American Ballet Theatre records

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id: 305
origination: American Ballet Theatre
date statement: 1936-ca. 1967
key date: 1936
identifier (local_mss): 19700
org unit: Jerome Robbins Dance Division
call number: *MGZMD 49
b-number: b12179863
total components: 4721
total series: 10
max depth: 6
boost queries: (none)
component layout: Default Layout
Extended MARC Fields: false
Extended Navigation: false
created: 2013-04-01 14:58:52 UTC
updated: 2026-08-14 02:13:50 UTC
status note: (missing)
Display Aeon link: true

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unitid: {"value"=>"*MGZMD 49", "type"=>"local_call"}

{"value"=>"19700", "type"=>"local_mss"}
unitdate: {"value"=>"1936-ca. 1967", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1936/1967", "certainty"=>"approximate"}
unittitle: {"value"=>"American Ballet Theatre records"}
physdesc: {"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"220 lin. ft.", "unit"=>"linear feet"}]}
repository: {"value"=>"The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.<div class=\"address\"> New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498</div>"}
abstract: {"value"=>"American Ballet Theatre was founded in 1939 with the intention of creating an American company of international stature, a museum of the dance, “which would preserve the best of the classic tradition of Europe and at the same time lay the foundation for a new tradition, American in concept and spirit.” Its guiding principle was to encourage collaboration between artists with no single choreographer taking precedence. The records of the company attest to the pursuit of these goals."}
langmaterial: {"value"=>"English"}
prefercite: {"value"=>"American Ballet Theatre records, *MGZMD 49. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
origination: {"value"=>"American Ballet Theatre", "type"=>"corpname"}
bioghist: {"value"=>"Mikhail Mordkin was born in Moscow in 1881. He was a graduate of the Imperial Ballet School there and eventually became a leading dancer at the Bolshoi Theatre. In 1910, he partnered Anna Pavlova at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and on a tour of the United States. He left Russia in 1923, settled in New York, and in 1927, opened a ballet school in Carnegie Hall. By 1936, according to an advertisement of the time, his school offered “complete ballet training, mimo-drama classes, [and a] rehearsal group [that would] prepare ballets for performances.” This group, the Mikhail Mordkin Ballet, was an outlet for advanced students (with Mordkin himself dancing main character parts). On December 19, 1936, the company presented Sleeping Beauty,sponsored by the Woman's Club of Waterbury, Connecticut, with Lucia Chase and Dimitri Romanoff in the leading roles. Plans for the student company became more ambitious. Advance Productions, with Lucia Chase as the major stockholder, was incorporated in March, 1937, to sponsor the company. The Mordkin Ballet began to tour nationwide with a small repertory of ballets choreographed by Mordkin. In 1938, the company was reorganized under Advanced Arts, Inc., with Rudolf Orthwine as president. Richard Pleasant managed the school and was later made secretary of the organization. A more professional Mordkin Ballet emerged, and dancers the calibre of Patricia Bowman, Nina Stroganova, Karen Conrad, Edward Caton, and Vladimir Dokoudovsky were hired. The company continued to tour with Mordkin's ballets, however, many new ideas were developing. Chase and Pleasant began to plan for a larger company, with more choreographers and dancers, and different artistic goals. In September of 1939, the nucleus of the Mordkin Ballet was reorganized into Ballet Theatre. Mikhail Mordkin was informed that he was no longer needed to teach or choreograph for the company, and only one of his ballets was ever produced by Ballet Theatre. Mordkin returned to teaching at his Carnegie Hall studio. It is as a teacher that he is best remembered. He possessed a “vivid personality” with the ability to “transmit something of the true spirit of the dance,” and he tried to bring out special qualities in each of his students. He died in 1944."}

{"value"=>"Ballet Theatre, launched in New York City in the fall of 1939, was an outgrowth of the Mordkin Ballet, which began in 1937 as an outlet for the talents of the students of Mikhail Mordkin's school. In the Mordkin Ballet the soloists were Lucia Chase, Viola Essen, Leon Varkas. Dimitri Romanoff, George Chaffee, and Leon Danielian. The repertoire included Giselle, La Fille Mal Gardée, Dionysius(to Glazounov's music), and The Goldfish,all choreographed by Mordkin who also appeared in some of the ballets. The second season of the Mordkin Ballet (1938) brought many additions and a number of changes in the personnel. Richard Pleasant was appointed general manager of the company; Patricia Bowman was engaged as prima ballerina; Nina Stroganova, Karen Conrad, Edward Caton. Vladimir Dokoudovsky, Kari Karnakoski, and Savva Andreeff were new soloists. The repertoire was augmented by Voices of Spring, Trepak(Alexander Tcherepnine's music) and what was called a symphonic version of Swan Lake(Act 2). It was an open secret that the Mordkin Ballet was financed by Lucia Chase. By the summer of 1939 Miss Chase and Mr. Pleasant had decided that the Mordkin Ballet was too small an undertaking and they began to formulate plans for a full-fledged company, to be called Ballet Theatre. Pleasant was appointed director of the organization. Only one of Mordkin's ballets, Voices of Spring,was retained. The repertoire of the first season of Ballet Theatre listed Michel Fokine's Les Sylphidesand Carnaval;Adolph Bolm's Ballet Mécaniqueand Peter and the Wolf;Mordkin's Voices of Spring;Anton Dolin's Quintetand his versions of Giselleand Swan Lake;Antony Tudor's Dark Elegies, Lilac Garden,and Judgment of Paris;Andrée Howard's Lady into Foxand Death and the Maiden;Agnes de Mille's Black Ritual;Eugene Loring's The Great American Goof;José Fernandez' Goyescas;Bronislava Nijinska's La Fille Mal Gardée;Yurek Shabelevski's Ode to Glory. Among the dancers were Adolph Bolm, Patricia Bowman, Edward Caton, Lucia Chase, Karen Conrad, Leon Danielian, Vladimir Dokoudovsky, Anton Dolin, William Dollar, Viola Essen, Miriam Golden, Nana Gollner (who was announced but did not dance during the first N.Y. season), Kari Karnakoski, Maria Karnilova, Nora Kaye, Andrée Howard, Eugene Loring, Hugh