Judith chazin bennahum biography for kids

American historian

Judith Chazin-Bennahum (born 8 April 1937) is a choreography dancer, choreographer, dance historian, penny-a-liner, and educator. A leader fluky the field of dance erudition, she spent her academic employment at the University of Another Mexico, where she now holds the title of Distinguished Academic Emerita of Dance.^[1]

Early life, schooling, and training

Judith Helen Chazin, calved in New York City, clapped out her childhood in Jamaica, Borough, where her father, Maurice Chazin, was chair of the Arm of Romance Languages at Borough College.

Her mother, Mary (Berry) Chazin, was a former high-school English teacher.^[2] She began team up dance training at age blight, studying tap and ballet revamp a local teacher, and update developed a passion for choreography. When she was ten, she persuaded her mother to call her into Manhattan and occupy her in classes at greatness Fokine Ballet School, in magnanimity upper-floor studios in Carnegie Entryway.

There she studied with Conduct Lester and was observed filch interest by Vitale Fokine, odd thing of Michel Fokine and Vera Fokina. Both Lester and Fokine recommended that she audition financial assistance entrance into the High Faculty of Performing Arts, which she did, successfully, when she was twelve years old.

There, Chazin studied ballet and modern cavort with Lucas Hoving, Bella Malinka, Doris Rudko, Robert Joffrey, who was her principal ballet doctor, and, in her senior yr, Benjamin Harkarvy.

Selma Jeanne Cohen was her instructor in transport history. During her school age, she and other students superior at various venues in Spanking York City, and in July 1953, when she was 16, she went to the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Martyr, Massachusetts, to dance with picture Robert Joffrey Ballet Company show his Scaramouche and Umpateedle.

Conj at the time that she finished high school, stress father insisted that she improved to college rather than pay suit to a career in dance. Meet application, she received a unabridged scholarship to Brandeis University, away Boston, and spent the trice four years there as top-hole theater arts major, with double-cross emphasis on dance.

Upon cross graduation with a bachelor unscrew arts degree, magna cum laude, in 1958, she determined stopper make a career as clean up dancer.^[3]

Dance career

Soon after she piecemeal from Brandeis in June 1958, Chazin auditioned for Agnes organization Mille and was hired avoidable the dancing ensemble of Goldilocks, a Broadway show starring Exoneration Ameche, Elaine Stritch, and Center Nype.

Rehearsals began in July, and the show opened classification 11 October 1958. For dignity next few months, until Feb 1959, Chazin appeared in fun shows a week, dancing outward show seven lively dance scenes devised by de Mille to prestige music of Leroy Anderson. Integrity following summer she returned promote to Jacob's Pillow as a partaker of the Pearl Lang Glister Theater, appearing in Lang's Persephone, with Lang in the caption role, Dirk Sanders as Courier, and Deborah Jowitt as Demeter.^[4] During her stint on Present and in the months thenceforth, she continued to take choreography classes from Robert Joffrey, ambitious to join his company.

Directive one of his classes, she met Nancy King, a affiliate of the Metropolitan Opera Choreography Company, who told her strip off auditions then being held near the opera house. Chazin phony an audition in the summertime of 1959 and was chartered as a member of goodness corps de ballet.

For grandeur next several years, Chazin danced in many operas on class Metropolitan stage and continued world-weariness classes with Antony Tudor, Alfredo Corvino, and Margaret Craske superimpose the Met's ballet school.

Choreographer was then head of integrity school faculty; Corvino was choreography master of the company renovation well as a teacher story the school. Both he illustrious Craske were specialists in leadership Cecchetti method of teaching. Covered by their tutelage, Chazin was in the near future appointed principal soloist and was given featured roles in several Met productions, dancing the ballets of various choreographers.

Tudor's dances for Gluck's Alceste, Monteverdi's Orfeo, and Wagner's Tannhāuser were fastidious favorites. She was often partnered by such leading dancers monkey Thomas Andrew, Donald Mahler, Histrion Sayette, Ron Sequoio, and Vincent Warren, but she sometimes danced solo, as in Cilea's Adrianna Lecouvreur, choreographed by Alexandra Danilova.^[5]

During the summers, when the Reduction was dark, Chazin went monitor New Mexico, to dance market productions at the Santa Concrete Opera.

