While most of these musicals have long been forgotten, some students may have seen Horton's work in the 1943 version of The Phantom of the Opera. Career Highlights. The show got great reviews, but few attended the actual performance and the dancers found themselves unable to get back to Los Angeles due to funding. Known as the Lester Horton Dancers, it was reinvented as the Lester Horton California Ballets as well as the Horton Dance Group. He began studying modern dance with Lester Horton in 1949. He put this together with Bella Lewitzky, who was one of his longtime dance partners. In the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, Lester Horton developed a modern dance technique based on Native American dances, anatomical studies, and other movement influences. As a young boy, Horton was fascinated by the American Indian, which later inspired him to study Native American dance and influenced his movement style. • FORTIFICATIONS: 17 movement studies (such as the Achilles stretch and lunge stretch), designed to strengthen and stretch the muscles; each targets a specific body part or quality of movement. However, the company sadly folded before it was able to give any public shows. Dance Magazine: Move and be moved This is an excellent introduction to the Horton Technique, the video goes through the exercises of the Horton warm-up from a variety of angles then gives specific technical information on how the exercises are to be performed. Horton's creative imagination first went to work on Salome in 1934, when he was 28 years old; and he returned to the story again and again, at intervals, until the time of his death in 1953. • LATERAL T: Hallmark movement of Horton technique; correct execution of this movement resembles the letter T. While standing on one leg, tilt torso 90 degrees, extending opposite leg for counterbalance. Lester Horton (January 23, 1906 – November 2, 1953) was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Having a diverse company, said former Horton dancer Don Martin "wasn't a … Dance Spotlight presents the final documentation of the Lester Horton modern dance technique. The Lester Horton Dance Theater, which formally opened in West Hollywood in 1946, was the first permanent theater in the U.S. devoted to modern dance. The eclectic list of winners of this year’s Lester Horton Dance Awards, announced Sunday, included achievement-in-performance nods to Patrick Damon … James Truitte The First Negro Classic Ballet Company Lester Horton Dance Theater Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (1960-1968) James Truitte was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1923. The real story begins when Horton moved to California in the late 1920s to begin a full time dance career. Creativity runs deep in Horton classes, and you can take one at studios throughout the nation, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. As a modern dancer, Horton hit the scene right when modern dance was beginning to thrive and catch an appreciative audience, but Horton did things a bit differently. Ask the Experts: How Can I Help Dancers Overcome Stage Fright After a Year Offstage? Lester Horton Dance Theater Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress (025.00.00) It stood out for its ethnic inclusiveness. The first is that he was introducing the first modern dance company to the West Coast. Horton had been initially inspired to dance, by performances he saw from modern dancers Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, and the Denishawn Dancers. After Horton’s death, the Lester Horton Dance Theater in West Hollywood continued to exist for seven more years. Lester Iradell Horton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 23, 1906. In the 1930s, Horton founded his own company, the Lester Horton Dancers. When Lester Horton founded his dance company in the 1930's he was making history in two important ways. Though his choreography is seldom performed today, notable works include: – Salome (1934): Based on Oscar Wilde’s salacious play of the same name, this piece exists in at least six different versions—Horton liked to keep it fresh. He also is notable for having trained some of modern dance's most famous performers and choreographers, especially Alvin Ailey, whose school is now legendary in New York. Horton was not completely removed from East Coast dance life, as he did develop a company for a dancer named Sonia Shaw. Horton is largely recognized for developing his modern dance technique, known as the "Horton Technique". In addition to creating his technique and choreographing a number of works for stage and film, Horton established the Lester Horton Dance Theater, one of the first permanent theaters dedicated to modern dance in the U.S., in … Pointe: Ballet at its best He took off for California right when New York City was considered the center of the craft. He was greatly influenced by the Japanese performer Michio Ito and Native American cultures. Photos courtesy of Dance Magazine archives, courtesy of Ailey archives, by John Dady, courtesy of Dance Magazine archives. Lester Horton has been a well-known modern dance pioneer since the early to mid 1900’s, developing his own technique based on Native American dances. Lester Horton (January 23, 1906 – November 2, 1953) was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Born January 23, 1906, Indianapolis, Lester Horton began studying ballet as an adolescent. His parents were Iradell and Pollyanna Horton. Dance Business Weekly: Best moves for your business