Life of the Bee (1929), inspired by the insect
studies of Maurice Maeterlinck, staged the
activity of a bee colony and its selection of a
new queen. The battle between the old and
new queens provided a dramatic focus for
the dance, but Humphrey was primarily
attracted to the remarkable social
organization of the bees. This translated, for
her as for Maeterlinck, into an
anthropomorphic utopianism.