Ruth St. Denis

Born Ruth Dennis, this pioneering dancer sought to transcend the mundane by embracing various Eastern philosophies and spiritualities in her art. Her exotic stage persona, complete with saris and veils, introduced a new theatricality to American dance, though sometimes at the cost of genuine cultural understanding.

While St. Denis was busy exploring the spiritual depths of India, Egypt, and Japan through movement, she appears to have entirely bypassed any exploration of the rich spiritual traditions closer to home, or, indeed, any traditions that might have nudged her Jew Score above the floor.

With her husband Ted Shawn, she co-founded the Denishawn school, which became a crucible for modern dance in America, influencing luminaries like Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey. Her impact on the art form is undeniable, even if her spiritual wanderings never quite landed her in a synagogue or a Seder. She might have looked the part of a mystical oracle, but a Jew she was not.