Beatrice Seckler papers, 1945-1977

1945-1977

Beatrice Seckler (1911-2002) was a renowned modern dancer with a performance and teaching career that spanned over 40 years. Born in Brooklyn, Seckler studied dance with Michio Ito, Angel Cansino and Yeichi Nimura before joining Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman's dance company in 1935. Seckler was a lead dancer with Humphrey and Weidman through the early 1940s and remained a dedicated proponent of the Humphrey-Weidman modern dance technique throughout her life.

From 1935 to 1942, Seckler danced with Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman & Company (later known as the Humphrey-Weidman Troupe). Later, from 1942 to 1945, she went on to perform with Lee Sherman as a featured dancer in revues that accompanied movie screenings at the Roxy Theatre. From 1945 to 1963 Seckler intermittently performed as a guest artist with the Sophie Maslow and the Anna Sokolow companies. She also toured with José Limón and Dorothy Bird as a member of the original trio, which later became the José Limón Company.

A key member in the nascent modern dance scene of the time, Seckler created roles in signature works by Humphrey ("New Dance," "With My Red Fires," "Theatre Piece" and "Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor"), Weidman ("Flickers" and "Lynchtown") and Sokolow ("Lyric Suite" and "Rooms"). Occasionally Seckler choreographed works herself, including a series of solos for Humphrey.

Beginning in 1948 and continuing for years Seckler was a leading teacher of the Humphrey-Weidman technique at the New Dance Group in New York City. In 1965 Seckler was the Artistic Director for the Dancer's Theatre Company, a group that performed modern dance classics and representative compositions of leading contemporary choreographers. In 1966, Seckler directed the New Dance Group Studio's junior repertory class in a Weidman-choreographed performance. Just after Charles Weidman's death in 1975, Seckler served as Artistic Director for a commemorative performance by the Charles Weidman Theatre Dance Company. From 1976 to 1996, she was the co-director of the Deborah Carr Theatre Dance Ensemble, whose repertory included works by Humphrey and Weidman, where she coached the performers on the Humphrey-Weidman style and dances.