- physdesc
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{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"19 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
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{"value"=>"*MGZMD 136", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"19791", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
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{"value"=>"1803-1984", "type"=>"inclusive"}
{"value"=>"dates 1931-1980", "type"=>"bulk"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Hanya Holm papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. <span class=\"subarea\">Jerome Robbins Dance Division.</span></span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Papers documenting the professional life of dancer, teacher, and choreographer Hanya Holm. Bulk dates, 1931-1980, cover her teaching at the New York Wigman School of the Dance, the Hanya Holm Studio, and Colorado College and her choreography for her own company and in musical theater, including <span class=\"title\">Kiss Me Kate,</span> <span class=\"title\">My Fair Lady,</span> and <span class=\"title\">Camelot.</span> Also includes a small selection of personal papers."}
- prefercite
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{"value"=>"Hanya Holm papers, *MGZMD 136. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
- origination
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{"value"=>"Holm, Hanya, 1893-1992", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
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{"value"=>"<p>Hanya Holm - dancer, teacher, choreographer - is recognized as one of the four early pioneers of modern dance in the United States, as well as one of the 20th century's most sought-after choreographers of musical theater. She was born Johanna Josepha Eckert on March 3, 1893 in Worms-am-Rhine, Germany. Her father was a wine merchant; her mother was a housewife and inventor with successful patents to her credit. Holm's early education, at the Konvent der Englischen Fräulein in Mainz, was followed by music studies at the Hoch Conservatory and the Dalcroze Institute at Frankfurt-am-Main. In 1916, she graduated from the Dalcroze Institute at Hellerau and taught Dalcroze and music until 1921. These were difficult years as Germany was recovering from World War I and resources were scarce. It was also a time of great artistic activity. For Holm, it was a period of great personal change. Her marriage to painter and sculptor Reinhold Martin Kuntze ended; her son, Klaus, was born; and, she saw Mary Wigman perform. Holm had known she wished to dance professionally (Pavlova had been an early inspiration), yet it was seeing Wigman dance in 1921 which defined her direction. Wigman's Dresden school had been open only a year. The student body was small and the curriculum was informal, with a single class held daily in the living room of a private residence. Wigman's movement ideas were just developing, nourished by the ongoing exchange between teacher and pupils. Holm enrolled and was affiliated with the Wigman Central Institute from 1921-1931, becoming assistant instructor in 1922, receiving her diploma in 1923, becoming chief instructor in 1924 and Director in 1929. By 1931, the school was well established. Graduates underwent rigorous examination in a range of dance-related subjects and received advanced degrees recognized by the German federal government. Wigman's responsiveness to the personality of each class, coupled with the comprehensiveness of her curriculum, would become an enduring pedagogical model for Holm. Holm's performing career blossomed during her years with Wigman. She was an original member of the Wigman Concert Dance Group (1923-1928), touring Europe to great acclaim. She also performed in an early production of Max Reinhardt's <span class=\"title\">The Miracle</span> and danced the role of the Princess in Stravinsky's <span class=\"title\">L'Histoire du Soldat</span> (1929). She was dance director and choreographer in the summers of 1927 and 1928 for the Star Congress in Ommen, Holland and was assistant director and co-dancer with Mary Wigman in Albert Talhoff's Totenmal, presented at the Munich Dance Congress of 1930. The following year, Holm was brought to the United States by Sol Hurok to open and direct a branch of the Wigman School in New York. As official representative of Mary Wigman in America, Holm was also sought for many outside lectures and teaching engagements. She taught regularly in Washington and Philadelphia and presented lecture demonstrations to educational institutions and arts organizations nation-wide. These presentations later developed into Holm's signature Demonstration Program, a choreographed manual of dance and movement theory performed to music by Harvey Pollins, with percussion accompaniment by the dancers, and a lecture by Holm. It was, according to Holm's 1950s publicity material, one of Holm's \"great and unique accomplishments.