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Production Files, 1928-1996 (bulk 1936-1955) (continued)
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
BOX-FOLDER 18/23 Goldoni, Lelia to Frank Eng, 1959, 1975, 1991-1993
BOX-FOLDER 18/24 Haggart, Stanley to Frank Eng, 1953-1956
BOX-FOLDER 18/25 Hamilton, Judith to Frank Eng and Lester Horton, 1949, 1972-1979, and undated
BOX-FOLDER 18/26 Hill, Jack to Frank Eng, 1961-1985
Horton, Lester
BOX-FOLDER 18/27 To Carlos Chávez, circa 1935
BOX-FOLDER 18/28 To Frank Eng, undated
BOX-FOLDER 18/29 To Horton Dance Group, 1939
BOX-FOLDER 18/30 To Elsie Martinez, 1933-1940
BOX-FOLDER 18/31 To miscellaneous, 1940-1952
BOX-FOLDER 18/32 Itō, Michio to Lester Horton, 1955
BOX-FOLDER 18/33 Kazan, Elia to Lester Horton, 1948
BOX-FOLDER 18/34 Kerr, Joan to Frank Eng, 1972 and undated
BOX-FOLDER 18/35 Lewitzky, Bella to Frank Eng, 1973-1975
BOX-FOLDER 18/36 Lloyd, Margaret to Frank Eng and Lester Horton, 1947-1954
BOX-FOLDER 18/37 Maracci, Carmelita to Frank Eng, 1953
BOX-FOLDER 19/1 Martin, Donald to Frank Eng and Lester Horton, 1950-1983
BOX-FOLDER 19/2 Martin, John to Frank Eng, 1968
BOX-FOLDER 19/3 McGovern, George to Frank Eng, 1974
BOX-FOLDER 19/17 Miscellaneous to Frank Eng, 1950-1985
BOX-FOLDER 19/18 Miscellaneous to Lester Horton, 1929-1955 and undated
BOX-FOLDER 19/4 Mosk, Edward to Frank Eng, 1955-1956, 1973
BOX-FOLDER 19/5 Paul, Stanley to Frank Eng, 1950-1954
BOX-FOLDER 19/6 Paz, Juan Carlos to Lester Horton, 1940
BOX-FOLDER 19/7 Pierce, Luisa to Frank Eng and Lester Horton, 1968 and undated
BOX-FOLDER 19/8 Rambert, Marie to Frank Eng, 1965
BOX-FOLDER 19/9 Shawn, Ted to Frank Eng and Lester Horton, 1953-1954
BOX-FOLDER 19/10 Smuin, Michael to Frank Eng, 1973
BOX-FOLDER 19/11 Solomon, Vida to Frank Eng, 1953-1954
BOX-FOLDER 19/12 Stefen, Paul to Lester Horton, 1953 and undated
BOX-FOLDER 19/13 Stokowski, Leopold to Lester Horton, 1939
BOX-FOLDER 19/14 Truitte, James to Frank Eng, 1956-1976
BOX-FOLDER 19/15 Villa-Lobos, Heitor to Lester Horton, 1940
BOX-FOLDER 19/16 Warren, Larry to Frank Eng, 1953-1977
Organizations, 1933-1996
Letters from organizations are primarily directed to Frank Eng or the general address for the Dance Theater and discuss activities, engagements, and promotion of the company. Correspondence with the Cincinnati Ballet Company details revivals of Horton's dances as reconstructed by James Truitte.
Arranged alphabetically by organization name.
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