Laing, Annabelle Lyon, Dimitri Romanoff, Donald Saddler, Nina Stroganova, Yurek Shabelevski, Antony Tudor, Leon Varkas. The first Ballet Theatre season opened Jan. 11, 1940, at the Center Theatre, N.Y., and lasted four weeks. Between Feb. and Nov. the company gave scattered performances in Philadelphia and at Lewisohn Stadium in N.Y. In Nov. and Dec. it danced in Chicago as the official ballet of the Chicago Opera, giving twelve ballet evenings and appearing in opera ballets. The second season opened in N.Y. at the Majestic Theatre on Feb. 11, 1941. The company announced some innovations. There would be no division in ranks of the dancers; all were to be divided into two groups: principals and company. The roster of principals included Chase, Conrad, Gollner, Lyon, Katharine Sergava, Stroganova, Caton, Danielian, Dolin, Laing, Loring, Romanoff, and Tudor. Alicia Alonso, Miriam Golden, Nora Kaye, John Kriza, and Jerome Robbins were among “the company.” Another innovation was the absence of a regisseur-general. In lieu of one, Ballet Theatre had choreographers-in-residence, who were regisseurs for separate “wings” of the repertoire. Dolin was regisseur of the Classical wing, Eugene Loring of the American wing, and Antony Tudor of the new English wing. Five ballets new for the company were presented: Dolin's Capricciosoand Pas de Quatre,Loring's Billy the Kid;Tudor's Gala Performance,and de Mille's Three Virgins and a Devil. At the close of the four-week season, Richard Pleasant resigned as director of the company. Shortly thereafter, Ballet Theatre began to reorganize. German Sevastianov was invited as director; Charles Payne became executive managing director; Antal Dorati was appointed musical director. Alicia Markova and Irina Baronova were signed as ballerinas. In June, 1941, Markova and Dolin organized an International Dance Festival at Jacob's Pillow, where most of the company's dancers spent the summer, thus giving an opportunity to some of the choreographers to work on their new productions. Meanwhile arrangements were made for impresario S. Hurok to book Ballet Theatre beginning Nov., 1941. The company then included, among others: Markova, Baronova, Muriel Bentley, Chase, Conrad, Rosella Hightower, Kaye, Karnilova, Jeannette Lauret, Lyon, Sono Osato, Nina Popova, Rozsika Sabo; Dolin, Charles Dickson, Ian Gibson, Frank Hobi, Kriza, Laing, Yurek Lazowski, Nicolas Orloff, Richard Reed, Jerome Robbins, Romanoff, Borislav Runanin, Donald Saddler, Simon Semenoff, George Skibine, and Tudor. The company played a season in Mexico City, then opened in N.Y. on Nov. 12th at the 44th Street Theatre. Four new ballets were presented: Bluebeardby Fokine, Belovedby Nijinska, Princess Aurora(another title for Aurora's Wedding)by Dolin, Slavonikaby Vania Psota. After an American tour, the company returned to N.Y. opening at the Metropolitan Opera House, Apr. 6, 1942. The new works were Michel Fokine's Russian Soldierand Tudor's Pillar of Fire.Nora Kaye's performance in the latter placed her in the rank of ballerina overnight. Then there was a summer season in Mexico City with Fokine and Leonide Massine as choreographers. There the company rehearsed Alekoand Don Domingoby Massine; Romantic Ageby Dolin; Petrouchka,restaged by Fokine; as well as revivals of Billy the Kidand Coppélia.Fokine began work on Helen of Troybut did not finish it due to illness. He returned to N.Y. on Aug. 12 and died Aug. 22 of double pneumonia complicated by pleurisy. The six ballets prepared in Mexico City were presented during the fall season, which opened at the Metropolitan Opera House, Oct. 6. Adolph Bolm had been signed as regisseur-general, Leonide Massine as choreographer and dancer, André Eglevsky as guest artist; Michael Kidd joined the company. On the tour that followed, Helen of Troywas choreographed by David Lichine. Irina Baronova left the company late in 1942. For the N.Y. season (beginning Apr. 1, 1943) at the Metropolitan, Vera Nemchinova, Vera Zorina, and Janet Reed joined the company as guest artists. Additions to the repertoire were Romeo and Julietby Tudor; Erranteand Apollo,revived by George Balanchine. This season J. Alden Talbot became director of the company, replacing Sevastianov who had joined the U.S. Army. For the fall season Zorina was again guest artist; Janet Reed joined the company as soloist, and Alicia Alonso returned as soloist after an absence of two years. The new ballets were Dim Lustreby Tudor, Mam'zelle Angotby Massine, Fair at Sorochinskby Lichine. Alicia Alonso was given the opportunity to dance Giselle(Nov. 2, 1943), which raised her to ballerina status. During the tour that followed, Nana Gollner and Paul Petroff joined the company. In the spring of 1944, Tally-Hoby de Mille and Fancy Freeby Robbins were added to the repertoire, and in the fall Balanchine's Waltz Academy.The guest artists were Tatiana Riabouchinska, Tamara Toumanova, Eglevsky and Lichine; Markova and Dolin had left the company. Undertowby Tudor was the only important new ballet presented in the spring of 1945. Markova, Dolin, Toumanova, and Eglevsky were back as guests. Talbot resigned as director, and Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith became co-directors, positions they have held ever since. The fall brought five new ballets: On Stage!by Kidd; Gift of the Magiby Semenoff; Grazianaby John Taras; Interplayby Robbins; and a new version of Firebirdby Bolm. After the spring of 1946, the contract between Ballet Theatre and S. Hurok was terminated, and the directors announced a return to the company's 1940 policy of being “American in character” and of building “from within its own ranks.” Ballet Theatre played July 4-Aug. 31 at Covent Garden Royal Opera House, London. Eglevsky, Kaye and Alonso were leading soloists. While the company was in England, Keith Lester staged his version of Pas de Quatrefor it, and Frederick Ashton staged Les Patineurs. The company played a fall season at the Broadway Theatre, N.Y. Gisellewas restaged by Balanchine, with new scenery and costumes by Eugene Berman, and Facsimilewas choreographed by Robbins. Igor Youskevitch was invited as premier danseur; newly appointed soloists were Diana Adams, Melissa Hayden, and Ruth Ann Koesun. Tudor was artistic administrator. The 1946-47 tour was an artistic success, but the company lost money. The N.Y. season at the City Center for Music and Drama (Apr. 28-May 18) was successful artistically and financially. An engagement in Havana, Cuba, closed