\" Yet the New York school was Holm's main responsibility during her first years in the United States. In its initial year, student enrollment was high. By 1936, however, anti-Nazi feeling was strong in the United States and Wigman's name lost favor. Furthermore, Holm's movement theories had begun to diverge from her teacher's. With Wigman's consent, the school became the Hanya Holm Studio in 1936, renamed, in 1949, the Hanya Holm School of the Dance. Modern dancers and dance professionals of other styles flocked to Holm's courses for she offered a solid foundation in movement principles which transcended genre. Alwin Nikolais, Glen Tetley, Louise Kloepper, Valerie Bettis, Mary Anthony, Murray Louis, Claudia Gittleman, Bambi Lynn, Marge and Gower Champion, Annabelle Lyon - these were some of Hanya's students who were then, or were soon to be, among the leading dancers and choreographers of their times. Her own school closed in 1968 but Holm continued teaching into the 1980s at the Nikolais-Louis Dance Lab and at the Juilliard School. For much of the year, Holm's life orbited around New York City. In the summer, however, she departed for dance programs on rural campuses. Holm was one of the founding faculty members of the now famous Bennington School of the Dance in the summer of 1934, along with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. She taught each summer until 1940, finding time to also teach at the University of Iowa and in Colorado at the Perry Mansfield summer camp. The beauty of the Colorado landscape appealed to Holm and in the summer of 1941, she founded the Colorado College Summer School of the Dance, returning annually as director, teacher and choreographer until it closed in 1983. Her twenty-fifth and fortieth anniversary summers were celebrated in grand style, with special performances, articles in the local Colorado press, and gala events. Holm's American concert career developed more gradually than did her teaching, yet this was precisely according to plan. Holm had given herself five years to acclimate to her new country, to make pieces that grew out of her experiences, and to train a cohesive group of dancers to perform them. Her first American concert was at the Broadway Theater in Denver, Colorado in 1936. Her New York debut followed in December, 1937 with the historic production of <span class=\"title\">Trend</span> at the Mecca Temple. <span class=\"title\">Trend</span> was a work of social protest, made in collaboration with scenic designer Arch Lauterer and composer Wallingford Riegger, with a section, each, set to <span class=\"title\">Ionization</span> and <span class=\"title\">Octandre</span> by Edgard Varese. The fifty-five minute piece was conceived on a massive scale, with seven dance soloists and thirty ensemble members moving through a landscape of graded platforms and ramps. Dance critic John Martin, gave <span class=\"title\">Trend</span> the New York Times Award for \"best dance composition of the year.\" Despite such critical acclaim, Holm was no longer able to support a company. When the company folded in 1947, she had choreographed thirty original pieces to almost as many commissioned scores. Among these are: <span class=\"title\">Dance of Work and Play</span> (1938), <span class=\"title\">Metropolitan Daily</span> (1938), <span class=\"title\">Dance of Introduction</span> (1939, 1941), <span class=\"title\">Tragic Exodus</span>(1939), <span class=\"title\">They Too are Exiles</span> (1940), <span class=\"title\">The Golden Fleece</span> (1941) and <span class=\"title\">Namesake</span> (1942). Afterwards, she continued creating concert dance during the summers at Colorado College, and, in the 1980s, for the company of her former student, Don Redlich. But Holm's choreography began to be more widely seen on the commercial stage. Holm's prolific output in the fields of musical theater, opera, film and television began with <span class=\"title\">Eccentricities of Davey Crockett</span>, created for the cooperative Ballet Ballads in 1948. Later the same year, Holm collaborated with Jose Ferrer on <span class=\"title\">The Insect Comedy</span>, and by year's end, Cole Porter's <span class=\"title\">Kiss Me Kate</span> was in previews with Holm's choreography. In the following years, Holm was choreographer or movement director for more than twenty theatrical productions, including <span class=\"title\">The Golden Apple</span> (1954), <span class=\"title\">My Fair Lady,</span> (1956), <span class=\"title\">Where's Charley?</span> (1957), and <span class=\"title\">Camelot.