| | |  | History of Dancing | Home » » » The Men Who Danced: The Story of Ted Shawn's Men Dancers and the Birth of Jacob's Pillow 1933-1940 *20th Anniversary Edition* | | | | | | | Description: | | The Men Who Danced presents the story of the first all-male dance company in the US. It includes historic footage of the company performing in the 1930's, capturing the beauty and rigor of Shawn's choreography. This film highlights interviews with eight of the original Shawn dancers at a 50-year reunion at The Pillow in 1982, as well as rare archival dance footage of these historical dances.
The 20th Anniversary DVD release of The Men Who Danced has been digitally enhanced and includes additional segments of never before seen footage. John Gruen of Dance Magazine called this film "One of the most authentic records we have of a most remarkable chapter in dance history." And The New York Times stated, "Shawn's passionate interest in everything about him is paid homage to..." This expanded DVD version of The Men Who Danced is an essential addition to college dance and performance collections as well as for dance enthusiasts. | | | Features: | |
• Entire classic "The Men Who Danced" documentary.
• Exclusive interviews with Ted Shawn's original dancers.
• Bonus feature of Barton Mumaw teaching Richard Cragun from the Royal Danish Ballet the famous solo "Pierrot In the Dead City."
• Restored footage of Ted Shawn's dance series set to the Bach's "The Dome", piano by Jess Meker.
| | | Product Details: | | | Director:
| Ron Honsa | | Format:
| Color, NTSC | | Number of Discs:
| 200 | | Studio:
| Emerging Entertainment | | Run Time:
| 87 minutes | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 3 reviews |
| | | | Used and New: | | | |
| All | |
| $24.95 This item is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | New | | | $29.97 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | Used
- Mint | | | $49.99 | New | |
| New | |
| $24.95 This item is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | New | | | $49.99 | New | |
| Used | |
| $29.97 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | Used
- Mint | |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 3 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Just greatMay 26, 2007
By krebsman
I've done a lot of reading about Ted Shawn in the past few years and am fascinated by the story of his forging an all-male troupe of dancers and barnstorming America during the years of The Great Depression. This DVD is a goldmine. The major portion of the DVD is a half-hour documentary about a 1982 reunion of the survivors of Shawn's troupe at Jacob's Pillow, which these men basically built with their bare hands in their youth. These old men share their memories of what that experience was like. The interviews are interspersed with archival footage of their dances as well as contemporary recreations of their work. The DVD includes two bonus features. One is of Barton Mumaw (principal dancer of the troupe and the only one who had had prior dance training) teaching Shawn's "Pierrot in the Dead City" to Stuttgart Ballet star Richard Cragun. This is a valuable segment because it gives the layman some idea of what it's like to be a dancer and work with a choreographer, as well as how the world of the male dancer changed over fifty years. A thrilling bonus is "The Dome," musical visualizations of the music of J.S. Bach danced by Shawn the Men Dancers. This segment is a black and white silent film made in 1933 restored with an added piano soundtrack by Shawn's musical director Jess Meeker. Unlike the other two Denishawn-themed DVDs in my collection, this one is technically excellent with clear, sharp sound and picture. Every library's dance collection should have this DVD. I found it inspirational and a testament to the American spirit of innovation. Five stars.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A facinating look at the origin's of men's danceMar 02, 2007
By Jackson
"Dancelover"
Being a dance fan, I often wondered how men got involved in modern dance.
Then I discovered this facinating and informative program. Using rare footage and interviews from the original Ted Shawne dancers, the story of how men's dance began in America is revealed. Most of these dancers are no longer alive and I doubt there is any other place to get this first hand knowledge. In addition to this film, there is marvelous xtra footage included showing entire performances from the 1920's and 30's.
This is a great gift for those who love dance.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A wonderful documentaryFeb 26, 2007
By JAG
I received this DVD as a gift and I am so glad that I was introduced to it. Being a dancer myself, it was wonderful to see this historical account of a pivotal time for the dance community. If you are a dancer, or if you know one, this is a must see.
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