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Nebraska Helps Put Weidman Back On the Map.


Here in Charles Weidman's hometown, don't expect to see a plaque marking the spot where the modem-dance pioneer was born 100 years ago. In fact, don't even expect local dance experts to agree where the spot is. Expansion of the University of Nebraska's downtown campus in Lincoln has long since erased the streets of Weidman's old neighborhood, and debates run hot about the exact location of his boyhood home. The site is now either a football booster-club parking lot or, across the driveway, the loading dock of the university's Lied Center for the Performing Arts, depending on whom you ask--and it's best to ask carefully, unless you're looking for Looking for

In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with.
 an argument.

In fact, despite the importance of his collaboration with Doris Humphrey Doris Batcheller Humphrey (October 17, 1895 - December 29, 1958) was a dancer of the early twentieth century. She was born in Oak Park, Illinois but grew up in Chicago, Illinois; she was a descendant of Pilgrim William Brewster and Simon James Humphrey.  in the Humphrey-Weidman Dance Company from 1928 to 1945, and the fact that he continued creating and performing until his death in 1975, Weidman is almost a missing person in Lincoln. Asked for information, the local chamber of commerce could only suggest trying the university's dance department or public library, and a search for his name on the Nebraska State Historical Society The Nebraska State Historical Society is a Nebraska state agency, originally founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information ... and to embrace alike aboriginal and modern history.  Web site comes up empty. (An online source that does have Weidman info is the Charles Weidman Charles Edward Weidman, Jr. (1901 in Lincoln, Nebraska-1975) was a modern dancer, choreographer and teacher. He studied and performed with Denishawn before leaving to form the Humphrey-Weidman school and company with Doris Humphrey and Pauline Lawrence.  Archives at www.charlesweidman.com.)

But Nebraska's dance educators are working to put Weidman firmly back on the state's cultural map. Dr. Lisa Fusillo of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL UNL Unlisted
UNL University of Nebraska-Lincoln
UNL Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal)
UNL Universidad Nacional del Litoral (Argentina)
UNL University of North London
UNL Upper Normal Limit
), Professor Josie Metal-Corbin of the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO), and Dance Consort: Mezzacappa/Gabrian (a New York-based company with a special interest in Weidman repertoire) are collaborating on a series of performances and events to mark the choreographer's centennial (he was born July 22, 1901) and focus attention on his work and significance.

That focus seems to have blurred in recent years, according to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.

2. In keeping with: according to instructions.

3.
 Carol Mezzacappa of Dance Consort. "It appears that in some recent dance-history books, Charles is either just mentioned as Doris's sidekick, or he isn't mentioned at all," she said. "He isn't even noted as a dancer, the first American First American may refer to:
  • First American (comics), A superhero from America's Best Comics
  • First American, a division of the now-defunction Bank of Credit and Commerce International.
 modern male dancer that we had in the last century--that credit is often being given now to Jose Limon, who of course worked with Charles. And we don't know Don't know (DK, DKed)

"Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party.
 why it's happening--we can only speculate."

Those speculations include the fact that Weidman spent most of the 1950s working in California, while most major dance critics still were clustered in New York City New York City: see New York, city.
New York City

City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S.
; side-taking among supporters after the breakup of the Humphrey-Weidman company; or simply the fact that neither Humphrey nor Weidman was an avid self-promoter. "Charles didn't have that whole mechanism behind him, didn't have a publicist going out and pushing his work," Mezzacappa said. "Doris and Charles weren't like that--they were more concerned with their body of work, as opposed to promoting it as a business."

But the key factor, Mezzacappa said, is that Humphrey-Weidman technique never took root in the nation's college dance system in the same way that, say, Martha Graham's did. "The technique, Humphrey or Weidman, is not really taught in the colleges," she said, "whereas Graham technique was fostered throughout colleges--so no matter where you had gone across the country, you knew of Martha Graham and her dance technique, and whoever was teaching would bring in the historical context. Humphrey-Weidman didn't have that, and that is very telling."

