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Ted Shawn had Diphtheria as a college student that left
him Paralyzed for about a year and used dancing as a form
of therapy. Ted was over six feet tall and weighed 175lbs.
Moving to Los Angeles he opened a dance studio and joined
forces with Norma Gould, here he would make one of the first
dance motion pictures 'Dancing of the Ages'. During a tour
in New York he met Ruth
St. Denis (1878-1968) and married her almost immediately
on August 13, 1914. Together they formed the Denishawn studios
and dancers.
He was very much into church related dances and dancing
(studied to be a minister in college), and being
over six feet tall and 175 lbs. was not your typical ballet
dancer, so he made many changes in dancing for church purposes
as well as a more masculine form of dancing for large men.
Shawn created many dance works including 'Job, Xochitl,
Cuadro Flamenco'
and more.
He started a all Men's dance troupe that lasted for seven
years (till 1933), which did a great deal to change
Americans minds on Men Dancing and purchased 'Jacobs Pillow'
(dance retreat) in Lee, Mass. During world war I,
served in the United States Army, first as an enlisted man,
then an Officer. Also published many articles and books
on dance.
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