Quote:
Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire
 LAH
First, re 600 St. Paul Avenue, built by none other than John Parkinson as his own house in 1901. After the architect left for Wilshire Place in 1915, Mrs. Gish and her daughters moved in for a brief stay before Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn moved their famous school into the house. (It could be that the Gishes lived there at the same time.) 600 was later moved and survived on Lake Street until 1951. The full story of the house is here: http://bit.ly/1V3b5uO |
The newlyweds, Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis set up their "Denishawn" school at 600 St. Paul as of Spring 1915. Both Gish girls were students- according to Ruth biographer, D.W. Griffith sent all his actresses to them. Ruth also did the choreography for the Babylonian dances in
Intolerance.
looking for mabel July 1916 Photoplay ad for the Denishawn School.
In June 1917, having outgrown 600 St. Paul, them moved to a new studio at 616 Alvarado St., the old Westlake School for Girls across from Westlake Park.
6-3-1917
Some Denishawn students from this era
Library of Congress.
Library of Congress. Ruth with the gray hair.
In 1924 they added a second studio at 1757 S. Highland Ave. in Hollywood.
As of January 1926 the Denishawn School was located in a temporary home at 932 S. Grand Ave., which normally operated as Solomon’s Penny Dance De Luxe. Their new studio at 621 S. Vermont Ave. opened in October, 1926.
They spent a lot of time with their New York studio after that, but still had ties to Los Angeles/Hollywood. Ruth had her Asia Bazaar shop at 8524 in the building that became Charocka Russian restaurant, and much later Dino's Lodge, and also had dance studios on Sunset and elsewhere. She died in Hollywood in 1968.
c. 1937. LAPL