With that in mind, it's no surprise that education is a major emphasis of Nebraska's Weidman centennial. Mezzacappa and partner Craig Gabrian visited Lincoln in June to perform and teach Weidman-themed workshops for Arts Are Basic, a program that trains grade school and secondary teachers to integrate the arts into their regular classroom work. Mezzacappa returned in September for master classes, lectures, and choreography sessions with UNL (Lincoln) and UNO (Omaha) student dancers.

The pace picks up this month, with Dance Consort returning to Lincoln with dancers from its adjunct youth company, Young Dancers in Repertory. Augmented by local dancers, the groups will perform Weidman works in school residencies October 15-19, and stage a full-length concert, "The Genius of Charles Weidman," October 19 on the Lied Center mainstage (just a few dozen yards from either version of Weidman's birth site). The action moves to Omaha October 20-23 for UNO-sponsored residencies on the theme "Learning Through Dance: A Multicultural Approach in the Elementary School elementary school: see school. ."

After final rehearsals with Mezzacappa in January 2002, the UNL Dance Ensemble A group of dancers preforming under a common name: the dance equivalent of a band. Examples would be Riverdance and Shuvani.  will cap the centennial February 11 with an all-Weidman concert featuring some of his most important works, including Lynchtown, a taut study of mass hysteria mass hysteria
n.
1. Spontaneous, en masse development of identical physical or emotional symptoms among a group of individuals, as in a classroom of schoolchildren.

2.
 inspired by a lynching Weidman said he witnessed in Omaha as a youth; Bargain Counter, a social satire on consumer frenzy; and Brahms Waltzes, a sweepingly lyrical work he choreographed as a tribute to Humphrey after her death in 1958.

Mezzacappa said she hopes to "help audiences connect to the works--either through historical context and/or through movement--what to look for in the thematic material. What we've found in doing Humphrey and Weidman concerts throughout the country is that people no longer know how to look at this type of dance. The visuals have changed so much throughout the decades that we need anything we can do to help them see what's going on What's Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. .

"And people get intimidated," she observed. "They get intimidated by dance, for whatever reason. And they don't have to."

Charles Weidman (1901--1975)

Charles Weidman, whose works reflected his social consciousness and satirical wit, was considered a pioneer of American modern American Modern was a distinct American design aesthetic formed in the period between 1925 and World War II. American Modern was created by a pioneering group of designers, architects and artists, among them were Norman Bel Geddes, Donald Deskey, Henry Dreyfuss, Paul Frankl,  dance and the preeminent male dancer-choreographer of his time. During his years with Doris Humphrey, Weidman emphasized the importance of male dancers, developing a system of technical exercises designed specifically for them. Another contribution to the dance world was his invention of kinetic, or nonrepresentational non·rep·re·sen·ta·tion·al  
adj.
Of, relating to, or being a style of art in which natural objects are not represented realistically; nonobjective.
, pantomime. As a teacher, Weidman influenced the development of both modern and jazz dance. His students included Bob Fosse, Jack Cole Jack Cole may refer to:
  • Jack Cole (artist) (1918–1958)
  • Jack Cole (choreographer) (1911–1974)
  • Jack Cole (businessman), founder of the Coles (bookstore) chain
  • Jack A. Cole, retired detective and executive director of LEAP
, Jose Limon and Sybil Shearer. Left: Charles Weidman and Pauline Koner, who died last February (see Transitions, page 88), in a 1951 performance. Weidman was the first American male modern dancer, although he is not always given that recognition.

Jim Williams, an Omaha-based dance writer and photographer, has been Dance Magazine's Nebraska correspondent and reviewer since 1986.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Dance Magazine, Inc.
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2001, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Title Annotation:University of Nebraska to mark Charles Weidman centennial
Author:WILLIAMS, JIM
Publication:Dance Magazine
Article Type:Biography
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:Oct 1, 2001
Words:1024
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