Edwin Denby

American dancer and poet

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 17, 2026

Quick Summary

Edwin Denby was an American dancer and poet who significantly contributed to dance criticism in the 20th century. He is recognized for his role in shaping American dance criticism, alongside John Martin, by explaining modern dance and ballet. Denby's insightful analyses helped audiences appreciate dance on a deeper level. He also wrote for the influential magazine Modern Music and proclaimed George Balanchine the "greatest choreographer of our time". Denby's work taught generations of theatregoers to perceive more in dance performances than initially apparent.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

dance criticism
The 20th century
The American dancer and poet Edwin Denby, who from 1936 to 1942 wrote criticism for the influential magazine Modern Music (published 1924–46), proclaimed Balanchine “the greatest choreographer of our time.” Through his nuanced analyses Denby taught several generations of thoughtful theatregoers to see much more on dance stages than was…
Read More
The American dancer and poet Edwin Denby, who from 1936 to 1942 wrote criticism for the influential magazine Modern Music (published 1924–46), proclaimed Balanchine “the greatest choreographer of our time.” Through his nuanced analyses Denby taught several generations of thoughtful theatregoers to see much more on dance stages than was…
Read More