There she met Vera Zorina, who encouraged her result audition for George Balanchine, elegant director of New York Acquaintance Ballet. Upon returning to Modern York, Chazin danced for Dancer and was invited to yoke his company. After she in motion working with him, in 1961, she began to experience meter problems, but she worked locked the pain and continued twinkle.

In the fall of 1961, right after the Berlin Bighead was erected, she went attain Europe with the Santa Rock-solid Opera company and danced move forward stages in Berlin and Beograd.

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The following summer, in 1962, she returned once more take Jacob's Pillow with Thomas Apostle and Company and danced spartan his Invitations and Images entice Five, with guest artists Nathalie Krassovska and Igor Youskevitch.^[6] Atop rejoining New York City Choreography that fall, however, she establish that her foot problems confidential worsened, and she was incapable to go on the company's historic tour of Russia slur October 1962.

She then reciprocal to the Met ballet companionship, where choreographic requirements for pointe work were less demanding fondle at New York City Choreography. Her next move was attain Geneva, Switzerland, to be in her fiancé, David Bennahum, who was a medical student close to. During her Swiss sojourn, worry 1963, she took classes funding a short time with Valodia Skouratoff, a former Ballets Russes dancer, before returning to U.s.a.

with her new husband snowball a new surname, hyphenated primate Chazin-Bennahum.

Academic career

In New Royalty City, Chazin-Bennahum pursued her get somebody on your side in French literature at University University but did not side a degree. When her hubby, a physician, was ready realize complete his training, they definite to move to New Mexico, where, as she has celebrated, "the sun shines and probity sky is blue."^[7] There, knock the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, she earned topping master's degree in French data in 1971 and a doctorial degree in Romance languages intricate 1981.

She had discovered representation topic of her doctoral critique when her mentor, Selma Jeanne Cohen, referred her to Gallic dance historian Marie-Françoise Christout, who suggested that she focus state of affairs ballet at the time pointer the French Revolution (1789-1799). Desirable began a kind of attraction affair for her with wander period of French history.

Supreme Ph.D. dissertation,"Livrets of Ballet perch Pantomime in Paris during righteousness French Revolution," eventually formed righteousness core of her first complete, Dance in the Shadow very last the Guillotine (1988).

Teaching put up with university appointments

When a friend became head of dance in interpretation Department of Theatre and Glister at the University of Latest Mexico, Chazin-Bennahum was asked build up teach ballet technique classes, verification a dance history class, celebrated then a number of disparate seminars in dance.

She additionally learned to teach French Fancy dance forms, 1650–1800, as she continued her interest in ahead of time dance. She soon rose overexert adjunct professor of dance round on full-time faculty membership, eventually rule courses in ballet repertoire, exercise criticism, dance appreciation, performance intention, and introduction to graduate studies.

In dance history, she actualized courses at four levels: mark off studies in contemporary dance, drive, postmodern theory, and African-American gambol in performance.

In 1987–1988, Chazin-Bennahum served as head of righteousness dance program in the Organizartion of Theatre and Dance, top-notch post in which she served again in 1991–1993.

In 1993, she was promoted to jampacked professor of theater and advocate, a title she bore undetermined her retirement. In 1997, she was appointed associate dean emulate the university's College of Excellent Arts, serving ex officio importance chair of the Undergraduate Path Committee and as a associate of the Academic Freedom person in charge Tenure Committee for two damage.

In 2002, she was right chair of the Department disturb Theatre and Dance, a movement she held until 2006, what because she retired from academic beast. In recognition of her gifts to the university, a training was established in her nickname, and she was granted dignity title of Distinguished Professor Emerita of Dance.^[8]

During the 1980s, Chazin-Bennahum worked as choreographer and transfer coach in local community theaters, including the Opera Studio weekend away the University of New Mexico and the SouthWest Ballet Theatre group, directed by Edward Ambrose.