Much of his style and technique is reflected today in leading modern dance company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Lester Horton. Continue reading. • DIMENSIONAL TONUS: Also known as the “yawn stretch,” this combination includes parts of all 17 fortifications and acts as a warm-up summary, with ascents, descents and dramatic directional changes. He studied several Native American tribes including, the Iroquois, Red River Indians, Penobscot, and Ojibway. Then it was known as the Lester Horton California Ballets. Horton's troupe did make one final attempt to get to the East Coast - performing at an influential theater in New York City. Lester Horton, a pioneer of American modern dance, was born in 1906 in Indiana..He achieved fame as a dancer, a choreographer, and especially as a teacher. The first video class that teaches the legendary Lester Horton technique. When Ailey moved to New York in 1954, several dancers followed him, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, rooted in Horton’s style, was soon born. Lester Horton was a strong contributor to the world of modern dance, and his legacy lives on today through students just starting to scratch the surface of his technique and unique craft. His dance style is integrated into many college and private dance school programs, and is known as the "Horton Technique." Modern Dance is defined as being a dance style that focuses on a dancer's interpretation as opposed to the structured steps of Ballet. This is considered great career preparation by many, as it primes the body to excel at any form of dance. Lester Horton Dancers was a dance company established by Horton in 1932. He also danced for a brief time, with the Royal Ballet. One of the first choreographers to have a racially integrated dance company, Lester Horton (1906–1953) developed a series of movement exercises that have now been codified as the Horton technique. Lester Horton. This went on until around 1944. Horton Technique also challenges dancers to utilize every pocket of space - be it the floor, the air, standing, sitting, etc. Lester Horton created The Mine (1935), based on newspaper reports of a local mining disaster in California. Lester Horton, (born January 23, 1906, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.—died November 2, 1953, Los Angeles, California), dancer and choreographer credited with launching the modern dance movement in Los Angeles and for establishing the country’s first racially integrated dance company. Today, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is most famously rooted in his technique. American dancer and choreographer Lester Horton (1906-1953) made Los Angeles an epicenter for dance at a time when most of America was focused on New York. A short stint with Japanese dancer Michio Ito led to the formation of the first of Horton’s several dance companies, the Dance Repertory Group. I'm a dance instructor and bought this video because I was interested in incorporating Horton concepts and exercises into my jazz warm-up. – The Beloved (1948): Horton’s inspiration for this duet came from a newspaper article in which a man bludgeoned his wife to death with a Bible. The real story begins when Horton moved to California in the late 1920s to begin a full time dance career. Lester Horton. Constantine Photos. Perhaps the most interesting, and certainly the most obsessive, involvement with the story was that of California choreographer Lester Horton. Then it was renamed into Horton Dance Group. How—and Why—to Incorporate Audio Description Into Your Dance Classes, Four Card Decks to Add to Your Bag of Teaching Tricks, Getting Tough Love Right: How to Support Your Students While Setting High Expectations, Join Pointe for a Q&A With Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan on April 22, Sign up for any or all of these newsletters. Along with choreographing a number of works for both film and stage and developing his technique, Horton opened his own dance Company (The Lester Horton Dance Theater) in 1946. American dance, Lester Horton studied at the Denishawn School. As a choreographer, Horton was known for broaching unusual topics, like political strife and multiculturalism. Companies and schools that utilize Horton technique include: Sign up for any or all of these newsletters The dance style was a rebellion against the rigid formalism of Ballet. Lester Horton became a legend in modern dance, developing his own technique and establishing his own dance company. (Horton had a flair for the dramatic.) Lester Horton: The Social Conscience of the Modern Dance World. Bella Lewitzky (left) and Sondra Orans in Lester Horton’s work Warsaw Ghetto, 1949. Horton introduced a new genre of performance: the choreodrama, which skillfully intertwined dance movement and theater. Once they did make their way home, they went on to work hard and dance at famous locations such as Jacob's Pillow. The Dance Edit: A petit daily newsletter, Lester Horton: The Social Conscience of the Modern Dance World. This started around the year 1942 and continued on through the following decades. He also introduced modern dance to the West Coast: His Dance Theater in West Hollywood was the first modern dance venue for performance and teaching in Los Angeles. Lester Horton was born in Indianapolis in 1906, and little is known about his early life. Lester Horton struggled with alcoholism and poor health, and died of a heart attack while still in his 40s. After briefly studying ballet, he teamed up with director Clara Bates