</span> (1960). Long New York City runs were often followed by national tours, London productions, and revivals, for which Holm often selected the dancers and restaged the dances. She received the New York Drama Critics' Award for the choreography of <span class=\"title\">Kiss Me Kate</span>, a Critics' Circle Citation for The <span class=\"title\">The Golden Apple</span>, and a Tony Award nomination for the choreography of <span class=\"title\">My Fair Lady,</span>. In 1952, Holm was granted a copyright for her dances from <span class=\"title\">Kiss Me Kate</span>, making her the first choreographer of a Broadway show ever to receive such protection. Her choreography for <span class=\"title\">My Fair Lady,</span> is also copyrighted. In the field of opera, Holm has won praise for her direction, staging, and choreography. Douglas Moore's <span class=\"title\">Ballad of Baby Doe</span> (1956), produced at Colorado's Central City Opera House, was Holm's first operatic venture. Her <span class=\"title\">Orpheus and Euridice</span> followed, with productions at the Vancouver Festival in 1959 and at the O'Keefe Center in Toronto in 1960. In the 1970s, <span class=\"title\">Il Cavaliere Errante</span>, <span class=\"title\">A Soldier's Tale</span>, <span class=\"title\">Gianni Schicchi</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Iolanthe</span> were among the operas which Holm either choreographed or directed for the Colorado Opera Festival. Holm's son, Klaus, was her frequent collaborator on these productions as scenic and lighting designer. Holm received numerous honors and awards for her work. In addition to those mentioned above were Honorary Doctorate Degrees of Fine Arts from both Colorado College and Adelphi College, the Colorado Governor's Award for Arts and Humanities, the Dance Magazine Award for <span class=\"title\">Tragic Exodus</span>, the Award from the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies for \"outstanding contribution to the Modern Dance Movement in America,\" the Capezio Award, the Astaire Award, and the Samuel H. Scripps Award for Lifetime Achievement. Holm was naturalized in 1939. She died in New York City on November 3, 1992.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Hanya Holm Papers range in date from 1809 to 1984 and primarily document Holm's professional life as a dancer, teacher and choreographer of concert dance, musical theater and opera. Included are: correspondence; teaching material (including roll books); choreographic notes, designs and annotated scores for both concert dance and musical theater; material related to Holm's forty-three summers at Colorado College; material related to honors and awards; biographical material; financial information regarding the Hanya Holm Studio; publicity material and programs for Hanya Holm and Dance Company; and drafts for both published and unpublished writings; and photographs. Abundant correspondence from Holm's former teacher, Mary Wigman, is evidence of a steadfast friendship which spanned continents and decades. Family material dating from 19th century Germany as well as papers from Holm's childhood are also included. Most of the material is in English, with portions of the correspondence, teaching and choreographic notes, Holm's writings, and family documents in German. These papers demonstrate Holm's unique contributions to the field of both modern dance and musical theater. The breadth of material reflects her extraordinary energy, dedication and longevity. The wealth of commissioned scores is a resource for scholars both of Holm's concert dance work and of twentieth century music for dance. Annotated theatrical scripts, choreographic notes, labanotation scores, production materials and professional notebooks provide insight into Holm's creative process and suggest the rich artistic climate in which she worked. As Holm's reputation grew, so did the volume of mail from the public with requests for information, interviews, expertise, and time. The numerous replies from Elsa Rainer, Holm's secretary, reveal a standard of courtesy and respect for all correspondents, and document Rainer's faithful allegiance to her employer. These, the Wigman letters and most other correspondence are held in the Correspondence series, with additional correspondence contained in the series labeled Teaching, Choreography, Colorado College, and Personal and Family.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Hanya Holm papers are arranged in eleven series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388220'>Series I: Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1920-1980 and n.d.</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>7 boxes (293 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains personal and professional correspondence from colleagues, students, organizations, and others, and includes letters in pursuit of copyright for musical theater choreography. Of particular note is the volume of handwritten letters and postcards from Mary Wigman (folders 274-283), written in German between 1920-1972. These were sent from Germany during periods when Wigman was teaching at one of her schools, and from cities around the world when she was vacationing or on tour. Holm's and Wigman's mutual devotion is further demonstrated in letters from colleagues regarding the celebrations Holm organized in honor of Wigman's 70th, 75th and 80th birthdays.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388463'>Series II: Teaching</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1913-1968 and n.d.