The Resume

(October 21, 1891-January 9, 1972)
Born in Kansas City, Missouri
Birth name was Edwin Myers Shawn
With wife Ruth St. Denis founded the Denishawn School of Dance (1915)
Founded the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival (1932)
Dances included ‘O Brother Sun and Sister Moon’ (1931) and ‘Kinetic Molpai’ (1935)
Appeared in the films ‘The Dance of the Ages’ (1912), ‘Intolerance’ (1916) and ‘Don’t Change Your Husband’ (1919)
Considered a pioneer of modern dance

Why he might be annoying:

He blamed his homosexuality on his wife’s infidelity.
The Jacob’s Pillow Festival started as a series of tea concerts for women in which Shawn’s men would serve sandwiches to the ladies, then strip to flesh-colored trunks and dance. (Sounds more like Chippendale’s than modern dance.)
The routine at Jacob’s Pillow included an hour of students sunbathing naked while he lectured on philosophy.
He was often capricious and vindictive.
He feuded with Martha Graham and Agnes de Mille.
He continued dancing after becoming alarmingly chunky.

Why he might not be annoying:

After being left paralyzed for a year by diphtheria as a college student, he began dancing as therapy.
He served in the US Army during World War I.
He pioneered a more masculine style of dance.
He discovered Martha Graham.
In the 1920s, he rivaled Rudolf Valentino as a male sex symbol.
He was knighted by the King of Denmark for his efforts on behalf of the Royal Danish Ballet.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Allegedly Gay Men
• Allegedly Gay Men Who Married Women
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 09]
• Choreographers
• D.W. Griffith Films
• Film Pioneers [Silent Era]
• I Died in 1972 (Ranked: 80)
• Look at Me, I'm Dancing
• My Spouse is at Least Ten Years Older than Me
• Profiles 22001-22250 (Ranked: 22157)
• Teachers
• We Celebrated Our Golden Anniversary

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 18 Votes: 61.11% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 80 Votes: 65.00% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 12 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 61 Votes: 77.05% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 69 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 81 Votes: 38.27% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 41 Votes: 53.66% Annoying