Pauline Lawrence Limón | |
|---|---|
 Portrait, ca. 1925 | |
| Born | Pauline Lawrence 1900 |
| Died | (aged 70) |
| Alma mater | Hollywood High School |
| Known for | Costume design |
| Style | Modern dance |
Pauline Lawrence Limón (née Lawrence; 1900 – July 16, 1971) was an American costume designer, choreographer, and musician in the field of modern dance. Lawrence was born in Los Angeles, and joined the Denishawn school at the age of 17. She was a founding member of the Humphrey-Weidman Group in 1928 and the José Limón Dance Company in 1945, and served in a variety of roles for both companies, including piano accompaniment, costume design, and company management. Lawrence married José Limón in 1941, and they collaborated professionally until her death in 1971.[1]
Early life and Denishawn
editPauline Lawrence was born in 1900 in Los Angeles. She attended Hollywood High School, graduating in 1917. At the age of 17, Lawrence began working at the Denishawn school in Los Angeles as a rehearsal pianist, under the supervision of two longtime Denishawn associates: composer Louis Horst and costumer Pearl Wheeler.[2]: 82
In addition to her work with the Denishawn school itself, Lawrence was also involved with the projects of Denishawn founders Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. She was the accompanist for a national tour by the Ruth St. Denis Concert Dancers in 1919, and in 1921, Lawrence accompanied the tour of Denishawn's Xochitl, a dance drama based on the story of Toltec empress Xochitl. With Denishawn, Lawrence also danced minor roles on tours and accompanied rehearsals in the studio.[3]: 11, 59
Humphrey-Weidman company
editLawrence, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman departed Denishawn in 1928 to form their own company, the Humphrey-Weidman Company. Lawrence, Humphrey, and Weidman objected to St. Denis' intention to limit the number of Jewish students in the school, and the Denishawn company was already nearing dissolution after the departures of key members Martha Graham and Louis Horst.[4]: 32 In addition to their philosophical and administrative objections to Shawn and St. Denis' company, the trio also wanted to pursue a more abstract and contemporary style in their work.[5]: 124 According to St. Denis, Lawrence "was Doris’ Pearl [Wheeler] as well as her Louis [Horst], and who later took on the dignity of managership. And I think in these days Pauline felt very strongly that the only way Doris and Charles could expand was by separation from the forms of Denishawn."[6]: 321
In her venture with Humphrey and Weidman, Lawrence took charge of administrative, business, design, and technical matters, especially costuming. As later described by José Limón, Lawrence was the "company manager and representative, business manager, press agent, stage manager, and lighting director."[7]: 84
Eleanor King described Lawrence's costuming for the Humphrey-Weidman company's inaugural performance as "uncanny in her sense of the fitness of things—the cut, texture, hue, shape and wearability of her costumes; the nuances of lighting; the suitability of the music. At all the external aids she was invaluable."[8]: 37 Weidman designed and fabricated costumes for himself, and his and Lawrence's styles of costuming worked well together, with their shared use of bold colors and improvised materials.[2]: 83
more about humphrey-weidman
editLeft the Denishawn company in 1928, with Humphrey and Weidman. Was a founding member of the Humphrey-Weidman company.[4]: 32
According to Limon, was the entire business operation of the Humphrey-Weidman company.[7]: 25
"Pauline functioned as company manager and representative, business manager, press agent, stage manager, and lighting director. When the curtain went up, on her cue, she would double as one of two pairs of hands at the piano, give the electricians at the switchboard their cues as needed, jump to the percussion instruments when these were indicated in the musical score, and return to the piano. Intermissions menat supervising and directing changes of scenery, refocusing spotlights, and changing colored slides. After the final curtain she would supervise the crew in packing the curtains, lights, props, and costumes, accompany the loaded trucks to the railroad station, check the baggage to the next destination, tidy up a bit, and join the company at whatever reception was being held by the local sponsors.
"All of us, being completely absorbed in the task of performing, keeping ourselves fit, and fighting the ever-present fatigue and exhaustion of a protracted tour, took Pauline and her services very much for granted."[7]: 84
Collaboration with José Limón
editLawrence met
Personal life
editMight have been in a relationship with Doris Humphrey in the early 30s[4]: 47 Lived in a kind of collective with a bunch of her artistic associates, incl. Humphrey, Weidman, Limon, in the late 30s.
Later works and death
editLegacy
editSelected works
editReferences
edit- ^ Shawcross, Nancy M. "Guide to the Pauline Lawrence Limón collection" (PDF). New York Public Library Jerome Robbins Dance Division. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ a b Lloyd, Margaret (1949). The Borzoi book of modern dance. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
- ^ Sherman, Jane (1979). The Drama of Denishawn Dance. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 978-0-8195-7795-5. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ a b c Foulkes, Julia L. (2002). Modern bodies: dance and American modernism from Martha Graham to Alvin Ailey. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-2698-0.
- ^ a b Mazo, Joseph H. (1977). Prime movers: the makers of modern dance in America. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Book Co. ISBN 978-0-916622-27-5.
- ^ St. Denis, Ruth (1939). Ruth St. Denis, An Unfinished Life: An Autobiography. London: George G. Harrap and Co.
- ^ a b c Limón, José (1998). José Limón : an unfinished memoir. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England. ISBN 978-0-8195-6374-3.
- ^ King, Eleanor (1978). Transformations: The Humphrey-Weidman Era, A Memoir. Brooklyn, NY: Dance Horizons. ISBN 978-0-87127-100-6.
- ^ Tomlinson, Charles D. (2000). "Paulina Regina". In Dunbar, June (ed.). José Limón: The Artist Re-viewed. New York: Routledge. pp. 27–36. ISBN 9057551217.
- ^ Woodford, Charles H. (2000). "My Dance Family". In Dunbar, June (ed.). José Limón: The Artist Re-viewed. New York: Routledge. pp. 45–52. ISBN 9057551217.