</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>8 boxes (119 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Material related to the Hanya Holm Studio dominates this series. Correspondence concerns letters of recommendation, arrangements for studio visits, assessments of student potential, etc. The many roll books and tuition ledgers from 1937-1968 provide data regarding student and course registration at the Studio. Holm's interest in labanotation as a pedagogical tool is reflected in related articles and student exercises. Earlier material documents Holm's Dalcroze certification and teaching, as well as her work at the New York Wigman School of the Dance, Bennington College and other institutions.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388540'>Series III: Hanya Holm and Dance Company</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1938-1958 and n.d.</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>12 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> Programs (1932-1954) form the bulk of this small series: tracking the development of Holm's concert dance repertoire and Demonstration Program; identifying company members and artistic collaborators; and detailing the itineraries of her New York seasons and transcontinental tours. Announcements and publicity materials offer insight into Holm's marketing strategies.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388546'>Series IV: Choreography</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1927-1969 and n.d.</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>124 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> This series is divided into two subseries: Concert Dance and Musical Theater. Choreographic notes form the bulk of the Concert Dance material and include Holm's notations and writings as well as those of her dancers -- in prose, drawings, charts, and musical scoring. Most of this material is undated. The Musical Theater collection includes the numerous scripts, many with Holm's annotations, for productions on which Holm worked. Most of these are from the 1940s-1960s, including <span class=\"title\">Kiss Me Kate</span>, <span class=\"title\">Reuben Reuben</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Christine</span>, but also included is the script for <span class=\"title\">Farewell</span>, one of Holm's earliest efforts. Production materials for some shows document the audition process and technical aspects of stage and costume design. Opening night letters and telegrams include congratulations from theatrical luminaries, providing a taste of the shared excitement generated by these events. Additional materials relating to Holm's choreography, including scores, designs, and Labanotation, will be found in Series IX: Oversize.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388688'>Series V: Colorado College</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1941-1990</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>35 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> This limited series reflects the growth of the Colorado College Summer Dance Program (sometimes referred to as the Hanya Holm School of the Dance) from its opening in 1941 through its final year in 1983. Included are annual program bulletins, announcements, programs, student lists and correspondence. Titles of dances Holm created during the summer session appear on programs along with those of student dancers. Larger productions are more fully documented. Material concerning Holm's honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Colorado College as well as her 25th and 40th anniversary celebrations are included here. Programs also document Holm's work on the Colorado Opera Festival.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388728'>Series VI: Writings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1930-1984 and n.d. (bulk 1932-1966</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>29 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> Professional notebooks from the 1930s and 1940s form the bulk of this series. They are typically multipurpose and include Holm's writings on various themes, notation of dances, teaching notes, book lists, and lists of expenses. Appointment calendars from 1948 and 1982-1984 document Holm's busy professional schedule. Holm's articles and speeches on Mary Wigman and dance pedagogy are included, as well as radio scripts and writings by others on cultural themes. Biographical material compiled by Holm's secretary in resume and prose format are also here.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388759'>Series VII: Mary Wigman Materials</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1925-1935</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>14 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> This series contains material from the 1920s and 1930s. Wigman's writings form the bulk of the series and include her 1931 lecture at the Sorbonne and other articles in English and German. Wigman's performance work is documented in material related to the 1930 production of <span class=\"title\">Totenmal</span> and to her Tanzgruppe. Other folders contain meterials from 1929-1934 pertaining to Wigman's schools in Germany.