Sophie Maslow
Encyclopedia
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
.
Born in New York City in 1911 by Russian American
parents, Sophie Maslow began her dance training with Blanche Talmud at the Neighborhood Playhouse School. Her teachers there included Martha Graham
and Louis Horst
. She became a member of Martha Graham's Company in 1931, performing many solo roles, until 1943. She created her own dance troupe, The Sophie Maslow Dance Company and, with Jane Dudley
and William Bales, established the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio in 1942. Ms. Maslow helped to define and establish New Dance Group
as a performance entity dedicated to using dance to make social and political statements. In 1948, she performed and was a faculty member at the first American Dance Festival
held at Connecticut College.
Ms. Maslow's choreography includes: "Dust Bowl Ballads" which depicted the Depression of the 1930's and the people of the Southwest's endurance during these droughts, "Folksay" based on Carl Sandburg's poem of the same name, "Poem," with music by Duke Ellington and words by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and the off-Broadway musical "The Big Winner" about a poor tailor and his winning lottery ticket. In 1951, she choreographed for the New York City Opera
(The Dybbuk). In 1952, 1955, 1956, and 1960-62, Maslow choreographed the Hannukkah Festivals held at Madison Square Garden
.
Her dances have been reconstructed and performed by CityDance Ensemble
, The Harkness Ballet, The Batsheva Dance Company
, and The Bat-Dor Company. Sophie Maslow's voice and altruism remain an inspiration for New Dance Group
Arts Center.
She died on June 25, 2006 in Manhattan at age 95.
New Dance Group
New Dance Group, or more casually NDG, is a performing arts organization in New York City, USA.-History:New Dance Group was established in 1932 by a group of artists and choreographers dedicated to social change through dance and movement...
. She was a first cousin of the American sculptor Leonard Baskin
Leonard Baskin
Leonard Baskin was an American sculptor, book-illustrator, wood-engraver, printmaker, graphic artist, writer and teacher.-Life and work:...
.
Born in New York City in 1911 by Russian American
Russian American
Russian Americans are primarily Americans who traces their ancestry to Russia. The definition can be applied to recent Russian immigrants to the United States, as well as to settlers of 19th century Russian settlements in northwestern America which includes today's California, Alaska and...
parents, Sophie Maslow began her dance training with Blanche Talmud at the Neighborhood Playhouse School. Her teachers there included 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...
and Louis Horst
Louis Horst
Louis Horst was a choreographer, composer, and pianist...
. She became a member of Martha Graham's Company in 1931, performing many solo roles, until 1943. She created her own dance troupe, The Sophie Maslow Dance Company and, with 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:...
and William Bales, established the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio in 1942. Ms. Maslow helped to define and establish New Dance Group
New Dance Group
New Dance Group, or more casually NDG, is a performing arts organization in New York City, USA.-History:New Dance Group was established in 1932 by a group of artists and choreographers dedicated to social change through dance and movement...
as a performance entity dedicated to using dance to make social and political statements. In 1948, she performed and was a faculty member at the first American Dance Festival
American Dance Festival
The American Dance Festival is a six and four-week school for dance and a six-week summer festival of modern dance performances, currently held at Duke University and the Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, North Carolina....
held at Connecticut College.
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
(The Dybbuk). In 1952, 1955, 1956, and 1960-62, Maslow choreographed the Hannukkah Festivals held at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
.
CityDance Ensemble
CityDance Ensemble was founded in 1996 and is a contemporary repertory dance company based in Washington, D.C. and North Bethesda, Maryland. CityDance Ensemble, Inc, is composed of the dance company and three other divisions: an outreach education arm that teaches and performs to over 25,000...
, The Harkness Ballet, The Batsheva Dance Company
Batsheva Dance Company
The Batsheva Dance Company is an internationally acclaimed dance company based in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was founded by Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva De Rothschild in 1964....
, and The Bat-Dor Company. Sophie Maslow's voice and altruism remain an inspiration for New Dance Group
New Dance Group
New Dance Group, or more casually NDG, is a performing arts organization in New York City, USA.-History:New Dance Group was established in 1932 by a group of artists and choreographers dedicated to social change through dance and movement...
Arts Center.
She died on June 25, 2006 in Manhattan at age 95.
Selected choreographic works
- Themes from a Slavic People (1934) music: Béla BartókBéla BartókBéla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
- Two Songs About Lenin (1934)
- May Day March (1936)
- Runaway Rag (1938)
- Silicosis Blues (1939)
- Dust Bowl Ballads (1941) music: Woody GuthrieWoody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
- Sarabande (1941)
- Melancholia (1941)
- Exhortation (1941)
- Gigue (1941)
- Bourée (1941)
- Folksay (1942) music: Woody Guthrie, spoken text: The People, Yes by Carl SandburgCarl SandburgCarl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
- Llanto (1944)
- Champion (1948) music: Samuel Matlowsky
- The Village I Knew (1950)
- Four Sonnets (1951)
- Snow Queen (1952)
- Suite:Manhattan Transfer (1953)
- Israel in Dance and Song (1953)
- Celebration (1954)
- The Gentleman from Cracow (1955)
- Anniversary (1956)
- Prologue (1959)
- Poem (1963) music: Duke Ellington, poem by Lawrence FerlinghettiLawrence FerlinghettiLawrence Ferlinghetti is an American poet, painter, liberal activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers...
- The Dybbuk (1964)
- In the Beginning (1965)
- Innovacation of David (1966)
- Ladino Suite (1969)
- Country Music (1971)
- Touch the Earth (1973)
- Decathlon Etude (1976)
- Voices (1980) music: Robert SchumannRobert SchumannRobert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
- Woody Sez (1980) music: Woody Guthrie
- From Louis' Book (1985) [music-bach]