Known as a dynamic performer, a daring choreographer, and an influential teacher, Pauline Koner (1912-2001) forged a career on her own terms. She began performing as a teenager with two of her teachers, Michel Fokine and Michio Ito, and gave her first solo recital on Broadway before turning 20. She performed mainly as a soloist throughout the 1930s and 40s, touring worldwide with a diverse repertory flavored by Spanish, Asian, and dramatic works. After creating groundbreaking works for CBS Television, she became a charter member of the José Limón Dance Company in 1946, continuing to perform with the company off and on through the 1960s – always maintaining autonomy by her billing as a Guest Artist. She created roles in many Limón classics such as The Moor’s Pavane and There is a Time, as well as in works by Doris Humphrey. She founded her own company in 1949, and continued to create on her dancers into the 1980s. Her Pillow performances spanned from 1945 to 1970, but none were ever recorded. She filled this gap by filming a seated Bach dance while she was engaged in her final teaching assignment here.
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