Lester Horton

Lester Horton (23 January 1906 - 2 November 1953) was an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher.

Biography

Early years

Lester Horton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Horton chose to work in California instead of New York City, the center of modern dance at the time.

Career

Horton formed his first dance company, the Lester Horton Dancers, in 1932. That company evolved into what was briefly known as the Lester Horton California Ballets (1934) and then the Horton Dance Group (1934). The Horton Dance Group, billed in its film appearances as the Lester Horton Dancers, lasted until early 1944. Later, Horton attempted to develop a company on the East Coast for dancer Sonia Shaw, but Shaw's husband stopped underwriting the venture and the company collapsed before it could give any public performances.^[1] After a brief hiatus, Horton formed the Dance Theater of Los Angeles with his longtime leading dancer, Bella Lewitzky; their partnership ended when Lewitzky left in 1950. Horton's final company continued until 1960 under the direction of Frank Eng.

In order to finance his school and various dance companies, Horton choreographed a number of early Hollywood musicals, beginning with Moonlight in Havana (1942). Most of the films, like the Maria Montez vehicle White Savage (film)|White Savage (1943), were B-movie musicals; the most notable was Arthur Lubin's The Phantom of the Opera (1943). Horton's dancers also frequently worked at clubs, including the Folies Bergère in New York and Earl Carroll's Theater-Restaurant in Los Angeles. Horton's best-known works, which he called "choreodramas," are Salome (which occupied Horton for nearly two decades^[2]) and The Beloved.

Dance Theater made only one appearance in New York, during the last year of Horton's life. The troupe was scheduled to perform at the reputation-making theater of the Young Men's and young Women's Hebrew Association on East Ninety-second street in New York City. Upon arriving the troupe discovered the venue did not provide publicity and so the performance was largely unknown and not well attended. Only about 300 people showed for the Saturday night performance and only about 200 tickets were sold for the Sunday matinee. This netted the company a total of 100 dollars. All but one of the reviews was good. ^[3] One magazine praised the "superb dancers" but complained that "one technical and effective stunt follows another with hardly ever any sustained choreographic continuity."^[4] There was not enough money to return home to New York and Horton had doubts about the company's financial ability to attend Jacob's Pillow later that summer. Horton's agent wired Horton the money to get the troupe home. At the time, Horton was drinking heavily and was emotionally and physically ill. Upon returning to Los Angeles he moved into a house on Mulholland Drive where he was attended to by his parents and friends.

Determined to perform at the Jacob's Pillow festival, the group travelled the Berkshiresby car. The show was a success, though Horton could not afford to accompany the troupe to the festival.^[5] Riding on their success at the festival, the troupe was asked to open for Johnny Desmond in the Fall; they were so popular that they were invited back for another two-week engagement. Horton died of a heart attack at his home on November 2, 1953.^[6]

Since Horton's death, his dance technique and choreography have become widely known and practiced. Horton's legacy has survived through the Lester Horton Dance Theater Foundation, Inc., which is dedicated to preserving and promoting Horton's contributions as a dancer, choreographer, and educator. Also, various dance companies such as the Joyce Trisler Danscompany focus on Horton's technique."^[7]

Horton trained a number of significant mid-twentieth century dancers:

• Alvin Ailey
• Eleanor Brooks
• Janet Collins
• Rudi Gernreich
• Carmen de Lavallade
• Bella Lewitzky
• James Mitchell
• Carl Ratcliff
• Jeri Faubion Salkin
• Joyce Trisler
• James Truitte

Other figures who emerged from Horton's school and company include actress Lelia Goldoni and gay activist Harry Hay.

Personal Life and Relationships

Horton was involved with William Bowne from 1932 to 1949 when Bowne left Horton to marry a former member of Horton's dance company.^[8] Not long after, Horton became involved with film and theater writer Frank Eng. Eng was with Horton until his death in 1953. ^[9][10]

Technique

Horton developed his own approach to dance that incorporated diverse elements including Native American dances and modern Jazz dance. Horton's dance technique, which is now commonly known as Horton Technique, emphasizes a whole body approach to dance that includes flexibility, strength, coordination and body awareness to enable unrestricted freedom of expression.......

References

Further reading

• Warren, Larry. Lester Horton: Modern Dance Pioneer. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., n.d.
• Dance Perspectives 31 (Autumn 1967) is entirely devoted to Horton.
• Prevots, Naima. Dancing in the Sun: Hollywood Choreographers 1915-1937, University of Michigan Research Press, 1987.
• Bizot,Richard Lester Horton’s “Salome” 1934-1953 and after, Dance Research Journal, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Spring, 1984) pp. 35-40.
• Dinerman, Diana The Horton Technique, Bourgeon Journal of Dance, Volume 2 #3, pp. 28-30.
• Perces, Marjorie B., Forsythe, Ana Marie, Bell, Cheryl.Dance Technique of Lester Horton Princeton Book Company, 1992.
• Barnes, Clive Genius on the Wrong Coast, New York Times, 1967.
• Lester Horton Dance Theater Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
• Genius on the Wrong Coast (video recording), Lelia Goldoni, distributed by Green River Road, 1993.
• Camera Three Tribute to Lester Horton (video recording), 1963.

External links

Dance portal

• Lester Horton at the Internet Movie Database
• Lester Horton Dance Theater Collection
• Lober, David. Lester Redux
• Lober, David. The Lester I Knew
• Barnes, Clive. Genius on the Wrong Coast,
• The Lester Horton Dance Theater, Inc.
• Dinerman, Diana. Horton Technique