{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1161189"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1161189/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HG0248/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HG0248/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HG0248","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1161189","accessionNumber":"S.538-1979","objectType":"Poster","titles":[{"title":"Poster design for the Dance Pageant of Egypt Greece and India, Greek Theatre, University of California, 1916","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Through the invitation of Professor William Armes of the University of California, the Dance Pageant of Greece, Egypt and India advertised by this poster, was performed on the 29th July 1916 by Ruth St. Denis (1879-1968), her husband Ted Shawn (1891-1972) and their dance company Denishawn, in the 850-seat Randolph Hearst Greek theatre at the University of California, Berkeley. The theatre had been built in 1903 on the site of a rough outdoor area used as an amphitheatre since 1894 and known as 'Ben Weed's Amphitheatre'. \n\nThe poster features the monogram of the university of California on the shield of the Greek warrior. It was the first time that dance had been invited to perform at this theatre. Denishawn, formed in 1915 by the St. Denis and her dancer and choreographer husband Ted Shawn, was instrumental in challenging American preconceptions at the time about the perceived immorality of modern dance, and the company went from performing at private venues in their early years to appearing at the Carnegie Hall in March 1925 as<i> Ruth St. Denis with Ted Shawn and the Denishawn Dancers</i>. \n\nThe pageant featured a symphony orchestra, a ballet performed by a hundred dancers and thirty trained soloists from Denishawn. In her autobiography, St. Denis recalled that the action was divided into three scenes- a scene for Egypt, for Greece, and for India: 'The sky on that July night was a deep electric blue, hung with thousands of stars. The eucalyptus trees stood in black silhouettes against the sky. The scene opened with fifty dancers in Nile green veils pouring down the incline which lay between the orchestra and the stage.' Despite an audience of ten thousand, and a top price of two dollars, expensive for 1916, the event made a loss. The Pagent appeared at other venues in the spring, including San Diego, was discontinued in the summer, but started again in a more condensed form in the autumn and toured for thirty-six weeks, ending in Denishawn's headquarters in Los Angeles in the summer of 1917.","physicalDescription":"Pictorial and typographic poster with an Ancient Greek-style vase against a blue background","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Nahl","id":"AUTH399396"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":"'Nahl Del.' and 'University' is on the plinth below the amphora"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printing ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"},{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2014HG0248"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES345178"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"posters","id":"AAT27221"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"California","id":"x28779"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"The dance company Denishawn was based in Los Angeles. This performance was at the University of California in Berkeley, Northern California, so it is probable that the poster was made there."}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1916","earliest":"1916-01-01","latest":"1916-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"55.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"poster","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"35.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"poster","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Stamped with Theatre Museum, V.A.M. stamp.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":" ","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Associated Production: Dancers: Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn. Greek Theatre, Berkeley, University of California, USA. 29th July 1916. Performance category: dance.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Original poster design for <i>A Dance Pageant of Egypt, Greece and India</i> starring Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn with the Denishawn Company at the Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, 29th July 1916","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"St. Denis, Ruth","id":"N14018"},{"text":"Shawn, Ted","id":"AUTH323260"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[{"text":"Denishawn","id":"AUTH399389"}],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.538-1979"],"accessionNumberNum":"538","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1979,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-17","recordCreationDate":"2010-07-23","availableToBook":true}}