Ted is where it's at!!

With most American Modern dancers, their dance lineage goes way back to the beginning. Well, Ted Shawn is the beginning. Some of the most popular dancers in America were discovered by, or were given performance opportunities from Mr. Ted Shawn. Martha Graham, Charles Weidman, Doris Humphrey, Jack Cole, Agnes de Mille, Anton Dolin, Pearl Lang, Merce Cunningham, Anna Sokolow, Alvin Ailey, and Robert Joffery have all either studied under Ted Shawn or performed at Jacob's Pillow because of Ted Shawn.

Because of Ted's minimal dance technique training, I believe that Ted started the line of American Modern Dancers. Ted only got into dance because of a serious illness. The doctor's suggested that he take up dance as a form of therapy to recuperate his paralyzed lower body. I couldn't find much on who he trained with and where, mostly because I think what he did with his life after his recovery is much more astonishing then how he began. However, I did find that he wasn't only being rehabilitated in ballet or modern dance, but he also trained in ballroom and had one of his first dance experiences with a Metropolitan Opera ballerina!

Once Ted began working, he realized that men were not getting the same opportunities to perform as women. Most of the time, men were placed on stage to support the leading ladies. They were never really given the staring roles. So, with the creation of his all male dance company, one of Ted's biggest influences took center stage: masculinity. Masculinity was what Ted thrived on. He loved to see men dance, and he loved to see them dance like men. He loved men so much, most of the time their costumes barely covered the "goods". He also drew inspiration from Native Americans, American folk dance, and American popular culture.

He didn't begin with his all male dance company however. During his first tour of America, when the company stopped in New York, Ted met his biggest collaborator to date. Someone who he collaborated with on the stage, and in life. He met his wife, and long time collaborator Ruth St. Dennis on that tour. I could write about what they did together forever, so I'll keep it short. Ruth and Ted created one of the most influential dance techniques in the Modern world. The Denishawn technique ruled modern dance until their divorce, and with this separation Ted created Jacob's Pillow and Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers. Another important collaborator that put Ted on the map was Norma Gould. Working with Norma put Ted in the first dance recorded on film, Dance of the Ages.

Most of Ted's life was spent with Ruth St. Dennis limiting his collaborations. However, after their split and Jacob's Pillow was founded, the list of people who can say they collaborated with him continues to grow. During his time at Jacob's Pillow, Ted asked that his students call him Papa. I think it is safe to say that he is indeed, the Papa of American Modern Dance.