the season on an optimistic note. In the spring of 1947, Ballet Theatre Foundation was established as a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation for the purpose of supporting Ballet Theatre as a performing organization. The fall season, also at the City Center, introduced Balanchine's Theme and Variations.Following its 1947-48 tour, the company played a season at the Metropolitan, where it premièred Tudor's Shadow of the Windand de Mille's Fall River Legend.There was no fall season, but a short spring tour in 1948 was followed by an engagement at the Metropolitan from Apr. 17 to May 8. Maria Tallchief joined the company. The spring 1950 season at the City Center, N.Y., was preceded by a national tour. From August 7 to December 10, the company made its first tour of Europe, traveling as the American National Ballet Theatre, sponsored by the State Department. Leading soloists seen in Europe were Alicia Alonso, Nora Kaye, John Kriza, John Taras, Mary Ellen Moylan, and Igor Youskevitch. Designs with Stringsand Caprichos(Herbert Ross) were premièred this season; Rodeowas added to the repertoire. In the fall of 1950, Ballet Theatre became the ballet of the Metropolitan Opera. The association only lasted one season. Adams, Kaye, Laing, and Tudor left the company. In the spring of 1951, the N.Y. season featured Jean Babilée, Colette Marchand, Nathalie Philippart, and Mia Slavenska as guest artists. Le Jeune Homme et la Mort, Les Demoiselles de la Nuit,and L'Amour et son Amourwere given their American premières. Herbert Ross did his The Thief Who Loved a Ghostfor the company, and Carmalita Maracci created Circo de España.In May and June, the company toured South America. Coinciding with a season at the Metropolitan, the Ballet Theatre School opened officially in Dec. A fall season without significant premières was followed by a national tour. A second European tour, sponsored by the State Dept. occupied Ballet Theatre from May 4 to end of Sept., 1953. Principal soloists were Alonso, Hayden, Kriza, Moylan, and Youskevitch. The following season was devoted largely to touring the U.S. and was also marked by television appearances of the company, notably on the “Omnibus” show for which the Ford Foundation commissioned Capital of the Worldby Eugene Loring. In the spring of 1955, Ballet Theatre celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a gala season at the Metropolitan, followed by a South American tour. For the gala, a number of former soloists returned to dance their original roles in revivals of ballets associated with the company. May 7, 1956 saw the initiation at N.Y.'s Phoenix Theatre of the Ballet Theatre Workshop, formed to provide choreographers with a showcase to try out new works. The first program was praised more for its intention than its attainment. The following year (1957) two Workshop programs featured significant new works, Kenneth MacMillan's Journeyand Herbert Ross's Paean.This Workshop was preceded by a tour of Europe and the Near East. Featured soloists were Erik Bruhn, Scott Douglas, Rosella Hightower, Nora Kaye, John Kriza, and Lupe Serrano. On the return from Europe the company changed its name from Ballet Theatre to American Ballet Theatre. In the summer of 1957, American Ballet Theatre toured the U.S. The following spring it set out for North Africa and Europe. Violette Verdy and Royes Fernandez were the new principals for this successful tour. The autumn 1958 season at the Metropolitan brought some undistinguished premières, but the addition to the repertoire of Miss Juliewas an asset. With only scant bookings available for 1959, American Ballet Theatre was forced to suspend its activities for a year. The spring, 1960 season at the Metropolitan marked the temporary return to the company of Nora Kaye and the moderately successful première of Lady from the Sea.Maria Tallchief and Erik Bruhn headed the company that set off for Europe in May. In Sept. American Ballet Theatre became the first American ballet company to dance in the Soviet Union. A spring tour in the U.S. was made in 1961 and was followed by an autumn season at N.Y.'s 54th Street Theatre with guest artists Mariane Orlando and Caj Selling joining soloists Ivan Allen, Elisabeth Carroll, Fernandez, Kriza, Koesun, Toni Lander, Serrano, Bruce Marks, and Sallie Wilson. Two European ballets were added to the repertoire: Moon Reindeerand Etudes,the latter with notable success. In Nov., 1962, Ballet Theatre announced that it was moving its head-quarters to Washington, where it would henceforth operate under the auspices of the Washington Ballet Guild. A few performances were given in that city, but in Apr., 1963, the Guild stated that the cost of maintaining the company had run far beyond preliminary estimates. Later the Guild decided to sponsor Ballet Theatre performances in Washington. Miss Chase and Mr. Smith announced that Ballet Theatre had been disbanded for the summer, but would resume full-scale activity in the fall of 1964, which it did, ending its Washington connection and making N.Y. its home base again. From mid-Aug. to early Nov., 1964, the company toured South America and Mexico sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of State's Cultural Presentations Program, following this with a brief tour in Texas and the South. During this tour Harald Lander's staging of August Bournonville's La Sylphide,with Toni Lander and Royes Fernandez in the principal roles had its première (San Antonio, Nov. 11). American Ballet Theatre celebrated its 25th anniversary with a season (Mar. 16 to Apr. 11, 1965) at the N.Y. State Theater, Lincoln Center. The company was in splendid form and had a resounding success. La Sylphidehad its N.Y. première and other new works were Agnes de Mille's The Wind in the Mountains(Mar. 17), and The Four Marys(Mar. 23), the latter with guest artist Carmen de Lavallade in the leading role; Glen Tetley's Sargasso(the first major creation for Sallie Wilson, Mar. 24), Bentley Stone's L'Inconnue(Apr. 6) and, most importantly, the great Jerome Robbins version of Igor Stravinsky's Les Noces(Mar. 30). The season also saw the revival of Antony Tudor's Dark Elegiesand three new young sailors (Eliot Feld, Edward Verso, William Glassman) in Fancy Free.In Sept. the company danced in Hawaii and Alaska. On Nov. 15, 1965, the National Council on the Arts announced an emergency grant of $100,000 to insure the company's immediate survival and an additional $250,000 towards