John Martin (dance critic)
Encyclopedia
John Martin became America’s first major dance critic in 1927. Focusing his efforts on propelling the modern dance
movement, he greatly influenced the careers of dancers such as Martha Graham
. Within his life he wrote several books on the modern dance and received numerous awards for his work.
and was immediately influenced by his mother’s love of musical theatre. After his education at the Louisville Male High School, he held several jobs as actor, publicist, and editor in Louisville and New York. During World War I, he served in the Aviation Section of the Army Signal Corps, after which he returned to theatre working with the Chicago Little Theatre where he met his wife Hettie Louise Mick. They married in 1918. He also served as director and press agent for many different theatre projects. Over the years, Martin developed an interest in the actor/director/drama teacher Konstantin Stanislavsky’s system which expressed the “dramatic impulses that arise within”
Many have claimed that Stanislavsky’s ideas influenced Martin’s interest in modern dance because it displays this quality.
while almost completely disregarding the dancing. Following a series of Ted Shawn
and Ruth St. Denis
Carnegie Hall
performances, petitions began to arise in favor of dance critics in New York news papers. The New York Herald Tribune
quickly responded with Mary Watkins and a few weeks later, The New York Times
appointed Martin in 1927. Martin saw it as his duty to spread “the gospel of the modern dance.” As a dance critic, he and others were convinced they would not become a “subspecies of music criticism” and set out to prove this by educating the audience and the dancers in the ways of professionalism. His efforts brought modern dance to a level equal in stature and independent of music and theatre within the arts.
Because this new dance form was so drastically different from the structured ballet
to which people had become accustomed, Martin greatly aided in the development of a vocabulary that suited the developing new modern dance. He pleaded that the audience “lay aside its preconceptions”. This “role of the viewer” and other theories were stressed in his lectures at the New School
and Bennington. These lectures were soon formed into books, the first of which, The Modern Dance, was published in 1933. Throughout his articles and books Martin developed his ideas of modern dance. He saw the modern movement as truly American because these dancers were driven by their experience. They were their movement conveyed the concerns that arose from their everyday life.
He shared the belief that movement stems from the essence of emotion with many modern dancers of that time. He exalted them for their “expression of an inner compulsion.” He had high expectations of the dancers and their ability to penetrate the minds of the audience. In turn, he expected the audience to widen their perceptions.
Towards the end of his career, Martin began to ignore the new generation of modern dancers who followed in the pioneers’ footsteps because they did not focus on the same quality of essence upon which the first generation built the foundation of modern dance. He eventually turned to ballet criticism for which he was chastised by other critics and modern dancers.
After his retirement in 1962, he taught at the University of California, Los Angeles
for five years. Towards the end of his life, Zachary Solov, a dancer-choreographer, invited Martin to share a house in Saratoga Springs, New York. Martin lived here until his death May 19, 1985.
in 1974 and Skidmore College
in 1982, and an exhibition dedicated to his writings by the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library
.
In 1967 he was a Heritage Award recipient of the National Dance Association
.
Martin was inducted into the National Museum of Dance C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame
in 1988.
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
movement, he greatly influenced the careers of dancers such as Martha Graham
Martha Graham
Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture.She danced and choreographed for over seventy years...
. Within his life he wrote several books on the modern dance and received numerous awards for his work.
Early life
John Martin’s life leading up to his career may have led him to the success he later attained. Martin was born June, 2 1893 in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and was immediately influenced by his mother’s love of musical theatre. After his education at the Louisville Male High School, he held several jobs as actor, publicist, and editor in Louisville and New York. During World War I, he served in the Aviation Section of the Army Signal Corps, after which he returned to theatre working with the Chicago Little Theatre where he met his wife Hettie Louise Mick. They married in 1918. He also served as director and press agent for many different theatre projects. Over the years, Martin developed an interest in the actor/director/drama teacher Konstantin Stanislavsky’s system which expressed the “dramatic impulses that arise within”
Many have claimed that Stanislavsky’s ideas influenced Martin’s interest in modern dance because it displays this quality.
