New Dance Group
Encyclopedia
New Dance Group, or more casually NDG, is a performing arts organization in New York City
, USA.
New Dance Group soon expanded to include dancers, choreographers, and teachers from different techniques. Sophie Maslow
, Anna Sokolow
, Jean Erdman
, and Jane Dudley
came from Martha Graham
's company; Bill Bales and Joe Gifford hailed from the Humphrey-Weidman
group; and Eve Gentry and Mary Anthony, like the original founders, first worked with Hanya Holm. Modern techniques were not the only staple at the New Dance Group's studio. Erdman taught Hawaiian dance, Hadassah taught Indian dance forms, and Pearl Primus
and Beryl McBurnie
offered classes in Caribbean and African dance forms. Ballet was eventually added to the roster as well, with some classes taught by Broadway
dancer Wayne Lamb
. The diversity in dance was indicative of a greater philosophy: at a time when American society was laced with discrimination, New Dance Group welcomed people of all races and religions.
Just as the founders of the New Dance Group were dedicated to working collectively, the members who strengthened the organization into the 1940s and 1950s frequently collaborated with one another. Jane Dudley, Sophie Maslow
, and Bill Bales teamed together in the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio, which toured very successfully in the 1940s. New Dance Group festivals featured varied programs with choreography by many of the abovementioned artists as well as newcomers Donald McKayle, Talley Beatty, and Daniel Nagrin
.
From its inception during the Great Depression through the early 1960s, New Dance Group was a major hub of activity in the vibrant New York City dance scene; indeed, the studio's array of offerings made it a popular destination for aspiring dancers, while the roster of choreographers offered scores of dancers with performance opportunities. Although the organization gradually faded from prominence and was rarely given its due in the annals of dance scholarship, the rich history of New Dance Group has been uncovered and celebrated in recent years. The American Dance Guild presented a retrospective New Dance Group Gala concert in 1993, assembling works by Mary Anthony, Ronne Aul, Talley Beatty
, Valerie Bettis
, Irving Burton, Jane Dudley, Jean Erdman, Eve Gentry, Joseph Gifford, Hadassah, Sophie Maslow, Donald McKayle, Daniel Nagrin, Pearl Primus, Anna Sokolow
, Joyce Trisler, and Charles Weidman. On July 28, 2000, the Library of Congress, along with the Dance Heritage Coalition, identified New Dance Group as one of "America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: The First 100". From 2005–2007, the National Museum of Dance featured the New Dance Group in the exhibit "Dancing Rebels: The New Dance Group," which focused on the organization's activities and membership from 1932 until 1960. While some members of New Dance Group were inducted into the museum's Hall of Fame individually, the group itself was given this honor in 2006. Many of the choreographers who presented work with New Dance Group are featured in the American Dance Legacy Institute's "Dancing Rebels" anthology, and some of their masterpieces are preserved in the Institute's documentaries.
Although there is currently a studio and company in New York City called New Dance Group, the dancers and choreographers who built the original institution and contributed to its heyday through the 1960s are not affiliated with this new entity. The later New Dance Group fosters the arts through multiple disciplines and focuses on four program areas: Arts and Education, Presentation and Production, Media Communications, Fund-Raising Program. Information below pertains to this more recently founded entity and not to the original New Dance Group.
New Dance Group offers classes for the novice to the professional in dance, fitness and theatre arts seven days a week.
Classes for teens and adults include modern, hip-hop, ballet, tap, jazz, Latin, ethnic, yoga, pilates, voice, and acting. Performance programs include The Exchange, an emerging artists series, and the Teacher Performance Series.
In 2007, New Dance Group became part of the biggest collaboration in the history of American Theatre. Over 600 theaters joined a grassroots premiere of plays in Atlanta, Austin
, Chicago
, Colorado
, Greater Texas
, Los Angeles
, Minnesota
, New York
, The Northeast
, San Francisco, Seattle, The Southeast
, Washington D.C., the Western U.S. and Universities The 365 National Festival is produced by Suzan-Lori Parks and Bonnie Metzgar.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA.