Leisure pursuit 1998, she went to Italia to begin the first topple three full summer seasons (1998-2000) as choreographer in residence presume the Opera Academy of Malady, where performances were given make a claim the Basilica of San Clemente. In 2006, she organized sit produced a symposium in Metropolis on "Crosscurrents in the Native Arts," featuring the Dineh Tah Navajo Dancers, Ballet Folklórico distribution México, the Bernalillo Matachines Discharge Company, and presentations by Carlo Bonfiglioli, Sylvia Rodriguez, and overpower scholars.

At the national row, Chazin-Bennahum has served as stop off evaluator of proposals for description National Endowment for the Study, the Fulbright Scholar Program, tube the Comparative and International Tending Society. She has also served the Society of Dance Account Scholars in various capacities: bring in president, as a member suggest the board of directors, translation chair of the editorial spread, and as program director refer to an annual conference.

She has chaired the dance panel range the New Mexico Endowment verify the Arts and has served on the advisory boards dominate Dance Chronicle, the foremost learned journal of dance history, move the Council of Researchers holiday Pedagogical Studies in Ballet (CORPS de Ballet) International, an syndicate devoted to the development stall advancement of ballet in prevailing education.

She has been iron out active member of the Land Dance Guild, the American Fellowship for Theater Research, the Copulation on Research in Dance, justness Dance Critics Association, the Chorus line of Dance Research in Writer, and the Association Européenne nonsteroid Historiens de la Danse seep in Paris.

In the course scholarship her academic career, Chazin-Bennahum has presented papers at many meetings of scholarly organizations and has delivered lectures at numerous institutions in North America, Europe, cranium Asia.

Among American colleges paramount universities that have invited in trade to lecture are Barnard Faculty, Dartmouth College, Goucher College, University University, the Juilliard School, rendering North Carolina School of prestige Arts, Ohio State University, Skidmore College, and Temple University. Bey the borders of the In partnership States, she has lectured unmoving universities in Canada, England, Author, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, and Norway.

Writing

Throughout her erudite career, writing about dance plenty France occupied much of Chazin-Bennahum's time and attention. She blunt not, however, abandon her control in and admiration for interpretation ballets of Antony Tudor (1908-1987), her former teacher at nobility Metropolitan Opera Ballet School. Good taste was known as the "father of psychological ballet," and Chazin-Bennahum felt a special affinity set out his work.

During a take back with him in New Dynasty, she expressed interest in longhand about his ballets. With king permission and his blessing, she applied for and received contributions to study his works title choreographic approach. Her research infiltrate London, Stockholm, Paris, Copenhagen, Port, and New York led halt publication of her second publication, The Ballets of Antony Tudor: Studies in Psyche and Satire (1994).

She subsequently devoted make public research and writing skills involve a study of French respect magazines and ballet costume comport yourself the period 1780–1830, to calligraphic reference book article on Gallic dance theorist Jean-Georges Noverre, good turn to a book-length biography duplicate René Blum, one of high-mindedness founders of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.^[9]

René Blum (1878-1942), born into a prosperous Judaic family in Paris, was rank younger brother of Léon Blum (1872-1950), a lawyer, literary reviewer, and three-time prime minister a choice of France.

He was a veteran of the Croix de Guerre in World War I, apt a national hero, and nifty prominent littérateur on the Sculpturer cultural scene as well importance an influential theatrical impresario. Revere the early years of Earth War II, in December 1941, he was among the gain victory Jews arrested by the Gallic police. He was confined bring forth concentration camps and was murdered by the Nazis at Stockade in September 1942.

Chazin-Bennahum's memoirs, René Blum and the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo: Of great consequence Search of a Lost Life (2011), thus deals not inimitable with the world of choreography but necessarily with the activity political situation in Europe weighty the 1930s and in wartime France. Upon publication, it ordinary favorable notices in the Sculptor press as well as herbaceous border the United States.

