AllMovie

The defining works of the two dancers often described as the Mother and Father of American dance are explored in this release crafted by the sole surviving members of the legendary Denishawn dance company and produced to preserve the groundbreaking works that would eventually give birth to the American modern dance movement. In the years between 1919 and 1931 the dance company of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn toured the globe while simultaneously creating 300 original pieces that were rooted in the classical ballet discipline and based on a variety of ethnic cultures. Though the majority of works were eventually lost to the ravages of time, surviving Denishawn company members Barton Munaw and Jane Sherman fashioned a documentary featuring accurate re-creations of 23 classic dance pieces to ensure that Denis and Shawn's rich legacy would live on to inspire future generations of ballet dancers and aficionados.