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Stage Name |
Birth Name |
| La Meri |
Russel Meriweather
Hughes |
| "the Queen of Ethnic
Dance" |
Russel M. (Dickie) Hughes |
US dancer, teacher,
and writer. La Meri was one of the most versatile and dedicated
of the American born Ethnological dancers. Was reported to have
come from Texas, but it looks like Kentucky. She later moved to
San Antonio, Texas at the age of twelve. Her initial dance training
was in Spanish
and Mexican dance from 1913 to 1920. She then studied ballet
at the Cecchetti school with Aaron Tomaroff, Ivan Tarasoff and Volinine
from 1922 to 1925, and then modern with Michito
Ito in New York in 1925. While in India she studied Bharata
natyam from Papanasam Vadivelu and Kathak
from Ram Dutt Tiwari.
La Meri's first tour was in Rio Grande Valley,
Texas in 1923 and by 1924 dancing in prologues to silent movies.
By1925 she had built up an extensive lists of dates as a featured
performer. With the outbreak of war, La Meri returned to New York
and with Ruth St. Denis founded the 'School of Natya' in May of
1940- |
|
1952
and in October of 1942, she founded the 'School of Ethnologic
Dance Center,' and its performing ensemble of Exotic Ballet. Her
first major work was ''Krishna Gopala,'' presented in 1940 with
St. Denis and Hadassah as guest artists. She taught and performed
with her dance company, the Five Natya's in the 1940's.
La Meri created
and recreated many Ethnic dances such as the Oriental
dances, Chinese, Hindu, Burmese, Polynesian, Indian, Moroccan,
Spanish, Guaba's
Journey to Paradise, En Mai Hawaiinuikea, Hymns and Spirituals,
El Amor Brujo etc. and Latin-American dances etc. Is said La Meri
coined the term Ethnic dance. She
used this vast knowledge of dance from around the world to create
a unique dance experience for the audience. She would usually
start of with the Spanish dances, do these for a bit, then switch
to Interpretive dances, then move to the east with such as dances
of the Japanese Geishas and the Court Dances of Javanese. Then
onto the Mexican, Cuban, Peruvian and Argentine dances, etc. It
was almost a lesson in dance history at the same time as well.
Kinda similar in feel to Walt Disney's "Its a Small World
Ride," taking you on a tour of exotic lands and places.
Even tho La Meri's professional training was
Spanish and Mexican (1913-1920,) she would become quite adept
at learning many differnet dances. On her retirement in 1970,
La Meri established Ethnic Dance Arts Inc. in Hyannis, Mass.,
where she presented an annual ethnic dance festival with awards.
She taught widely and lectured on non-Western dance and wrote
many books on dance. Her book ''Spanish Dancing,'' published in
1948, was considered by many to be the definitive text on Spanish
dance. In 1972, La Meri received the Capezio Award.
Lilan 'Lil' Hughes was La Meri's sister, she
died of cancer in January of 1965. She is buried at Arlington
Cemetery. La Meri died in a San Antonio, Texas Hospital in 1988,
she was 89 years old.
|
Birth Place |
Birth Date |
Spouse |
Offspring |
| Louisville,
KY |
5/13/1899
- 1/7/1988 |
Guido
Carreras |
n/a |
|
Dance Types |
Dancers |
Her Dance Troupe |
| Ballet |
Keith Time (in
Vaudeville) |
Edna
Dieman |
| Chethatal- Al-Maharma? |
LA Argentinita |
Eleanor
Oliver |
| Ethnic |
Maria Montero |
Lilan
Hughes ( sister ) |
| Flamenco |
Michito
Ito |
Lillian
Rollo |
| Gesture Dance |
Tarasoff |
Marilyn |
| Hindu |
Tomaroff |
Patricia
Penn |
| Hula |
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Peter
di Falco |
| Javanese Wajang Wong |
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Peter Girard |
| Moorish |
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Rebecca
Harris |
| Natya |
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Renato
Magni |
| Oriental |
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Richard
Cressy |
| Spanish |
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Rudolf
Yakovitch |
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Sylvia ? |
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Night Clubs, Studios etc |
Theaters |
Stage |
| Ethnologic Dance Center (NY) |
n/a |
1940 - Krishna Gopala |
| Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival |
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1941 - El Amor Brujo |
| Natch School of Dance |
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1947 - Bach-Bharta |
| School of Natya |
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1947 - Devi Murti |
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1947 - Scheherazade |
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1949 - Night in Spain |
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Swan Lake |
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Films |
Music Titles |
Publications |
| n/a |
Go 'Way from My Window |
1931 - Principles
of the Dance (La Meri) |
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1935 - Dance as
an Art Form |
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6/1941 - Dance
Magazine |
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1942 - Gesture
Language of the Hindu Dance (La Meri) |
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1942 - Spanish
Dancing |
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1949 - Dance Encyclopedia
(Chujoy) |
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$1977
- Total Education in Ethnic Dance (La Meri) |
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1/21/1988 - N.Y. Times |
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2005 - Life and Times of La
Meri (Indira Gandhi) |
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$
Dance Out The Answer (La Meri) |
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Ballrooms