History
New Dance Group was established in 1932 by a group of artists and choreographers dedicated to social change through dance and movement. The founders – Fanya Geltman, Miriam Blecher, Edith Lambert, Edna Ocko, Rebecca Rosenberg, Pauline Schrifman and Grace Wylie – were students at Hanya Holm's studio, and soon their philosophy attracted a wide student base of ordinary workers and dancers. For just a dime, students received an hour-long dance class, an hour of improvisation based on a social theme, and an hour of discussion on social issues. Those members wishing to choreograph followed two rules: dance about something important to you, and create work so that the audience could understand the dance's thrust. As one of many groups performing under the umbrella of the leftist Workers Dance League, the New Dance Group quickly established itself as a leader in the field, presenting dances that not only spoke forcefully about social ills but also adhered to high artistic standards.New Dance Group soon expanded to include dancers, choreographers, and teachers from different techniques. Sophie Maslow
Sophie Maslow
Sophie Maslow was an American choreographer, modern dancer and teacher, and founding member of New Dance Group. She was a first cousin of the American sculptor Leonard Baskin....
, Anna Sokolow
Anna Sokolow
Anna Sokolow was a Jewish American dancer and choreographer.-Training:...
, Jean Erdman
Jean Erdman
Jean Erdman is a dancer and choreographer of modern dance as well as an avant-garde theater director.-Early years:Erdman was born on February 20, 1916 in Honolulu, Hawaii...
, and Jane Dudley
Jane Dudley
For other people named Jane Dudley, see Jane Dudley, Duchess of Northumberland and Lady Jane GreyJane Dudley was an American modern dancer, choreographer, and teacher.-Biography:...
came from 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...
's company; Bill Bales and Joe Gifford hailed from the Humphrey-Weidman
Humphrey-Weidman
Humphrey-Weidman is a modern dance technique based on the theory and action of fall and recovery. It originated in 1928 when Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman broke away from the Denishawn school and moved to New York City. There they pioneered modern dance in the United States by founding a dance...
group; and Eve Gentry and Mary Anthony, like the original founders, first worked with Hanya Holm. Modern techniques were not the only staple at the New Dance Group's studio. Erdman taught Hawaiian dance, Hadassah taught Indian dance forms, and Pearl Primus
Pearl Primus
Pearl Primus was a dancer, choreographer and anthropologist. Primus played an important role in the presentation of African dance to American audiences. Early in her career she saw the needs to promote African dance as an art form worthy of study and performance...
and Beryl McBurnie
Beryl McBurnie
Beryl McBurnie was a Trinidadian dance legend. She established the Little Carib Theatre, and promoted the culture and arts of Trinidad and Tobago as her life's work. McBurnie helped to promote the cultural legitimacy of Trinidad and Tobago that would ultimately arm its people to handle...
offered classes in Caribbean and African dance forms. Ballet was eventually added to the roster as well, with some classes taught by Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
dancer Wayne Lamb
Wayne Lamb
Michael 'Wayne' Lamb was a Broadway dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and dance professor.-Study and military service:...
. The diversity in dance was indicative of a greater philosophy: at a time when American society was laced with discrimination, New Dance Group welcomed people of all races and religions.
Just as the founders of the New Dance Group were dedicated to working collectively, the members who strengthened the organization into the 1940s and 1950s frequently collaborated with one another. Jane Dudley, Sophie Maslow
Sophie Maslow
Sophie Maslow was an American choreographer, modern dancer and teacher, and founding member of New Dance Group. She was a first cousin of the American sculptor Leonard Baskin....
, and Bill Bales teamed together in the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio, which toured very successfully in the 1940s. New Dance Group festivals featured varied programs with choreography by many of the abovementioned artists as well as newcomers Donald McKayle, Talley Beatty, and Daniel Nagrin
Daniel Nagrin
Daniel Nagrin was an American modern dancer, choreographer, teacher, and author. He was born in New York City.Nagrin studied with Martha Graham, Anna Sokolow, Hanya Holm, and Helen Tamiris whom he later married...
