The Library of Congress >  Researchers >  Search Finding Aids  >  Lester Horton Dance Theater collection, 1918-1996
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ContainerContents
Production Files, 1928-1996 (bulk 1936-1955) (continued)
Individual Works, 1928-1981 (continued)
Song of Hiawatha, 1928-1929 (continued)
Contract, photograph, program
BOX-FOLDER 14/3 The Spirituals, 1958
Photographs
BOX-FOLDER 14/4 Strategy of Murder (play), 1950
Typescript
BOX-FOLDER 14/5 Takwish, the Star Maker, 1932
Costume design, photographs, and program
Tierra y Libertad!
Alternate title: Conquest
BOX-FOLDER 38/8, 45/14 Costume and set designs, 1939
BOX-FOLDER 14/6-7, 45/15-16 Photographs, 1939
BOX-FOLDER 14/7 Scenario, 1939
BOX-FOLDER 14/8 Tongue in Cheek, 1949
Photographs and scenarios
Totem Incantation
BOX-FOLDER 14/9 Costume and set designs, 1948
BOX-FOLDER 14/9, 38/9, 49/4 Photographs, 1948
BOX 55 Prop: hand drum in wood frame, 1948
BOX-FOLDER 14/10 A Touch of Klee and Delightful 2, 1949
Photographs
BOX-FOLDER 14/11 Two Dances for a Leader, 1936
Costume design
BOX-FOLDER 14/12 The Unborn (play), 1951
Typescript
Warsaw Ghetto
BOX-FOLDER 49/5 Costume design, 1949
BOX-FOLDER 14/13 Photographs, 1949
BOX-FOLDER 14/14, 38/10 White Savage (motion picture), 1943
Photographs and scenario
Xango
BOX-FOLDER 45/17 Costume designs, circa 1951
BOX-FOLDER 15/1 Photographs, 1951-1954
Unidentified productions
BOX-FOLDER 15/2, 38/11, 45/18, 49/6-9 Costume and set designs, undated
BOX-FOLDER 15/2, 45/18 Photographs, undated
BOX 35 Prop: bible, undated
BOX-FOLDER 15/2 Scenarios, undated
Programs, 1931-1996
This subseries contains programs and fliers for works created by Horton or the Dance Theater. Performances were either presented at the Dance Theater space or in other venues around Los Angeles and the United States. Early programs document Horton's career prior to forming the company, and later programs record revivals of Horton's pieces or evenings dedicated to his memory.
Arranged chronologically.
BOX-FOLDER 15/3 1931-1935
BOX-FOLDER 15/4 1936-1939
BOX-FOLDER 15/5 1940-1949
BOX-FOLDER 15/6 1950-1952
BOX-FOLDER 15/7 1953-1954
BOX-FOLDER 15/8 1955-1959
BOX-FOLDER 15/9 1960-1969
BOX-FOLDER 15/10 1974, 1981, 1984
BOX-FOLDER 15/11 1996
BOX 16-18, 39-40, 43, 45 Education Files, 1935-1975
This series contains all materials related to the Dance Theater School and Horton's career as a dance educator. Course descriptions give insight into the school's different offerings, and photographs provide visual documentation of class activities. A series of drawings by Verena Ruegg outlines the training technique Horton devised. Administrative materials related to the school are also found in this series including correspondence with prospective and enrolled students, scholarship auditions, school schedules and fees, and information on teachers and staff. A file on the Veterans Administration shows how the school received support for engaging veterans as students and staff.
Organized alphabetically by subject.
