm., pasted in card frame 24 x 18 cm., mounted on paper 41 x 36 cm. 177-230. Ruth St. Denis (January 20, 1879 – July 21, 1968) was an American pioneer of modern dance, introducing eastern ideas into the art.She was the co-founder of the American Denishawn School of Dancing and Related ArtsDenishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts A documentary revisits Ruth St Denis, pioneer of modern American dance, and a woman deeply influenced by India. Beginnings. The legacy left behind included not only her repertory of orient-inspired dances, but also students of Denishawn who later became pivotal figures in the world of modern dance. The legacy left behind included not only her repertory of orient-inspired dances, but also students of Denishawn who later became pivotal figures in … ( Log Out /  Find a location near you, and learn about our remote resources. Recorded at Jacob’s Pillow June 21, 1997 Choreography Ruth St. Denis … Ruth St Denis in 'East Indian Nautch Dance'. Change ). Ruth St. Denis in The Incense Names Peyton, Strauss (Photographer) Collection. St. Denis’s spectacle satisfied turn of the century America’s craving for exotica (37). Comments Off on Performing Arts in America 1875–1923 Filed under 20th- and 21st-century music , Dance , Reception , Resources 114-176. Accessed December 26, 2020. Incense reveals further influence of Orientalism on her work. Born into an era when the choices in dance were limited to ballet and “popular,” Ruth St. Denis (1878-1968) was a pioneer in modern dance. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Collection. Denishawn Collection, no. 1916. Dennis took the stage name Ruth St. Denis, and in 1906, after studying Hindu art and philosophy, she offered a public performance in New York City of her first dance work, Radha (based on the milkmaid Radha who was an early consort of the Hindu god Krishna), together with such shorter pieces as The Cobra and The Incense. Several early St. Denis solos (including "Incense" and "The Legend of the Peacock") were presented on September 29, 2006, at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Above, Ruth St. Denis in Incense, 1908. Playing 8 of 14. We recommend you include the following information in your citation. Denishawn Collection. Born into an era when the choices in dance were limited to ballet and “popular,” Ruth St. Denis (1878-1968) was a pioneer in modern dance. An analysis of Ruth St. Denis’s performance of . Lea herself performed two pieces. One of her earliest pieces, “Incense,” was first performed in 1906 in… Previous Next . 169) Topics St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968 More Details. 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