George Balanchine

Balanchine is one of the 20th century's foremost choreographers, and one of the founders of American ballet. His work formed a bridge between classical and modern ballet.

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Ernestine Day by Johannes Holub

Written by sbawill2 on

Former Denishawn dancer Ernestine Day was celebrated with an exhibition honoring her centennial in La Grange, Kentucky, near Louisville, on October 5^th and 6^th, 2007.

This exhibit was shown in the context of "The Second Blue Grass State International Dance Festival" under the direction of Susana B. Williams, which took place at the La Grange Community and Arts Center.  The exhibition was organized by Sandra Schuler, the daughter of Ernestine Day and Dr. Kerwin Armand Fischer of Louisville, and included Ernestine's diary, her costumes, pictures, programs and other items collected during the Denishawn Company tour of the Orient.

Ms. Day was a member of the Denishawn Company from 1924 until the break up of that company in the early 1930s. A principal dancer, she served as Ted Shawn’s assistant and his of time partner. She also appeared with Jack Cole and Mary Martin in Mr. Cole’s trio nightclub act in New York City, as well as Cole’s Ballet Intime at a performance at the 92^nd St. Y in 1938.

The Far East tour, 1925-26, organized by the company’s long time impresario Daniel Mayer, and lasting 16 months, was only one of the lengthy tours undertaken by the Denishawn company and Ms. Day, which also included a Ziegfeld Follies tour and one on the Judson circuit. In this prodigious way, Denishawn dance was brought to the length and breadth of this country as well as the Far East. Ernestine Day’s journal from Far East tour is included in the exhibition.

Ms. Day, a tall, beautiful young woman, whom everyone called Tini, was selected to join the company at age 17, and during her nearly ten years with Denishawn danced many ensemble and specialty roles. Ballets include The Feather of the Dawn, which is a telling of Hopi rituals, featuring Ms. Day in The Dance of the Corn Maiden, as well as Pas De Quatre, Straussiana, Around The Hall And Gringo Tango and others. Drawing on childhood memories of Arkansas, Kansas, she choreographed and performed the “Pawnee Indian Dance”, resplendent in authentic costumes, which are featured in the exhibition.

Other members of this unique dance company were Martha Graham, her sister Geordie Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, Jack Cole, and surprisingly, the actress Louise Brooks, in addition of course to Ted and Miss Ruth. In the early 40s Ms. Day, leaving Terpsichore behind, took a new life journey, as a married woman with family and active in civic affairs in Louisville, Kentucky. Ernestine Day died stunningly early in 1958. The exhibit in La Grange was beautifully arranged by Ms. Schuler, who exercised her strong sense of design in the juxtaposition of costumes, jewelry, and fans with photographs of the many roles Ms. Day danced. Childhood and adolescent photos touchingly reveal thejoie de vivre that characterized the performing artist.

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