Maslow, Sophie (1911–)

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Maslow, Sophie (1911–)

American modern dancer and choreographer. Born Mar 22, 1911, in New York, NY.

Joined Martha Graham's company (1931), where she created numerous roles for 12 years in, among others, Tragic Patterns (1933), American Lyric (1937), Letter to the World (1940) and Deaths and Entrances (1943), in which she danced with Graham and Jane Dudley as one of the Brontë sisters; choreographed numerous works for New Dance League in NY, including Prelude to a May Song (1935) and Women of Spain (1937); formed dance trio with Jane Dudley and William Bales and continued to create works for this group—as well as for its outgrowth New Dance Group—for another 12 years; staged many opera works, including Three Wishes for Jamie (1956) and The Machinal (1960) for New York City Opera; served as president of New Dance Group. Works of choreography include Themes for a Slavic People (1934), Prelude to a May First Song (1935), Ragged Hungry Blues (1937), Runaway Rag (1937), Melancholia (1941), Dust Bowl Ballads (1941), Folksay (1942), Festival (1949), The Village I Knew (1950), Neither Rest nor Harbor (1968) and Ladino Suite (1969).