Lawrence halprin

Anna Halprin

I was married to the late Lawrence Halprin for 70 years. He had a profound influence on my life and works. I would like to honor him by presenting his biography of me. Anna Halprin

Early on, Anna abandoned the modern dance developed by the American pioneers (Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman) because it was based on the personalities of those dancers. For her, dance essentially draws on primitive needs that express life forces. Her earliest background emphasized the anatomy and physiology of the human body and its relation to the forces of nature and the environment. She was able to develop her processes in nature on an outdoor dance deck I designed for her. With the proscenium arch removed, the stage presented new and different spatial relationships, and enveloped performers with the sounds and elements of nature. It has today become an international icon of creativity with nature, and since World War II drawn a cadre of brilliant dancers from around the world, including Merce Cunningham, Min Tanaka, Meredith Monk, Simone Forti, Trisha

Anna Halprin

American dancer (1920–2021)

Anna Halprin

Anna Halprin at the University of San Francisco, November 2010

Born

Hannah Dorothy Schuman


(1920-07-13)July 13, 1920[1]

Winnetka, Illinois, U.S.

DiedMay 24, 2021(2021-05-24) (aged 100)

Kentfield, Marin County, California, U.S.[3]

OccupationDancer
Spouse
Children2, including Daria Halprin
RelativesRuthanna Hopper (granddaughter), Dennis Hopper (former-son-in-law)
Career
Current groupTamalpa Institute
DancesPostmodern dance
Websiteannahalprin.org

Anna Halprin (born Hannah Dorothy Schuman; July 13, 1920 – May 24, 2021)[3] was an American choreographer and dancer. She helped redefine dance in postwar America and pioneer the experimental art form known as postmodern dance and referred to herself as a breaker of the rules of modern dance. In the 1950s, she established the San Francisco Dancers' Workshop to give artists like her a place to practice their art. Exploring the capabilities of her own body, she created a sys

Biography

Avant-garde dancer and choreographer Anna Halprin was born on July 13, 1920 in Wilmette, Illinois as Anna Schuman. She attended New Trier High School and then the University of Wisconsin from 1940-1944 and studied dance with Margaret H’Doubler. After her graduation, Halprin and her husband moved to New York City, where she studied modern dance with Hanya Holm and Martha Graham. As a member of the Doris Humphrey/Charles Weidman Dance Co., she appeared in many New York performances. She also auditioned for and was selected to dance in the Broadway musical Sing Out Sweet Land.

In the late forties, Anna and Lawrence Halprin moved to San Francisco. Anna immediately joined the local dance scene and in 1948, she opened an experimental dance studio with Welland Lathrop. This dance center offered a wide range of movement education programs and trained dancers to go out and teach in the suburbs. Halprin broke away from Lathrop in 1955 after attending an American Season of Dance at the ANTA Theater in New York. Her participation in this event brought her to the realization that s

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