.
From its inception during the Great Depression through the early 1960s, New Dance Group was a major hub of activity in the vibrant New York City dance scene; indeed, the studio's array of offerings made it a popular destination for aspiring dancers, while the roster of choreographers offered scores of dancers with performance opportunities. Although the organization gradually faded from prominence and was rarely given its due in the annals of dance scholarship, the rich history of New Dance Group has been uncovered and celebrated in recent years. The American Dance Guild presented a retrospective New Dance Group Gala concert in 1993, assembling works by Mary Anthony, Ronne Aul, Talley Beatty
Talley Beatty
Talley Beatty was born in Cedar Grove, Louisiana, a section of Shreveport, but grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He is considered one of the greatest of African American choreographers, and also bears the titles dancer, educator, and dance company director...
, Valerie Bettis
Valerie Bettis
Valerie Elizabeth Bettis was an American modern dancer and choreographer. She found success in musical theatre, ballet, and as a solo dancer.-Biography:...
, Irving Burton, Jane Dudley, Jean Erdman, Eve Gentry, Joseph Gifford, Hadassah, Sophie Maslow, Donald McKayle, Daniel Nagrin, Pearl Primus, Anna Sokolow
Anna Sokolow
Anna Sokolow was a Jewish American dancer and choreographer.-Training:...
, Joyce Trisler, and Charles Weidman. On July 28, 2000, the Library of Congress, along with the Dance Heritage Coalition, identified New Dance Group as one of "America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: The First 100". From 2005–2007, the National Museum of Dance featured the New Dance Group in the exhibit "Dancing Rebels: The New Dance Group," which focused on the organization's activities and membership from 1932 until 1960. While some members of New Dance Group were inducted into the museum's Hall of Fame individually, the group itself was given this honor in 2006. Many of the choreographers who presented work with New Dance Group are featured in the American Dance Legacy Institute's "Dancing Rebels" anthology, and some of their masterpieces are preserved in the Institute's documentaries.
Although there is currently a studio and company in New York City called New Dance Group, the dancers and choreographers who built the original institution and contributed to its heyday through the 1960s are not affiliated with this new entity. The later New Dance Group fosters the arts through multiple disciplines and focuses on four program areas: Arts and Education, Presentation and Production, Media Communications, Fund-Raising Program. Information below pertains to this more recently founded entity and not to the original New Dance Group.
New Dance Group today
On September 18, 2006, the New Dance Group officially opened the doors to a new state-of-the art 21000 square feet (1,951 m²) studio located on 305 West 38th Street at 8th Avenue. Nearly double the size of its prior location (where it had resided for 55 years), New Dance Group's renovated upgrade, led by architect Howard Spivak, includes two floors of studios complete with sprung wood or Marley flooring, new pianos, floor to ceiling mirrors, a recording studio and vocal room, sound systems, large dressing rooms, teacher lounge, stretch area, private entrance, art exhibit gallery, merchandise boutique, and two performance spaces complete with raked seating for over 100 people. This space is used for all NDG programming but is also available for rentals.New Dance Group offers classes for the novice to the professional in dance, fitness and theatre arts seven days a week.
Classes for teens and adults include modern, hip-hop, ballet, tap, jazz, Latin, ethnic, yoga, pilates, voice, and acting. Performance programs include The Exchange, an emerging artists series, and the Teacher Performance Series.
In 2007, New Dance Group became part of the biggest collaboration in the history of American Theatre. Over 600 theaters joined a grassroots premiere of plays in Atlanta, Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Greater Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, The Northeast
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, San Francisco, Seattle, The Southeast
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, Washington D.C., the Western U.S. and Universities The 365 National Festival is produced by Suzan-Lori Parks and Bonnie Metzgar.