Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Scripps Studio Theater at the Paul Taylor Dance Company Studios
551 Grand Street, NYC
Tickets: $30
The Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble will perform two major works of modern dance pioneer Charles Weidman, on a program presented by Audrey Ross.
Lynchtown (1936) is the culmination of Weidman’s suite, Atavisms, a three-part study of mob behavior. Choreographed in response to his childhood memory of witnessing a lynching in Omaha, Nebraska, Lynchtown challenges the dancers and audience to confront their own human capacity for violence.
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (1934, revived in 1961) expresses joy, wonder, and community, with choreography whose architecture and scale rise to match the grandeur of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
Lynchtown and Christmas Oratorio are being reconstructed by guest director Gail Corbin, Director of the Doris Humphrey Foundation.
Also on the program will be Men’s Dance from New Dance (1936), performed by Alex Clayton of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. New Dance is considered Doris Humphrey’s masterwork, created during the existence of the Humphrey-Weidman Group (1928–1945). To this great work, Weidman contributed “Men’s Dance.”
Nikolaj McKenzie will perform Danse Americaine (1923), created by Ted Shawn for Charles Weidman, expressly designed to show off Weidman’s humor and acting ability. The character is a mill town guy, full of bravado, bluster, and braggadocio.
Photo: Jaqlin Medlock
About Charles Weidman
Born in 1901 in Lincoln, Nebraska, Charles Weidman, along with Doris Humphrey, Martha Graham, and Hanya Holm, became one of the four pioneers of American modern dance. In 1928, after leaving the Denishawn Company, Humphrey and Weidman formed the Humphrey-Weidman Group. Until the dissolution of the company in the mid-1940’s, Humphrey and Weidman created some of the greatest works of the classic modern dance repertory. Weidman also choreographed for Broadway before deciding to devote his time to working in concert modern dance.
When Humphrey left to become Artistic Director of the José Limón Company, Weidman, the best-known male dancer of his generation, formed his own group. He is credited as a leader in the development of the male dancer in America. Some of his students included such respected artists as Alvin Ailey, Jack Cole, Bob Fosse, José Limón, and Gene Kelly.
Although Weidman is often remembered for his great comedic talents, he was one of the most versatile choreographers of his time. He ventured into the area of social comment with his suite Atavisms—the third section, “Lynchtown,” being a searing indictment of mob violence. Examples of his lyrical pieces include Brahms Waltzes and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. Flickers and Fables for Our Time were two of the best-known works from his comic repertory.
Weidman remained a creative force in the dance world throughout his career. He died in New York City in 1975.