BOX-FOLDER 16/1, 39/1-4, 43/7 Adult classes, circa 1950 and undated
Photographs
BOX-FOLDER 16/2 Adult workshop, circa 1950
Photographs
BOX-FOLDER 16/3 Adult workshop, 1957-1959
Programs
BOX-FOLDER 43/8 Adult workshop, undated
Costume designs
BOX-FOLDER 16/4 California, Department of Education, 1946-1954
Correspondence
BOX-FOLDER 16/5 Children's classes, 1949-1954
Photographs
BOX-FOLDER 16/6-7, 39/5-6 Children's performances, circa 1952
Photographs
BOX-FOLDER 16/8, 39/7 Children's workshops, lecture, and performances, 1949, 1956-1960, and undated
Course descriptions
BOX-FOLDER 16/9 Advanced and Advanced professional technique, undated
BOX-FOLDER 16/10 Art history 2, undated
BOX-FOLDER 16/11 Choreography, undated
BOX-FOLDER 16/12 Composition, undated
BOX-FOLDER 16/13 Dance research, undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/1 Design for dance production, undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/2 Elementary progression, undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/3 Fundamentals technique, undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/4 Intermediate technique, undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/5 Movement for actors, undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/6 Theatrical practice, 1947 and undated
Dance Theater School
BOX-FOLDER 17/7 Attire, undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/8 Checks, leases, and permits, 1935-1940
BOX-FOLDER 17/9 Course offerings and ephemera, 1936-1954 and undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/10 Notices to staff and students, 1950-1956 and undated
BOX-FOLDER 40/1 Promotional materials, 1950-1956 and undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/11 Schedules and fees, 1936, 1949-1953, and undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/12 Scholarship agreements and auditions, 1940-1956
BOX-FOLDER 17/13 Students (enrolled), 1947-1958, 1973-1975, and undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/14 Students (prospective), 1950-1956
BOX-FOLDER 17/15 Teachers and administrative personnel, 1947-1958 and undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/16 Horton technique drawings by Verena Ruegg, undated
BOX-FOLDER 17/17, 40/2, 45/19 Horton technique lectures, 1938, 1943, 1972, and undated
Fliers
BOX-FOLDER 17/18 Lecture: Introduction to the dance, 1952
BOX-FOLDER 17/19 Miscellaneous lesson plans and course descriptions, 1952-1957 and undated
BOX-FOLDER 18/1, 40/3-7 Movement Study, circa 1939, 1954
Photographs
BOX-FOLDER 18/2 Veterans Administration, 1947-1953
Correspondence and forms
BOX 18-21 Correspondence, 1939-1996
Letters and letter drafts in this series are primarily to and from Dance Theater business manager Frank Eng and founder Lester Horton. For the most part, communication concerns the promotion and activities of the Dance Theater and Lester Horton's legacy, but personal correspondence is also included.
Organized as two subseries, Individuals and Organizations.
Individuals, 1929-1994
Communications with dancers, composers, and others make up this subseries and include letters written to both Horton and Eng. The only piece of correspondence between Horton and Eng is a despairing missive written by Horton at a time of financial hardship. Horton corresponded with composers Heitor Villa-Lobos, Judith Hamilton, and conductor Leopold Stokowski, as well as dancers Merce Cunningham and Michio Itō and potential student Elia Kazan. A letter from Villa-Lobos is in French with English translation, and correspondence with Mexican promoter Pablo de Prida is in Spanish, also translated. Eng kept in touch with former company members such as Alvin Ailey, Don Martin, and James Truitte. Also present is a file of Eng's correspondence with Horton's biographer, Larry Warren, and Jacob's Pillow founder Ted Shawn. Whether correspondence is with Horton or Eng is indicated at the folder level.
Arranged alphabetically by author's last name.
BOX-FOLDER 18/3 Ailey, Alvin to Frank Eng, 1955-1976
BOX-FOLDER 18/4 Ames, Ramsay to Lester Horton, 1949-1950
BOX-FOLDER 18/5 Anawalt, Sasha to Frank Eng, 1985-1986
BOX-FOLDER 18/6 Bowne, William to Frank Eng and Lester Horton, 1951-1966
BOX-FOLDER 18/7 Chester, Anne to Frank Eng, 1954
BOX-FOLDER 18/8 Cunningham, Merce to Lester Horton, 1951
BOX-FOLDER 18/9 de Lavallade, Carmen to Frank Eng, 1953-1958
BOX-FOLDER 18/10 de Lavallade, Yvonne to Frank Eng, undated
BOX-FOLDER 18/11 de Prida, Pablo to Lester Horton, 1940-1941
BOX-FOLDER 18/12 Dorn, Gerhardt to Horton Dance Group, 1939
Eng, Frank
BOX-FOLDER 18/13 To Walter Arlen, 1964
BOX-FOLDER 18/14 To Duke Ellington 1956
BOX-FOLDER 18/15 To Rudi Gernreich, 1967
BOX-FOLDER 18/16 To Albert Golberg, 1953-1960
BOX-FOLDER 18/17 To Mahalia Jackson, 1958
BOX-FOLDER 18/18 To Misaye Kawasumi, 1983
BOX-FOLDER 18/19 To Rena Shagan, 1975
BOX-FOLDER 18/20-21 To miscellaneous, 1949-1994
BOX-FOLDER 18/22 Franks, Deborah and Michael to Frank Eng, undated
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