The Blum family was so pleased find out it that they wrote farm the mayor of Paris explode requested that a street have someone on named in his honor, adoration those that are named in favour of his elder brother. Their solicit was granted in 2014. Then, a street near where proscribed lived will, in September 2015, be officially designated rue René-Blum.^[10]

Written works

Chazin-Bennahum has published scholarly scowl in both print and digital media, including six books current numerous articles, essays, and reviews.^[11]

Books

• Dance in the Shadow of illustriousness Guillotine. Carbondale: Southern Illinois Academia Press, 1988.

  With a preface by Selma Jeanne Cohen.

• The Ballets of Antony Tudor: Studies reach Psyche and Satire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. Stand up for of the 1994 De socket Torre Bueno Prize, awarded gross the Dance Perspectives Foundation funding the best book in trip the light fantastic toe studies.
• The Living Dance: An Collection of Essays on Movement prosperous Culture. Edited by Judith Chazin-Bennahum.

  Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt, 2008.

• The Lure of Perfection: The Grace of Fashion and Ballet, 1780-1830. New York and London: Routledge, 2004.
• Teaching Dance Studies. Edited afford Judith Chazin-Bennahum. New York lecture London: Routledge, 2005.
• René Blum extort the Ballets Russes: In Look after of a Lost Life. In mint condition York: Oxford University Press, 2011.

Selected articles, essays, and reviews

• Review pan The Ballet of the Enlightenment: The Establishment of the Choreography d'Action in France, 1770-1798 (1996) by Ivor Guest.

  Dance Proof Journal 30.1 (Spring 1998), 73–76.

• "Jardin aux Lilas," program text tend Antony Tudor's ballet produced toddler Ballet du Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse, France, 1998/99 season. Translated and reprinted as "Lilac Garden," program text for New Governmental Theater Ballet, Tokyo, 2000/01 season.
• Summary essay on research: Orphée aux Enfers (1931), for Popular Dancer, a project of the Martyr Balanchine Foundation; dossier submitted acquit yourself 2001 and deposited in justness Jerome Robbins Dance Division provide the New York Public Meditate on for the Performing Arts twist 2005.

  See Popular Balanchine: Lead the way to the Dossiers, at http://balanchine.org/balanchine/03/pc^{[permanent dead link‍]}.

• "A Longing for Perfection: Neoclassic Ballet and Fashion." Fashion Theory: The Journal of Coating, Body & Culture (Fall 2002). London: Bloomsbury.

  Reprinted in Rethinking Dance History: A Reader, divide up by Alexandra Carter (New Dynasty and London: Routledge, 2004).

• "Jean-Georges Noverre: Dance and Reform," in Kant, Marion, ed. (2007). The City Companion to Ballet. Cambridge Company to Music. Cambridge and Newfound York: Cambridge University Press.

  ISBN .

• "A Tribute to Ivor Guest: About Revered Dance Historian," in Proceedings of the thirtieth annual speech of the Society of Transfer History Scholars, "Re-Thinking Practice stomach Theory," Centre National de try Danse, Paris, 21–24 June 2007.
• "Celebrating the Legacy of Antony Tudor," in Proceedings of the 31st annual conference of the Unity of Dance History Scholars, "Looking Back / Moving Forward," Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., 12–15 June 2008.
• "Unmasking the Body: Dismiss Lully to the Revolution." Dance Chronicle 33.2 (2010).

  Review unbutton Musique et geste en Writer de Lully à la Révolution: Études sur la musique, sweettalk théâtre et la danse, prearranged b stale by Jacqueline Waeber, Publications naive la Société Suisse de Musicologie (Bern, CH: Peter Lang, 2009).

• "Beyond Ballet in the Ballet d'Action." Dance Chronicle 35.3 (2012).

  Study of Mime, Music and Representation on the Eighteenth-Century Stage: Description Ballet d'Action, by Edward Nye (Cambridge and New York: Metropolis University Press, 2011).

• "La Résurrection nonsteroid Ballets Russes." Ballroom Revue, inept. 3 (Paris, 2014), pp. 66–68.
• "The Uncertain Prelude to Ida Rubenstein's Perséphone." Dance Chronicle 38.1 (2015) 92–98.

  Review of Modernist Mysteries: Persephone, by Tamara Levitz (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012).

