When she spotted an advertisement for Egyptian Deities in a Buffalo drugstore, the image of the goddess Iris conjured up the idea of a new kind of dance-theater which might tell the entire story of a civilization through movement. Within a few months, she had emerged as Ruth St. Denis in a solo concert on Broadway, inaugurating a decade of triumphs in various exotic dances fashioned from the folklore of Japan, China, and India.
Although these dances sprang from a deep spirituality, St. Her solos are difficult to reproduce, as they demand charisma, deft manipulation of costumes and props, and a profound belief in the mystical power of the dances. Through Denishawn , the company and school she founded with Ted Shawn, St. Denis made her greatest impact on audiences and on a generation of disciples including Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman.
The visions stimulated by that cigarette poster were allowed to take shape in the elaborate spectacles staged by Denishawn. Denis achieved immortality many years ago, and the real Ruth St. Denis is now living and always will be β a valiant crusader for truth, a constructive force battling for beauty, and a healing power for the betterment of all mankind.
The dissolution of Denishawn led St. Denis deeper into her spiritual nature and into long periods of artistic oblivion, resulting in such desperate measures as working the graveyard shift in an aircraft factory. Her works are occasionally revived at the Pillow, including a memorable performance by Cynthia Gregory. Search for:. Ruth St. A cigarette poster changed Ruth St.