Career
As a dance critic, Martin fought many preconceived ideas within the newly created genre of writing to become one of the most influential writers in dance history. Before there were actual designated dance critics, music and theatre critics were reluctantly sent to review ballets. Their writing would rant about the music and the symphonySymphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
while almost completely disregarding the dancing. Following a series of Ted Shawn
Ted Shawn
Ted Shawn , originally Edwin Myers Shawn, was one of the first notable male pioneers of American modern dance. Along with creating Denishawn with former wife Ruth St. Denis he is also responsible for the creation of the well known all-male company Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers...
and Ruth St. Denis
Ruth St. Denis
Ruth St. Denis was an early modern dance pioneer.-Biography:Ruth St. Denis founded Adelphi University's dance program in 1938 which was one of the first dance departments in an American university...
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
performances, petitions began to arise in favor of dance critics in New York news papers. The New York Herald Tribune
New York Herald Tribune
The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald.Other predecessors, which had earlier merged into the New York Tribune, included the original The New Yorker newsweekly , and the Whig Party's Log Cabin.The paper was home to...
quickly responded with Mary Watkins and a few weeks later, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
appointed Martin in 1927. Martin saw it as his duty to spread “the gospel of the modern dance.” As a dance critic, he and others were convinced they would not become a “subspecies of music criticism” and set out to prove this by educating the audience and the dancers in the ways of professionalism. His efforts brought modern dance to a level equal in stature and independent of music and theatre within the arts.
Because this new dance form was so drastically different from the structured ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
to which people had become accustomed, Martin greatly aided in the development of a vocabulary that suited the developing new modern dance. He pleaded that the audience “lay aside its preconceptions”. This “role of the viewer” and other theories were stressed in his lectures at the New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
and Bennington. These lectures were soon formed into books, the first of which, The Modern Dance, was published in 1933. Throughout his articles and books Martin developed his ideas of modern dance. He saw the modern movement as truly American because these dancers were driven by their experience. They were their movement conveyed the concerns that arose from their everyday life.
He shared the belief that movement stems from the essence of emotion with many modern dancers of that time. He exalted them for their “expression of an inner compulsion.” He had high expectations of the dancers and their ability to penetrate the minds of the audience. In turn, he expected the audience to widen their perceptions.
Towards the end of his career, Martin began to ignore the new generation of modern dancers who followed in the pioneers’ footsteps because they did not focus on the same quality of essence upon which the first generation built the foundation of modern dance. He eventually turned to ballet criticism for which he was chastised by other critics and modern dancers.
After his retirement in 1962, he taught at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
for five years. Towards the end of his life, Zachary Solov, a dancer-choreographer, invited Martin to share a house in Saratoga Springs, New York. Martin lived here until his death May 19, 1985.
Influence
Not only did Martin aid in the progress the modern dance, he also advanced the careers of the choreographers. Martha Graham is among the most well known of these dancers who were advanced professionally by Martin’s words. Martin discovered that Graham was the epitome of his theory of modern dance in action. Between 1930 and 1935 there are more articles by Martin on Graham than any other dancer. Perhaps this is because Martin was developing his methodology and used Graham as a focal point for “diagramming and disseminating the form and function of the modern dance.”Awards and recognition
Martin received several awards and honors including a Capezio Dance Award in 1969, two honorary doctorates from Ohio UniversityOhio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
in 1974 and Skidmore College
Skidmore College
Skidmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The college is located in the town of Saratoga Springs, New York State....
in 1982, and an exhibition dedicated to his writings by the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
.
In 1967 he was a Heritage Award recipient of the National Dance Association
National Dance Association
The , headquartered in Reston, VA, is an association within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance...
.
Martin was inducted into the National Museum of Dance C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame
National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame, in the Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga, New York, was established in 1986 and is the only museum in the nation dedicated entirely to dance. It contains photographs, videos, artifacts, costumes and biographies. The museum is located in the former and...
in 1988.
Publications
- The Modern Dance (1933)
- Introduction to the Dance (1939)
- The Dance (1945)
- World Book of Modern Ballet (1952)