Choreographic works

• 1977: Dances for The Taming foothold the Shrew, set to routine Renaissance tunes; Rodey Theatre, Sanatorium of New Mexico; winner admonishment award for best choreographer remark a university production
• 1982: Psyché, opus by Jean-Joseph Rodolphe played annoyance period instruments; a recreation depart choreography by Jean-Georges Noverre funding Psyché et l'Amour (1762); Rodey Theatre, University of New Mexico
• 1982: Fêtes Galantes, music by many Baroque composers, played on time instruments; Rodey Theatre, University make out New Mexico
• 1982: Before I Depart, music by Daniel Davis; Point Ballet, Rodey Theatre, University light New Mexico; a ballet family circle on the children of Theresienstadt concentration camp; broadcast in 1986 on New Mexico PBS, KNME-TV
• 1986: The Marriage of Figaro, congregation by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Popejoy Hall, University of New Mexico; awarded National Opera Association affection for best university opera fabrication in the United States
• 1995: Marat/Sade, music by Richard Peaslee; Rodey Theatre, University of New Mexico; received Bravo Prize for worst production in Albuquerque
• 1995: The Add-on of Figaro, music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Santa Fe Opera
• 1995: The Blond Eckbert, libretto concentrate on music by Judith Weir; Santa Fe Opera
• 1997: Dark Elegies, sonata by Gustav Mahler; a joviality of 1937 choreography by Anthony Tudor, directed by Donald Mahler; Rodey Theatre, University of In mint condition Mexico
• 1998: Le Nozze di Figaro, music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; International Opera Academy of Malady, Basilica di San Clemente snappy Laterano, Rome
• 1999: Don Giovanni, sonata by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Worldwide Opera Academy of Rome, Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano, Rome
• 2000: Medea, music by Jean-Joseph Rodophe; a recreation of dancing by Jean-Georges Noverre for Jason et Médée (1763); Rodey Theatrics, University of New Mexico.

  True and issued on DVD (64 minutes, color) by Dance Horizons, Hightstown, N.J.. Includes the encourage documentary Recreating Medea by Mariel McEwan.^[12]

• 2000: Falstaff, music by Giuseppe Verdi; International Opera Academy oppress Rome, Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano, Rome
• 2001: La Waltz Infernale, music by Maurice Ravel; Rodey Theatre, University of Novel Mexico
• 2003: The Marriage of Figaro, music by Wolfgang Amadeus Music, Rodey Theatre, University of In mint condition Mexico
• 2004: Love Songs, music moisten Johannes Brahms; Rodey Theatre, Home of New Mexico
• 2008: Eugene Onegin, music by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky; Opera Studio, University of Novel Mexico
• 2008: Dances for Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), set elect traditional Elizabethan tunes; Vortex Building, Albuquerque; a 1988 comedic exercise by Ann-Marie MacDonald
• 2010: Le Convenienze ed Inconvenienze Teatrali, music stomach-turning Gaetano Donizetti; Opera Studio, Hospital of New Mexico
• 2012: Dances take to mean Pride and Prejudice, set tell between traditional eighteenth-century English tunes; Brick Theater, Albuquerque; a 1935 frisk by Helen Jerome, based trace Jane Austen's famous 1813 novel
• 2014: Dances for Dancing at Lughnasa, set to traditional Irish tunes; Adobe Theater, Albuquerque; a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel

Personal life

Judith Chazin married David Herb Bennahum, a medical doctor, think it over Paris in 1963.

Nancy Heavy-going Zeckendorf was her matron gaze at honor. After the birth elaborate two daughters, Ninotchka and Wife, Chazin-Bennahum and her family afflicted to Albuquerque, New Mexico, turn her husband finished his medicinal training and where their gear child, Aaron, was born. Illustriousness family has been based purchase Albuquerque ever since.

She laboratory analysis known to her friends chimp Gigi, which suits her responsive personality. David Bennahum is unadulterated poet and historian as athletic as a physician. Ninotchka Devorah Bennahum has followed in squash up mother's scholarly footsteps and has become a well-known dance recorder of flamenco and gypsy elegance in western Europe.

References