-Lester Horton joined Nature's Study Group as a child. On one of his first excursions, they visited the mystery Indian mounds near Anderson. This led to him researching @ Children's Museum on Meridian Street.
-He first wanted to be a Herpetologist until he saw the Denishawn Dancers.
-He was also inspired by the Wild West Show and Anna PAvlova.
-His first dance lessons came from Mlle. Theo Hews, who studied ballet w/ Italian teacher Madame Menzeli.
-Horton took classes in aesthetic dance (Greek) and Denishawn.
-In high school he was great at jewelry & pottery making. He was taught by Rhoda Sellek.
-Horton's "Indian Period" in dance was inspired by Ruth St. Denis' Ishtar of the Seven Gates and Ted Shawn's Feather of the Dawn.
-He collaborated with composer Homer Gunn.
-His first professional dance job came from Forrest Thornburg in 1925.
-Horton studied and took classes with renowned ballet master Adolph Bolm in Chicago.
-He worked with actor George Sommes with the Little Theater.
-He collaborated with William and Clara Bates for "Song of Hiawatha."
-He learned necessary costume design skills @ field Museum in Chicago.
-He met Katherine Stubergh and worked with her family learning to make wax figures.
-In 1929 Horton worked with Michio Ito in At the Hawks Well where he developed his idea for choreodramas.
-In 1932 he was inspired by Mary Wigman's use of percussion for use as aesthetic cues and new dance/choreography ideas.
-Horton collaborated with composer Sidney Cutner in 1936.
-The Horton Dance Group was invited to learn and perform Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps in 1937.
-He choreographed Conquest which combined his love of Native American dance and costumes. It was danced by Bella Lewitzky and Merce Cunningham. The music was composed by Lou Harrison.
-On November 3, 1939 there was a final performance of Horton Dance group which included Harald Kreutzberg, Hanya Holm, Martha Graham, Carmelita Maracci and Agna Enters.
A True Artist
Mr. Horton was known for designing his own costumes, sets and props.
Lester Horton Dance
Lester Horton in costume for his dance "Song of Hiawatha"
Horton the Teacher
Horton in a rehearsal teaching and guiding.
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It is interesting how Lester was interested in so many different things other than dance. Do you think that any of these "hobbies" of his influenced any of his dancing or choreography?
ReplyDeleteYes definitely Spadz. Horton was known for using all of his different skills and knowledge to develop his works. He used many of the Native American dance vocabularies he studied in his works. He also used his love for other crafts to design his own sets, make his own costumes and do prop design for his work. One of his works "Song of Hiawatha" really demostrates his craftsmenship in various fields, as he made the costume(s) and props himself.
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