the expenses of a projected tour of the U.S., both grants being on a matching basis. The company's second season at the N.Y. State Theater (Jan. 18 to Feb. 13, 1966) did not produce any new work as distinguished as Les Noces,but the revival of Tudor's Pillar of Fire,with Sallie Wilson or Veronika Mlakar in the role of Hagar was another triumph. New works were Glen Tetley's Ricercarewith guest artist Mary Hinkson and Scott Douglas (Jan. 25), Todd Bolender's Kontraste(Jan. 28) and Enrique Martinez's Balladen der Liebe(Feb. 8). John Kriza gave his final performance with the company (Feb. 3), dancing the Minister in Fall River Legend,retiring to become assistant to the directors. During June and July the company toured the Soviet Union for the second time under the auspices of the Cultural Presentations Program and on its return, after a rehearsal period in N.Y., began its most extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada, appearing in nearly one hundred cities. Leading dancers for this tour were listed as Lupe Serrano, Royes Fernandez, Toni Lander, Scott Douglas, Ruth Ann Koesun, Bruce Marks, Sallie Wilson, Eleanor D'Antuono, Gayle Young, Paul Sutherland, Veronika Mlakar. Before the company started on this tour, its third annual season at the N.Y. State Theater was announced for May, 1967. *MGO The Dance Encyclopedia Compiled and edited by Anatole Chujoy and P. W. Manchester. New York, Simon and Schuster, 1967 For additional information on the history of this company, see the following references: *MGTB (U.S.) 78-2058 American Ballet Theatre Text and commentary by Charles Payne, with essays by Alicia Alonso, Erik Bruhn, Lucia Chase, and Nora Kaye. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1978 *MGZA Dance Perspectives #6 The American Ballet Theatre: 1940-1960 by Selma Jeanne Cohen and A. J. Pischl *MGZB The annual souvenir books published by the company contain brief reports on each year's activities, and, occasionally during anniversary seasons, include cumulative lists and histories."}
scopecontent: {"value"=>"American Ballet Theatre was founded in 1939 with the intention of creating an American company of international stature, a museum of the dance, “which would preserve the best of the classic tradition of Europe and at the same time lay the foundation for a new tradition, American in concept and spirit.” Its guiding principle was to encourage collaboration between artists with no single choreographer taking precedence. The records of the company attest to the pursuit of these goals.|||In 1971, the records of American Ballet Theatre and its predecessors, Ballet Theatre and the Mordkin Ballet, were purchased by the Dance Collection of The New York Public Library. In July 1987, with the assistance of a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a two-year project entitled “Preserving America's Cultural Heritage by Providing Access to the Archives of the American Ballet Theatre” was undertaken.|||Comprising 220 linear feet of material, roughly 450,000 items, the collection is really two in one, containing both the records of the Mordkin Ballet, 1936-1939, and those of the much larger Ballet Theatre/American Ballet Theatre, 1939-ca. 1967. (The collection contains papers dated as late as 1978, but documentation of the years after 1967 is minimal.) Consisting mainly of office correspondence, papers, and memoranda, the records are divided into ten distinct subject series.|||Information regarding posters, photographs, music, sound recordings and other material separated from the collection can be found at the end of this finding aid, under \"Separated Material\"."}

{"value"=>"The American Ballet Theatre records are arranged in ten series:\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19700#c356128'>I. Mikhail Mordkin/Mordkin Ballet</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1936-1939</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>8.5 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'>The Mikhail Mordkin/Mordkin Ballet series is divided into seven subseries: Adminstration, Artists, Productions, Bookings, Promotion, Legal, and Financial. For detailed descriptions see subseries descriptions below.</div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19700#c356370'>II. Artists</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>18.5 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'>As Agnes de Mille writes in her book, And Promenade Home,Ballet Theatre “has given to the American theatre more artists in choreography, dance, musical composition, orchestration and conducting, costume and scene designing than any other theatrical institution in a like period.” Approximately 648 of these artists are represented in the collection's Artists Correspondence subseries (II.A.), as well as 761 in the Artists Contract subseries (II.B.). Among the most renowed are Alicia Alonso, Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Irina Baronova, Alexandre Benois, Irving Berlin, Eugene Berman, Leonard Bernstein, Adolf Bolm, Benjamin Britten, Erik Bruhn, Marc Chagall, Aaron Copland, Birgit Cullberg, Salvador Dali, Alexandra Danilova, Agnes de Mille, Anton Dolin, André Eglevsky, Eliot Feld, Michel Fokin, Margot Fonteyn, Frederic Franklin, Cynthia Gregory, Robert Joffrey, Nora Kaye, Hugh Laing, José Limón, Eugene Loring, Kenneth MacMillan, Alicia Markova, Leonide Massine, Darius Milhaud, Mikhail Mordkin, Bronislava Nijinska, Rudolf Nureyev, Ruth Page, Roland Petit, Tatiana Riabouchinska, Vittorio Rieti, Jerome Robbins, Richard Rodgers, Arnold Schönberg, William Schuman, Isaac Stern, Igor Stravinsky, Maria Tallchief, Tamara Toumanova, Antony Tudor, and Igor Youskevitch. Correspondence with many respected writers, librettists, lighting designers, teachers, photographers, actors, and dancers from various other companies can also be found in this series. These include Martha Graham, Valerie Bettis, Doris Humphrey, Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Edwin Denby, John Martin, Merce Cunningham, Gene Kelly, Tanaquil Leclercq, Marie Rambert, Cyril Beaumont, Ninette de Valois, Fred Fehl, Arnold Haskell, Boris Kochno, Pauline Koner, Pearl Lang, P. W. Manchester, Carmelita Maracci, Jo Mielziner, Jack Mitchell, Jean Rosenthal, and Walter Terry, among others. The files for Alicia Alonso, Eugene Berman, Erik Bruhn, Birgit Cullberg, Agnes de Mille, Anton Dolin, Nora Kaye, Toni Lander, David Lichine, Eugene Loring, Alicia Markova, Leonide Massine, Jerome Robbins, and Antony Tudor are of particular note due to the extent of the correspondence. The Artists series (II.) also includes correspondence with various theatrical unions, primarily the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), concerning contractual negotiations, salary disputes, and the like, as well as draft board and immigration correspondence, and miscellaneous information about company dancers, auditions, and rules.