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388778'>Series VII: Personal and Family</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1803-1969</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>27 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This small series has a broad date range (1803-1969) and includes business logs, ledgers, official documents, patent applications and awards, school documents -- including an autograph book, probably signed by Holm's high school classmates -- notebooks, calendars, sketches, and financial papers. The early family material is in German, written in a formal hand. Papers regarding Holm's Dresden residence in the 1920s, correspondence concerning Klaus Holm's schooling, and an interview with Klaus Holm are also included in this series.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388810'>Series IX: Oversize</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1924-1965</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>58 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> This series includes the numerous scores Holm commissioned for concert dance, some scores and vocal parts for musical theater productions, costume designs, labanotation and posters. Composers represented here include Wallingford Reigger, Alex North, John Cage, Henry Cowell, Marc Blitztein and others. Costume designs by Lemuel Ayers for \"Kiss Me Kate\" and Cecil Beaton for \"My Fair Lady\" are included. Labanotation for some dances from \"My Fair Lady\" are also in this series.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388871'>Series X: Miscellaneous</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>5 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> This series contains supplementary material related to Holm's personal and professional lives. Student registration forms for classes at the Hanya Holm Studio from the 1940s-1960s fill two boxes and are arranged alphabetically, some with annotation. Holm's personal library is catalogued alphabetically in two boxes of shelf list cards. Her 40th anniversary at Colorado College in 1980 is celebrated in an embossed, leather-bound scrapbook, full of clippings, photos and tributes.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19791#c388875'>Series XI: Photographs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>154 folders</div>\n</li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>Series I: Correspondence</li> <li>Series II: Teaching <ul> <li>Sub-series A: Notes and early teaching</li> <li>Sub-series B: Hanya Holm Studio</li> <li>Labanotation</li></ul></li> <li>Series III: Hanya Holm and Dance Company</li> <li>Series IV: Choreography <ul> <li>Sub-series A: Concert Dance</li> <li>Sub-series B: Musical Theater</li></ul></li> <li>Series V: Colorado College <ul> <li>Sub-Series A: Colorado College Summer Dance Program</li> <li>Sub-series B: Honors</li> <li>Sub-series C: Publications</li> <li>Sub-series D: Colorado Opera Festival</li></ul></li> <li>Series VI: Writings <ul> <li>Sub-series A: Biographical Material</li> <li>Sub-series B: Other Writing</li> <li>Sub-series C: Professional Notebooks</li> <li>Sub-series D: Professional Calendars</li> <li>Sub-series E: Writing by Others</li></ul></li> <li>Series VII: Mary Wigman Materials <ul> <li>Sub-series A: Writings</li> <li>Sub-series B: Totenmal, <span class=\"geogname\">Munich,</span><date>1930</date></li> <li>Sub-series C: Mary Wigman and Her Group</li> <li>Sub-series D: Wigman Schools in <span class=\"geogname\">Germany</span></li></ul></li> <li>Series VIII: Personal and Family <ul> <li>Sub-series A: Documents and Writings</li> <li>Sub-series B: Notebooks.</li> <li>Sub-series C: Calendars</li> <li>Sub-series D: Sketches</li> <li>Sub-series E: Financial</li></ul></li> <li>Series IX: Oversize <ul> <li>Sub-series A: Scores</li> <li>Sub-series B: Designs</li> <li>Sub-series C: Other Graphic Materials</li> <li>Sub-series D: Labanotation</li></ul></li> <li>Series X: Miscellaneous</li> <li>Series XI: Photographs <ul> <li>Sub-series A: Hanya Holm, dancer</li> <li>Sub-series B: Teaching</li> <li>Sub-series C: Choreography: Concert Dance</li> <li>Sub-series D: Choreography: Theater, Movies, Television</li> <li>Sub-series E: Mary Wigman</li> <li>Sub-series F: Other Dancers</li> <li>Sub-series G: Miscellaneous</li> <li>Sub-series H: Personal</li> <li>Sub-series I: Travel</li> <li>Sub-series J: Oversize</li></ul></li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
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{"value"=>"<p>Estate of Hanya Holm</p>"}
- date_inclusive_start
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1803
- date_inclusive_end
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1984
- keydate
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1803
- langmaterial
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{"value"=>"English"}
- processinfo
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{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Louise Sunshine and Charles Perrier; Machine-readable finding aid created by Charles Perrier.</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
19 linear feet