21 Facts About Charles Weidman

1.

Charles Weidman was a renowned choreographer, modern dancer and teacher.

2.

Charles Weidman is well known as one of the pioneers of modern dance in America.

3.

Charles Weidman wanted to break free from the traditional movements of dance forms popular at the time to create a uniquely American style of movement.

4.

Charles Weidman created a bridge to a new range of movement that he only began to explore.

5.

Charles Weidman's work inspired many and helped to create a whole genre of dance that is still evolving today.

6.

Charles Weidman began choreographing in a time of great change in American culture.

7.

Charles Weidman began his career as a dancer for the Denishawn Company, but soon decided to break free from their exotic style of movement and create a new style that was unique to America.

8.

Charles Weidman started the Humphrey-Weidman Company with Doris Humphrey in 1927, right in the midst of the Roaring Twenties.

9.

Charles Weidman worked through the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II.

10.

Charles Weidman wanted to create a uniquely American style of movement.

11.

Charles Weidman wanted to develop movement that was not based on animals or bugs or fairy tale stories like the common themes in popular ballets.

12.

Charles Weidman wanted to break free from the current ideas of modern dance embodied by the Denishawn Company.

13.

Charles Weidman wanted to "dance man and woman in America today".

14.

Charles Weidman was most famous for his work with Doris Humphrey, with whom he started the Humphrey-Weidman Company.

15.

Charles Weidman's work was completely new to the dance world because he was trying to break away from ballet's nature of defying gravity to create a dance style that gave in to the natural "pull of gravity".

16.

Charles Weidman was well known for the range of choreographic styles in which he worked.

17.

Charles Weidman worked in several different elements including religious, comedic, tributary and serious work.

18.

In stark contrast Charles Weidman choreographed a series called Atavisms which consisted of three pieces: Lynch Town, a choreographic depiction of a carnal and bloodthirsty mob acting like vultures about to devour their prey, Bargain Counter, and Stock Exchange.

19.

Charles Weidman changed the way dance was danced by working in different parameters.

20.

Charles Weidman created a new style of dance by rejecting ballet and embracing gravity.

21.

Charles Weidman helped lay the foundations for modern dance and many of his ideas are still the basis for modern dance today.