</div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19700#c357883'>III. Productions</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>11 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'>This series comprises files on 152 ballets either produced or considered by Ballet Theatre/American Ballet Theatre. The quantity of information on each ballet varies from little more than a mention of the choreographer, composer, and cast for one performance, to extensive documentation such as libretti; costume, scenery, and props inventories; lighting plots and stage manager's cue sheets; stage sketches for placement of scenery; and casts. A few files contain costume fabric swatches. The Etudes(Lander) file includes a very detailed lighting plot. The most extensive files are those for Billy the Kid(Loring), Bluebeard(Fokin), Fall River Legend(De Mille), Firebird(Bolm), Giselle (two versions), Helen of Troy(Lichine/Fokin), Interplay(Robbins), Mademoiselle Angot (Massine), and Pillar of Fire(Tudor). Additional information on ballets presented by Ballet Theatre Workshop and Ballet Theatre Previews are contained in the subseries Ballet Theatre Workshop/Previews (III.B.). The subseries Scenarios/Libretti (III.Q.) contains submitted scenarios and libretti for both realized and unrealized productions. The Inventories subseries (III.K.) comprises lists of costumes, music, props, and scenery, arranged by individual ballet and by tour. Information such as the running times for ballets, lighting cues, and the purchase of lighting and scenic equipment is located in the Production/Staging subseries (III.L.). The Music subseries (III.M.) contains primarily correspondence, agreements with various music publishers, and information on music recordings by the Ballet Theatre Orchestra. The Wardrobe subseries (III.N.) contains some correspondence about the execution and upkeep of the costumes, and considerable information on orders for shoes and tights. Of interest are the lists of repertory, proposed programs, rosters of dancers, and casting arranged by individual dancers (for a few seasons), by ballets, and by programs for various booking dates (III.D.E.F.). The Call Sheets/Rehearsal Schedules subseries (III.H.) is extensive; some of the earlier records include information about who was fined and for what reasons. Also included are subseries on Performance Records (the number of times ballets were performed during a tour or season) (III.I.); Lecture/Demonstrations (III.J.); and Royalties and Production Rights (III.O.). Additional information concerning productions can also be found in the individual choreographers, composers, and designers correspondence and contract files in the Artists Series (II.)</div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19700#c358196'>IV. Bookings: Tours and Seasons</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>22.5 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'>The Bookings: Tours and Seasons series is the second largest after Financial (X.). It contains chronologically arranged correspondence, concerning both actual and proposed performance dates, with booking agents such as Sol Hurok (IV.B.), American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA) (IV.C.), and Columbia Artists Management, Inc. (CAMI) (IV.D.); local impresarios and theatre managers; travel and trucking companies; hotels; state bureaucrats; and government and foreign dignitaries. In addition, there is correspondence between Ballet Theatre/American Ballet Theatre and its advance, field, and press agents, as well as union notices, box office price scales, company rosters, suggested programs and repertory, and some press material. Whereas all booking contracts, advance agent advices, itinerary lists, and information pertaining to television and film appearances made by the company is located here, other series, including Administration (V.) and Promotion, (VII.) contain additional materials relating to the company's bookings.</div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19700#c358968'>V. Administration</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'>The Administration series comprises files for individuals and organizations who either worked for or had business dealings with the company. The series includes mainly out-going, incoming, and inter-office business correspondence, telegrams, memoranda, and contracts, and is divided into five subseries. Correspondence to and from Lucia Chase in her various capacities as director, board member, and patron, constitutes the first of the five subseries (V.A.). In addition to business records, this category also contains a small amount of personal and family correspondence, as well as two date books, honors received, and articles and speeches written by Lucia Chase. The largest category in the Administration series is the Alphabetical Correspondence (V.B.). This group comprises files for 173 individuals/organizations including small booking representatives, promotional people, company managers, other organizations and companies, Ballet Theatre Foundation board members, stage managers and crew, political figures, advance and press agents, wardrobe personnel, secretaries, regisseurs, financial and legal advisors, and others. The files for Charles Payne, Richard Pleasant, John Onysko, Jeannot Cerrone, Michel Delaroff, Peter Lawrence, and Oliver Smith are quite extensive and provide particularly valuable, indepth information concerning the day-to-day activities of the organization. Other files, while not as substantial in quantity of items, contain letters pertaining to important events or subjects of interest. For example, the Eugene Berman file includes a letter in which the artist details George Balanchine's remembrances of technical effects in the Maryinsky's production of Giselle. Lincoln Kirstein's file contains a letter proposing a merger between Ballet Society and Ballet Theatre. The Administration series also contains the more general Chronological Correspondence subseries (V.C.), which concerns requests for information about the company and the school; telegrams; fan letters; invitations to company functions; and contracts with various business associates.