The Clark Humanities Museum at Scripps College is pleased to host the exhibition “The Power & Passion of Dance: The Carol Halstead Dance Photography Collection,” on display from September 3 through October 18, 2002. Also on display is “Ruth St. Denis: Icon of the Modern Dance,” featuring selections from Scripps College’s Permanent Art Collection. In conjunction with these exhibits, Dr. Carol Halstead will give a lecture on Tuesday, September 24, at 4:15 p.m. in the Humanities Auditorium on the Scripps campus, followed by a reception in the Clark Humanities Museum. The exhibition, lecture, and reception are free and open to the public. For more information and exhibition hours, please call 909.607.3606.
The Carol Halsted Collection features period photographs of the icons of the ballet and modern dance. Nijinsky, Pavlova and other dancers of the Ballets Russes are juxtaposed with the pioneers of modern dance such as Isadora Duncan, Ted Shawn, and Martha Graham. Works by photographers Edward Steichen, Arnold Genthe, Henri Cartier Bresson, and Annie Leibowitz, among others, demonstrate the lasting influence of the dance on the art of photography.
“Ruth St. Denis: Icon of the Modern Dance” represents a diverse group of stills taken by 1920s photographer Edward Weston. Illustrating both her free-form techniques and her fascination with the customs and costumes of foreign cultures, these images show how St. Denis expanded the field of dance to include non-traditional methods of dance performance. Curated by Scripps’ Wilson Summer Intern, Lis Du Bois, the exhibition features materials from the Scripps College Permanent Collection.
“The Power and Passion of Dance” and “Ruth St. Denis: Icon of the Modern Dance” are co-sponsored by the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery and the Clark Humanities Museum at Scripps College.