Career
Shearer's first solo concert in New York, in 1941, at Carnegie Hall, caused a sensation. Shortly after her New York triumph, she walked away from the fame that was opening for her, settling instead in the American Midwest in the mid-1940s, where she continued to perform in the Chicago area, and inspired numerous students of dance including John Neumeier who is now director of the Hamburg Ballet.
Dance historian Margaret Lloyd, in The Borzoi Book of Modern Dance, described Shearer as "a perfectionist who likes to believe that perfection is humanly attainable". Shearer was among the first performers to tackle spiritual and social justice issues, such as the plight of factory workers, a theme of one of her pieces. She drew ideas and inspiration from a variety of artistic influences, including lengthy correspondence with Agnes de Mille and Virginia Woolf.
Read more about this topic: Sybil Shearer
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