</div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19700#c359335'>VI. Organization and Development</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>11 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'>Records relating to the various auxiliary organizations which existed mainly to raise money for the company are located in the Organization and Development series (VI.). Early organizations (VI.A.), such as Advanced Arts Ballets, Ballet Associates, Ballet Institute, Ballet Presentations, Ballet Theatre, Inc., and High Time Productions, are documented. For the most part, however, this series is comprised of records relating to the later Ballet Theatre Foundation (VI.B.), which was founded in 1947. Fundraising information, reports and grant proposals, minutes of meetings, and papers concerning events such as the annual ball constitute this subseries. Correspondence with patrons and trustees, and members of various chapters and committees is also located here.</div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19700#c359735'>VII. Promotion</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2.5 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'>Promotion is a small series which (VII.) contains three subseries: General (VII.A.) relating to publicity, Program Information (VII.B.) relating to both souvenir and house programs, and Program Copy (VII.C.).</div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19700#c359790'>VIII. Legal</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'>Legal (VIII.)is a small series that comprises mainly correspondence with Ballet Theatre/American Ballet Theatre's attorneys, Cohen, Cole, Weiss, & Wharton, 1941-1946/Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison, 1946-1966 (VIII.A.). These items concern general company business, contracts, salary disputes, AGMA, financial and tax matters, and Lucia Chase's financial support of the company. Also included are subseries for Cases (VIII.B.), Leases (VIII.C.) for the various offices and rehearsal studios, Limited Partnerships (VIII.D.) formed for fundraising purposes, and information on Visas (VIII.E.) and Immigration (VIII.F.) for foreign dancers and staff.</div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19700#c359852'>IX. School</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'>The School (IX.) series is a small series that chronicles the development from the Vilzak/Shollar school in 1940, through the Metropolitan Opera School in 1950, up to 1967. Of particular interest are the records of school demonstations and the correpondence with faculty and potential staff, as well as affiliate schools around the country. The Class Schedules subseries (IX.B.) documents the curriculum in great detail, including rosters of teachers and class attendance.</div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19700#c359897'>X. Financial</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>126 linear feet</div>\n<div class='series-description'>This series constitutes more than half of the entire collection. It documents the day-to-day financial operations of the company, ranging from petty cash vouchers to projected budgets and yearly statements. The growth of Ballet Theatre/American Ballet Theatre over the years and its attendant changes in administrative and accounting personnel are reflected in this series primarily in terms of the nature of record-keeping. The depth of documentation is more complete for some years than others. This series is divided into ten subseries. For the most part all material is arranged in chronological sequence and, within each year, is further organized into subject headings. The General subseries (X.A) is the most extensive and spans the years 1939-1978. Arranged chronologically, this category includes records of bills paid, bank statements and correspondence, weekly income and expense vouchers, as well as receipts and invoices for production costs. Items that span several years have been filed by the latest inclusive date. The folders labelled Statements, Budgets, Reports contain projected budgets, cash statements, monthly and quarterly expense reports, and profit and loss statements. Though not consistently detailed throughout, these folders offer a yearly overview of the company's financial operations, which can then be supplemented by examining the accompanying material for that year. Itemized lists, some of which include receipts and invoices, of the company's income and expenses while on tour can be found in folders marked Company Manager's Statements. Reports detailing Lucia Chase's personal financial involvement with the company appear in the Lucia Chase subseries (X.B.). Though by no means comprehensive, this subseries provides a suggestion of the degree to which Ballet Theatre/American Ballet Theatre relied on her support. Also documented are Chase's other theatrical investments: Hillbright Theatrical Enterprises, an organization designed to solicit and review new play scripts with an eye to producing them; and, in the subseries called Personal Theatrical Investments, productions that actually came to fruition. Finally, papers relating to Chase's 1952-1958 tax case can be found at the end of the subseries. The Contributions subseries (X.J.), which includes correspondence and monthly, quarterly, and yearly statements of donations to Ballet Theatre/American Ballet Theatre, offers a sense of the extent of outside financial support required to keep the company operating. Other subseries include Box Office (X.C.); School (X.D.); Taxes (X.E.); Royalties (X.F.), divided by year and by ballet title; Insurance (X.G.), including Workmen's Compensation claims and Unemployment Insurance; Ledgers (X.H.) relating to all aspects of the company's financial matters; and Checkbooks/Cancelled Checks (X.I.). Generally, the Financial series (X.) can be used to gain an understanding of the overall monetary requirements of a major ballet company, as it mounts new ballets, rehearses repertory, and prepares for its annual tours and seasons.</div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
