Valentina Oumansky - Born to Dance
Valentina Oumansky
By Amanda Stone
Valentina Oumansky Dramatic Dance Foundation (VODDF) was established in 1973 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Located in Los Angeles, on Cahuenga Boulevard West,near North Hollywood and Studio City, the Foundation seeks to advance, develop and to influence dramatic dance for the education, entertainment and enjoyment of the Southern California community.
"Conversations is Silence and Sound" (Premiere 1962). Valentina is second from left in both photographs.
The Foundation serves as a haven for students and professionals in search of unique, noncommercial theatrical dance. The Foundation’s hub is the Studio Theatre, formerly the home of the mother of American modern dance, Ruth St. Denis (1879-1968). The site is officially a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument, #763, as the longest continuous dance space in Southern California.
Valentina Oumansky is one of those dancers who was born to dance. Her mother, dancer Peggy White, met her father, Alexander Oumansky, in Europe when he directing and choreographing. In1930, he directed such movies as "Al Fresco," "Gypsy Land (UK)," and "Toyland." He is listed as choreographer in "The Flame of Love" (1930) and "Nifty Nurse" (1934). A Russian emigré, Alexander made his living with expositions in the 1930s, was part of a Wild West show in Fort Worth, Texas and lived in Portland, Oregon while he was choreographing "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Prince Igor." He also staged "The Nutcracker" and worked on films in Hollywood.
Alexander Oumansky was often quoted as saying,
“Anyone who has two legs can dance,” and he believed it. Daughter Valentina was one of those dancers who could do anything. In her youth she could do any step or move and perform it with clarity. Valentina graduated from Mills College with a B.A. in dance and a minor in anthropology.
Valentina’s film career included "Daddy Longlegs," "Can-Can," and "The King and I." In "The Music Man," Valentina is seen with thick dark spiral curls cascading down her back. She is not with the teenagers in the production numbers; she looks about twelve years old.. In the library scene, Valentina wears a blue dress. Valentina jumps, turns and smiles as a youngster – and she was more than 30 years old when she made that film. Ah! The reality of illusion!
According to Wikipedia, in 1959, Nikita Khrushchev, Premier of the Soviet Union, was the first Soviet leader to set foot on United States soil. He was annoyed that the main event of his first day was a lunch with 300 movie stars and other celebrities, and a visit to the set of the movie "Can Can" at Twentieth Century Fox in Los Angeles, rather than an inspection of an aerospace plant.
Valentina recently reminisced,
“As you know, musicals from the fifties and up are being formatted. As many of the dancers are into or out of the business, they found me, namely because I spoke to Mr. Khrushchev. I taught Shirley MacLaine how to say ‘Greetings. I hope you liked the Can Can’ in Russian. That was almost50 years ago!” There is a short clip of the incident included the in the bonus features of a two-part DVD recently released. How unfortunate for current dance students and future dance historians that names of dancers cast are not easily found on websites or database or in archives.
Valentina is quick to respond to the thought that she only danced in film. She has always sought a life of quality. All the while she was working in film, she was simultaneously creating new choreography, seeking and funding new projects.
Valentina Oumansky Dramatic Dance Ensemble was born in the 1960s, when Valentina met Ruth St. Denis and began teaching in the St. Denis Building. “Miss Ruth” was always full of memories, and on occasion would swoop into one of Valentina’s advanced level classes and teach for a while. She would refine a gesture or create a short sequence, which she would challenge the dancers to perform with passion and expertise.
"PIP - Personality Information Printout"
Valentina speaks warmly of Brother St. Denis, who was also known as Buzz. He lived across the street from the St. Denis Building. He also owned an apartment complex at the Los Angeles intersection of Sunset Boulevard and LaCienga Boulevard, which was called St. Denis Bazaar.
After Ruth St. Denis’ death, Valentina purchased the building on Cahuenga Boulevard West from Buzz St. Denis; it included a 30' x 60' dance floor space with imported mahogany flooring, good lighting and a bleacher system that can seat 50: the Studio Theatre at St. Denis Building.
Valentina reminisces about her circle of friends and acquaintances. She mentions Viola Essen of Ballet International, who starred in the 1940s film, "Spectre of the Rose." She talks of Jack Cole’s consideration and thoughtfulness toward Ruth St. Denis in her later years. One of her colleagues and friends was Viola Swisher, who served as West Coast representative for Dance Magazine. Viola was the only person reporting nationally about dance on the west coast.
Adapting to the ebbs and flows of arts-in-education, the Foundation’s most recent contribution has been Project IMAGE…Inner Motivated Academically Geared Expression. This literacy outreach program combines live dance performance with dramatic dance video and an interactive workshop. Since 1999, Project IMAGE has toured a repertoire of four dramatic dance programs: "The Race Between the Hare and the Tortoise" (based on Aesop’s fable), "Petrouskskates" (inspired by the ballet "Petrouska"),"Yugen" (from the Japanese Noh Drama, "Hagaromo") and "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam," based on the poem of the same name.
A grant from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and James A. Doolittle Foundation helped to create this imaginative work, with music by film composer Bruce Broughton. Entitled "Four Kinds of Walking," it received its inspiration from Henry David Thoreau. His essay, Walking, served as a springboard for the choreoscript, a process developed by Valentina Oumansky for creating and documenting dramatic dance. "Four Kinds of Walking" has been documented in DVD format.
"Who is Hieronymous?" (Premiere 1972)
Between December 2006, and June 2007, Valentina coordinated 12 live performances, plus video screening and choreography workshops. Her projects continue as her imagination soars.
In November 2006, Valentina and her husband, Robert Takagi, celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Bob retired as Music Editor for CBS. Their daughter Tarumi Takagi-Inouye, who danced since childhood, went on to teach dance in Los Angeles and abroad. She was artistic director of a jazz company in Germany, and upon her return to the USA, expanded into video editing and production for VODDF.
Studio Theatre at St. Denis Building is being refurbished, and Valentina looks forward to upgrading archives and videotapes, stirring her creative juices and inspiring and challenging more dancers.
Valentina Oumansky Dramatic Dance Foundation website: www.dramaticdance.org.