Gentry, Eva (c. 1920–)

views updated

Gentry, Eva (c. 1920–)

American modern dancer and choreographer. Name variations: Henrietta Greenhood. Born Henrietta Greenhood, Aug 20, c. 1920, in Los Angeles, California.

Moved to New York City from San Francisco area to train with Hanya Holm, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman; danced with Holm company where she created roles in Dance of Work and Play, Dance of Introduction, Salutation, The Too Are Exiles and Tragic Exodus (1930s–40s), among others; taught at Clark Center, High School of Performing Arts, and Dance Notation Bureau (1940s–50s), and gave classes in improvisation to stage actors and dancers; began presenting improvised and untitled dance recitals on stage to enthusiastic audiences (c. 1955); worked, taught, and practiced Pilates method. Works of choreography include So This Is Modern Dancing (1935), Quiet (1949), New Horizons (1951), Three Rhythms Circles (1955), The Antenna Bird (1956), All the Dead Soldiers (1967), Anatomy (1967), Going Nowhere (1967) and Trumpets, Clap and Syphilis (1967).