arrangement: {"value"=>"The records are organized in the following ten series: <ol class=\"list\"> <li> I. Mikhail Mordkin/Mordkin Ballet</li> <li> II. Artists</li> <li> III. Productions</li> <li> IV. Bookings: Tours and Seasons</li> <li> V. Administration</li> <li> VI. Organization and Development</li> <li> VII. Promotion</li> <li> VIII. Legal</li> <li> IX. School</li> <li> X. Financial</li></ol>", "supress_display"=>true}
acqinfo: {"value"=>"Purchase."}
separatedmaterial: {"value"=>"The following items were received with the original purchase but have been separated from the records. The current location of these items (as of June 30, 1989) is indicated. <ul class=\"list\"> <li>3 pencil and gouache costume designs Vision(Nijinska) (1943?) - Location: (*MGZGA Mit S Vis 1 *MGZGA Mit S Vis 2 *MGZGA Mit S Vis 3)</li> <li>1 pen, ink, and marker sketch by Marcel Vertès - Location: (*MGZGA Ver M U 1)</li> <li>2 pen and ink sketches by Caroll French - Location: *MGZGA Fre C 1 *MGZGA Fre C 2</li> <li>1 action chart for Man from Midian/Moses(Loring) (unproduced) - Location: unprocessed: stored in mat drawer 190</li> <li>1 scenery and lighting plot for Circo de Espana(Maracci) (1951) - Location: unprocessed: stored in mat drawer 190</li> <li>1 ground plan for Thief Who Loved A Ghost(Ross/Ward) (1951) - Location: unprocessed: stored in mat drawer 190</li> <li>3 scenic drawings for On Stage(Kidd) (1945)- Location: unprocessed: stored in mat drawer 190</li> <li>2 unpublished typescripts of Oliver Sayler's manuscript on the history of Ballet Theatre (1955) - Location: *MGZMB 89-5540 *MGZMB 89-5541</li> <li>1 book of Russian stamps - Location: unprocessed</li> <li> 5 books (duplicate copies) - Location: stored in basement</li> <li>36 posters (see attached inventory) - Location: in process</li> <li>ca. 6000 photographs (see attached description) - Location: *MGZEA in process:</li> <li>ca. 22 music scores and sound recordings (see attached inventory) - Location: given to Music and R&H Divisions</li> <li>6 lin. ft. of clippings, press releases, and magazine articles (ca. 1937-1978) - Location: *MGZRA (basement) 88-773</li> <li>1.5 lin. ft. of clippings, etc. unrelated to BT/ABT - Location: unprocessed: stored in basement</li> <li>ca. 100 house and/or souvenir programs - Location: *MGZB</li> <li>3 “April in Paris Ball” souvenir programs - Location: *MGZB++89-5554</li> <li>1 miniature ballet slipper made by Capezio (promotional) - Location: 3D cabinet</li> <li>1 plaque awarded to Lucia Chase by the Dance Educators of America, Inc. in honor of her “Distinctive Contribution to Dance” (1952) - Location: 3D cabinet</li> <li>1 “American Ballet Theatre Day” proclamation (1965) - Location: in process</li> <li>2 promotional layouts depicting a set of maps to record the company's world travels - Location: unprocessed: stored in mat drawer 190</li> <li>misc. studio and office blue prints and floor plans - Location: unprocessed: stored in mat drawer 190</li></ul>"}

{"value"=>"Language: In English with some French and Russian <ul class=\"list\"> <li>(approx. amount: 2) Russian; sepia/black print, cubist drawing of ballerina in arabesque epaule.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 2) “Washington Ballet Guild, Inc. presents American Ballet Theatre” at Loew's Capitol Theatre.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 2) “Gala 25th Anniversary American Ballet Theatre 1940 - 1965” at New York State Theater.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) “Festival de Vichy - (10e annee) - Deux Galas Choreographiques par l'America...Juillet 23,24.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) “Theatre Royal de la Monnaie....Festival International de Bruxelles 1960”; a long orange banner.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) Russian; red and blue print on white; “19 oktober 1960r.”</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) Spanish; red and green on manila; “Igor Youskevitch, Maria Tallchief, Claude Bessy”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) “O.S.T.A. prezinta in Sala Palatului R.P.R.”</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) “Direct from Triumphant Russian Tour, AMERICAN BALLET”.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) 3-piece poster, red and black on white; quotes of Clive Barnes and Walter Terry; “New York State Theatre....Now thru Feb. 13”, etc</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) “The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, 25th magnificent season”; black/white photo overlay on a purple/white print.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) 2-piece poster, tourquoise/black photo on a tourquoise/white print with tourquoise ballerina sketch overlaid; “27th year American Ballet Theatre presented by...”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) 6″×24″ banner, black print on white: “New York State Theatre-Jan. 18 - Feb. 13”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 2) black/white photo of people on and around an airplane, “The Flying Dutchman”.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 2) playbill: blue on manila; “EA '53 Teatro dei 7 Mila, Dal 2 Luglio ore 21....The American National Ballet Theatre”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: pieces) gold background with black lettering and white ballerina silhouette; “American Ballet Theatre”.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 2) 3-piece poster, red and black on white: “American Ballet THeatre.....(dancers' names) 25th Year:.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 2) 13″× 17″, black on white: “American Ballet Theatre Makes History Again!....Gala 25th Anniversary....1940 - 1965... New York State Theatre...Now Through April 11th”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) “21 Ballets 6 World Premieres 5 American Premieres 85 Dancers....Center Theatre, Radio City”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1 ) playbill: navy on manila: “Theatre National du Palais de Chaillot...Jeudi 23 Novembre, Dimanche 26 Novembre... L'Avare.....The American National Ballet Theatre”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 2) playbill: “Palace Theatre, Manchester... For One Week Only Monday, Sept. 11th, until Saturday, Sept. 16th....The American Ballet National Ballet Theatre”.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) playbill: “Teatro Di S. Carlo Venerdi 8 Maggio... Sabato 9 Maggio - ore 18,-”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) playbill: “Teatro Di S. Carlo Lunedi 4 maggio - ore 20, 45 Martedi 5 maggio - ore 18,-”.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) 2-piece poster, 38″×52″, brown and red on beige; “Teatro Communale dell'Opera Stagione Lirica d'Autunno 1950”.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 2) orange and black on manila; “Stadische Kur-und Baderver-waltung...Mittwoch, den 16. August 1950..”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) red top on a yellow field; “Royal Opera House Covent Garden The American National Ballet Theatre....”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) 2-piece, red, blue and black stageset with grey, pas de deux silhouette and white lettering; “Direct from Triumphant European Tour...15th Season..The Ballet Theatre...”, etc.</li> <li>(approx. amount: 1) burgundy, copen-blue and yellow on cream; “Theatre National de Palais de Chaillot...du Vendrdi 17 Novembre au Mardi 5 Decembre 1950 a 21h...The American National Ballet Theatre..”.</li></ul>"}

