1. Helen Tamiris refocused to modern dance, making her solo debut in 1928, with a focus on social activism.
20 Facts About Helen Tamiris
1. 2.
Helen Tamiris was a leader in the Federal Theatre Project and its sister projects, arguing for modern dance as an art form, and choreographing multiple productions.
3.
Two more children, Samuel and Peter, in addition to Helen Tamiris, were born in New York City.
4.
Helen Tamiris's focus on labor statistics preceded her later works in union organizing, a key element of her legacy.
5.
Helen Tamiris trained with the Met for one season, then performed in the corps de ballet for four seasons.
6.
Helen Tamiris then danced in a Broadway production of Casanova for which Fokine choreographed the prologue.
7.
In October 1927, Helen Tamiris made her premiere as a solo modern dancer, accompanied by composer Louis Horst.
8.
Helen Tamiris traveled to Europe in 1928, performing in Berlin, Salzburg, and Paris, and furthering her distinct style.
9.
Many of its members went on to form the Bennington College School of Dance, but Helen Tamiris remained independent of this group.
10.
Helen Tamiris' advocacy led to the expansion of the Federal Dance Project under the WPA, and she later became the director of the Federal Theatre Project.
11.
Helen Tamiris wanted dancers to be understood as laborers, due to the significant physical demands of their work, and believed that the difficulties faced by dancers in the workplace were relevant to contemporaneous labor movements.
12.
Much of Helen Tamiris' known work deals with social issues like racism and war.
13.
Helen Tamiris is best known for her suite of dances, Negro Spirituals, created between 1928 and 1942.
14.
Helen Tamiris choreographed for musical theatre in the 1940s and mid-1950s, insisting on racial integration in her casts.
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Helen Tamiris was listed in Red Channels in 1950, and despite an internal FBI review in 1955 denying her affiliation with the Communist Party, her legacy was likely affected greatly by the blacklisting.
16.
Helen Tamiris won a Tony Award for Best Choreography in Touch and Go.
17.
Helen Tamiris was diagnosed with cancer shortly after their separation, and retreated from public view.
18.
Helen Tamiris was not interested in developing a codified technique of her own, unlike her contemporaries.
19.
Contrastingly, New York Times critic Jack Anderson argued that Helen Tamiris' legacy was marred by personal rivalries among her peers.
20.
Helen Tamiris drafted an autobiography, but did not finish it before her death.