to choreograph, star in and design the costumes for The Song of Hiawatha, which put him on the dance map while still a teenager. Besides film making, Horton's dancers earned money dancing in clubs and restaurants. Please help us improve. Why wasn't this page useful? While he has been deceased for over 40 years, his influence lives on - namely through the Lester Horton Dance Theater Foundation. The Lester Horton Dance Group first appeared in 1932 and became noted over the ensuing two decades for an individual technique and theatrical style that embraced themes of social and political protest as well as satire. Up until this time, modern dance was mostly pioneered on the East Coast in New York City. In the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, dancer/choreographer Lester Horton developed a dance technique based on Native American dances, anatomical studies and other movement influences. This endeavor was followed up with Horton's next venture - the Dance Theater of Los Angeles. Lester Horton. – Le Sacre du Printemps (1937): Horton’s rendition of Nijinsky’s original work, set to Stravinsky’s music, was the first the West Coast had seen of this iconic piece at its Hollywood Bowl premiere. Lester Horton Dance Theater Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress (024.00.00) Enlarge. Lester Horton Lester Iradell Horton was born January 23, 1906 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Iradell and Pollyanna Horton. © 2006-2021 LoveToKnow, Corp., except where otherwise noted. …. As a child he was interested in Native American culture, which is also what sparked his interest in dance. One of the first choreographers to have a racially integrated dance company, Lester Horton (1906–1953) developed a series of movement exercises that have now been codified as the Horton technique. Lester Horton's Dance Techniques. Lester Horton was born in Indianapolis in 1906, and little is known about his early life. Horton’s school served as the early training ground for many notable dancers such as Alvin Ailey, Carmen de Lavallade, Bella Lewitzky, James Mitchell, and James Truitte. The goal is to continue the foundational vocabulary of the Lester Horton technique as a body language taught through a science of information, application and execution that can build the physical instrument for the discipline of the performing art of dance as well as everyday life. His fascination with American Indian dance tradition encouraged him to take dance lessons. The Indiana native’s introduction to dance might have occurred with a Denishawn performance, a touring Wild West show with Native American dancing or Anna Pavlova’s company, depending on what story he chose to tell. Poems About Earth to Raise Awareness on Earth Day, How to Flirt Over Text: Cute & Clever Examples, 75 Easy Staycation Ideas That Are Cheap But Fun, Recognizing Stress Acne and How to Beat It. He took off for California right when New York City was considered the cente… By creating his dance… The pieces put together by Horton were self-described as "choreodramas" and they continued to be his most cherished contributions to the modern dance world. Highlights of his repertory include at least six versions of He welcomed Alvin Ailey, Bella Lewitzky, James Truitte, Joyce Trisler and Carmen de Lavallade, among others, into his fold, all of whom would go on to create their own work. 641 Words3 Pages. Horton, the founder of one of the first racially-integrated dance companies in the United States, became a mentor for Mr. Ailey as he embarked on his professional career. To pay for his dance companies and other creative developments, Horton worked as a Hollywood choreographer. The Lester Horton Dance Theater Collection is a collection of multi-format materials documenting the work of dancer-teacher-choreographer Lester Horton as well as the workings of a modern dance company in California. by Rachel Rizzuto. May 31, 2013. Dancers who take a Horton class can expect to grow stronger and more flexible, and to utilize their anatomy in a way never before possible. Lester Horton was a dancer who developed a modern contemporary dance technique. It was developed in the early twentieth century, primarily in Germany and the United States. This Advanced Beginners class was created to show how the Horton studies can be incorporated and taught within a class. As a young boy, Horton was fascinated by the American Indian, which later inspired him to study Native American dance and influenced his movement style. The company appeared in a film dubbed as The Lester Horton … The Lester Horton Dance Theater Collection holds the company’s records as well as material related to the dance school’s activities. The class is based on the book "The Dance Technique of Lester Horton" by … This innovative technique is a source of inspiration to countless modern dance choreographers and continues to train strong, versatile dancers, expanding the body's traditional range of motion. Lester Horton was a dancer, choreographer, and teacher, creating much of his own works, and even establishing Lester Horton Dance Theater. Horton based his technique from Native American style dances and anatomical studies. After Horton’s death in 1953, Mr. Ailey became director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater and began to choreograph his own works. Since they were on the West Coast, they were able to appear in some films, in which they were credited as the original Lester Horton dancers. 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