{"value"=>"The photographs from the American Ballet Theatre Records and an additional gift from Charles Payne comprise approximately 6000 items. The collection contains mainly publicity shots representing a majority of the company's repertory and a broad range of its dancers. The photographs have been processed into the general holdings of the *MGZEA files, giving priority to documenting the choreography first, then the dancers. The large number of duplicate items has enabled the images to be cross-filed under several subject headings, many of which were previously under-documented. The photographers most represented include Maurice Seymour, Fred Fehl, and Martha Swope. Photographs from this collection are identified by a stamp on the back: “American Ballet Theatre,” or “Charles Payne Collection.” The American Ballet Theatre photographic holdings also comprise a considerable number of negatives. In the processing of these negatives a concerted effort has been made to indicate on the positive image if and where the negative can be found. A small number of oversize or exhibition quality photographs are also included, some of which require the attention of a conservator. Photographs processed by Susan Kraft."}

{"value"=>"SOUND RECORDINGS (DISCS) --All appear to be privately made recordings. Lucia Chase.2 ×. 10 in. 78 rpm. Atlantic Recording Service, Cedarhurst, LI, NY. (This may be a spoken recording.) Davis, Blevins. Idylle.2 s. 12 in. 78 rpm. Soundcraft. Donaldson, Herbert. Back of the moon.4 s. 12 in. 33 1/3 rpm. microgroove. WRS Recording Lab, Hollywood, Ca. Gounod, Charles. Faust(excerpt) Performed by Mme Geori-Boue. 2 s. 12 in. 78 rpm. Carnegie Hall Recording Co. Revil, Rudy. &odiac.6 s. 12 in. 78 rpm. Carnegie Hall Recording Co. MUSIC -- PRINTED. Chopin, Frédéric. Tristesse(Grief). Paris, J. Hamelle, 1930. 4 p. For soprano with piano acc. French and English words, with Russian words added in ink. Escobar-Casas, Gabriel. [Three selections from his ballet “Discovery of America.”] New York, Alpha Music, 1945-48. For piano solo. (Devil dance, In the temple of the sun, Bacanal) Haubiel, Charles. In praise of dance.Philadelphia, Henri Elkan, c1961. 2 v. (score & 3 pts.) For oboe, violin, cello & piano. Vol. 1: Partita. Vol. 2: Masks. (Part of incidental music written for the play “Will Shakespeare of Stratford-on-Avon” by Margaret Crosby Munn produced at the 48th Street Theatre, NY, in 1934, under title “The passionate pilgrim.” Laufer, Beatrice. [Compositions for mixed voices (SATB) with piano acc.] New York, Associated Music Publishers [etc.] 1940-1952. (Do you fear the wind; Percussion; Song of the fountain; Spring thunder; Under the pines.) Lecocq, Alexandre C. Mademoiselle Angot:balletto in 3 quadri. Coreografia di Leonida Massine. [Milano] Archivio Musicale, Ente Autonomo Teatro alla Scala [n.d.] piano score (95 p.) Includes choreographic & other annotations, in pencil. Riisiger, Knudage. Qarrtsiluni,op. 36. København, Leipzig, Wilhelm Hansen, c1939. miniature orchestral score (32 p.) P1. no.: 21540b. (Wilhelm Hansen edition Nr. 3374b) Sauguet, Henri. Les forains.Ballet. Réduction pour piano. Paris, Rouart, Lerolle, 1946. 46 p. MUSIC -- MANUSCRIPT Berlin, Irving. Mister monotony.c1947. 5 p. (2 copies) For voice & piano. Burgmüller, Fr. Peasant's dance (Giselle Act I) Orch. by Wm. McDermott. 2 p. (part for Trombones I & II) De Vine, Marguerite. Poppyland:Chinese fantasy. Music & lyrics by Marguerite De Vine. [n.d.] vocal score (22 p.) For soprano, violin, & piano. English words. (negative photostat of ms.) Haseradt, G. O. The yellow crane:a Chinese legend. Fairlawn, N.J., [n.d.] 18 p. For piano solo, with stage directions. _____ Bowles, Paul. [Unidentified instrumental work (or works?) dated 1946 and 1947] score for oboe, bass clarinet, trumpet, percussion (marimba, cigar box, gong, timpani) and 2 pianos. This is positive photostat of ms., with pages reproduced out of order. Wellesz, Egon. Persisches Ballett =Persian ballet.Plot and choreography by Ellen Tels... op. 30. Wien, New York, Universal Edition, c1922. piano score (28 p.) Incl. stage directions in German and English. _____ [Two Russian songs, with Cyrillic title-pages and text, by Ia. F. Prigozhago (?) and A. Dav'idov.]"}
processinfo: {"value"=>"Processed by Amy Taylor Alpers; Henley Haslam; Rachel Madeira with Lesley Farlow and Alma Largey."}
userestrict: {"value"=>"Materials may not be photographed or photocopied without permission of the copyright holder. For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Library for the Performing Arts."}
note: {"value"=>"Comprises the records of both the Mordkin Ballet, 1936-1939, and those of the much larger Ballet Theatre/American Ballet Theatre, 1939-ca. 1967. Consists chiefly of correspondence, papers, ledgers, and memoranda which document every aspect of the company's operation. Divided into ten subject series: Mikhail Mordkin/Mordkin Ballet; Artists; Productions; Bookings: Tours and Seasons; Administration; Organization and Development; Promotion; Legal; School; Financial"}

{"value"=>"More than half the collection consists of financial records. The Bookings series is also extensive. The Artists series contains correspondence with 648 dancers, choreographers, composers, designers, photographers, writers, etc. There are also contracts with 761 artists. The Production files document 152 ballets"}
date_start: 1936
keydate: 1936
date_end: 1967
date_inclusive_start: 1936
date_inclusive_end: 1967

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American Ballet Theatre records

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