LEXINGTON, Ky. — A new exhibition at the University of Kentucky Art Museum is exploring the dynamic between dance and photography while challenging historical narratives of American photography and modern dance origins. Created in collaboration with Jill Schinberg, associate professor of arts administration, and museum curator Rachel Hooper, Ph.D., the project is the first to gather Doris Ulmann’s photographs of modern dancers.
The exhibition, “Daring Collaborations: Doris Ulmann and the Making of Modern Dance,” is at the UK Art Museum through Aug. 8. No one has ever written about or done an exhibition about Doris Ulmann’s photographs of modern dancers, even though she was in the scene at this pivotal moment in the history of dance.
Ulmann is best known for her ethnographic documentation of rural Appalachian craftsmen and Gullah-Geechee people in the Southeast, but Hooper and Schinberg’s research uncovered an overlooked period between 1919 and 1933 when Ulmann became fascinated with experimental dance forms emerging in New York City. By analyzing portraits of innovators like Michio Ito, Ruth St. Denis and Angna Enters, the team found stories and connections that raised questions about established narratives for the era.
The researchers learned how Ulmann’s work with dancers informed her later, more famous studies. This research suggests that Ulmann’s Appalachian photographs, often praised for their authenticity, may actually reflect theatrical staging learned from her time in the dance and theater world. Doris Ulmann spent time with people who thought carefully about staging and theatrics, and while her Appalachian photographs are given an aura of authenticity, there is more theatrical content happening in them than previously understood.
One unexpected outcome of the research was the discovery of Kentucky’s role as a connection point between these historical figures. Although Ulmann was a New Yorker and the dancers were often based in metropolitan hubs, their paths converged in the Commonwealth. Modern dance pioneers Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn frequently spoke favorably about Paducah, Kentucky.
Both researchers plan to develop their findings into peer-reviewed articles, widening the lens to include Ulmann’s photographs currently held by the New York Historical Society and other national archives. The project serves as a pilot for how the University of Kentucky might function within its anticipated arts district, which was made possible by a $150 million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation. By breaking down silos between different disciplines, the team hope to foster more cross-pollination between students and faculty in different units.
The exhibition was first reported by UKNow, the University of Kentucky’s research and innovation news platform.
This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/research/uk-researchers-find-untold-history-modern-dance-through-photography.
