- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"ca. 6,200 items in 770 folders", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*MGZMC-Res. 31", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"19667", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Ted Shawn collection"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"The <span class=\"corpname\">New York Public Library for the Performing Arts</span> <span class=\"subarea\">Jerome Robbins Dance Division</span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span> Collection documents <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> personal life as well as his career as a dancer, choreographer, and writer from 1903 to 1971. Although the bulk of the material dates from 1960 to 1971, there is a significant amount for the years 1920 through 1959. There is very little material prior to 1920. The collection is divided into nine major sections: Correspondence; <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> Annual Newsletters; Unpublished Manuscript of <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> Autobiography; Written Works by <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span>; Written Works about <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span>; Notes for <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> <span class=\"title\">Thirty-Three Years of American Dance;</span>Denishawn Dancers and <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span> and his Men Dancers; Delsarte System of Expression; Miscellaneous."}
- prefercite
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{"value"=>"Ted Shawn collection, *MGZMC-Res. 31. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
- origination
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{"value"=>"Shawn, Ted, 1891-1972", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Ted Shawn (1891-1972), well known for his pioneering efforts in American modern dance, began dancing as a means of physical therapy. In his third year of studying for the ministry at the University of Denver, he contracted a case of diphtheria, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. While he was nursing himself back to health, he realized that dancing would become his life-time career.</p> <p>Shawn's first teacher was Hazel Wallack in Denver, with whom he studied ballet and ballroom exhibition dancing. At the same time he worked independently and began to perform his own choreographic works. In 1912 Shawn moved to Los Angeles, where he established a school and small performing company. The following year he and his dancing partner, Norma Gould, embarked with their company of Interpretive Dancers upon a cross-country tour and reached New York after nineteen performances.</p> <p>While in New York Shawn arranged his first meeting with Ruth St. Denis. He had seen her perform in Denver and was convinced that they should work together. During their first meeting they discussed their artistic ideas and ambitions, and Shawn returned the next day to demonstrate his dancing. He was then hired by Miss St. Denis' brother and manager to be her partner. On April 13, 1914, Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn began a tour of the southern United States. In August of the same year they were married.</p> <p>In 1915 they founded the first Denishawn school in Los Angeles with the intent of providing students with a diversified dance education. They believed that a dancer should learn all styles of dance rather than concentrating on one form; therefore, they offered classes in ballet, modern, ethnic, and creative dance. Within a few years Shawn and Miss St. Denis had established Denishawn schools throughout the United States. They built up an extensive repertory of spiritual, ethnic, character, and “music visualization” dances, which they performed with their company of Denishawn Dancers on tours of the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Far East from 1915-1932. Some of their dancers, including Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman, later went on to develop the field of modern dance. In 1932 Denishawn disbanded, and Shawn and Miss St. Denis pursued separate careers.</p> <p>Shawn established a company of all male dancers in an effort to prove that dancing was an acceptable art form for men. They rehearsed, choreographed, and trained at Jacob's Pillow, Shawn's farm in Lee, Massachusetts, and performed throughout the United States from 1933 to 1940. Shawn continued to perform, generally as a solo artist, until 1962, but after 1940 his efforts became more concentrated upon dance in education. He established the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and University of the Dance which, by combining daily classes and evening performances, became the first intensive summer dance program in the United States. Shawn's primary aim again was to provide students with a well-rounded dance background, which he achieved by inviting performers and instructors from all over the world.</p> <p>In addition to his work at Jacob's Pillow, Shawn lectured at universities and other institutions throughout the United States. During his lifetime he also published nine books, including: <span class=\"title\">Ruth St. Denis: Pioneer and Prophet</span>(1920), <span class=\"title\">The American Ballet</span>(1926), <span class=\"title\">Gods who Dance</span>(1929), <span class=\"title\">Fundamentals of a Dance Education</span>(1935), <span class=\"title\">Dance We Must</span>(1940), <span class=\"title\">How Beautiful Upon the Mountain</span>(1944), <span class=\"title\">Every Little Movement</span>(1954), <span class=\"title\">Thirty-three Years of American Dance</span>(1959), and <span class=\"title\">One Thousand and One Night Stands</span>(with Gray Poole, 1960).</p> <p>Shawn continued to direct Jacob's Pillow every summer and also pursue his career as a scholarly speaker and writer until his death in 1972.</p>"}
- scopecontent
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{"value"=>"<p>The <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span> Collection documents <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> personal life as well as his career as a dancer, choreographer, and writer from 1903 to 1971. Although the bulk of the material dates from 1960 to 1971, there is a significant amount for the years 1920 through 1959. There is very little material prior to 1920. The collection is divided into nine major sections: Correspondence; <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> Annual Newsletters; Unpublished Manuscript of <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> Autobiography; Written Works by <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span>; Written Works about <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span>; Notes for <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> <span class=\"title\">Thirty-Three Years of American Dance;</span>Denishawn Dancers and <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span> and his Men Dancers; Delsarte System of Expression; Miscellaneous.|||The following abbreviations are used throughout the folder list:</p> <ul> <li>TS: <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span></li> <li>RSD: <span class=\"persname\">Ruth St. Denis</span></li> <li>misc.: miscellaneous</li> <li>n.d.: no date</li></ul> <p>When noting the correspondents, the name of the individual or individuals writing the letter is listed first followed by a slash (/). Following the slash is the name of the individual or individuals to whom the letter is written.|||Example: TS/RSD indicates a letter written by <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span> to <span class=\"persname\">Ruth St. Denis</span>.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Ted Shawn collection is arranged in nine series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19667#c343016'>I. CORRESPONDENCE</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>approximately 6000 items</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19667#c344454'>II. TED SHAWN'S ANNUAL NEWSLETTERS</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1945-1971</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>(Gift of Walter Terry) <ul> <li> (16 items) Part of a series of letters sent out by <span class=\"persname\">Shawn</span> each February in lieu of a Christmas greeting. They highlight events in his life from the preceding year. (Letters from 11 years are missing: 1946, 1948, 1954, 1960-66, 1969.)</li></ul></p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19667#c344464'>III. UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT OF TED SHAWN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><ul> <li> 10 items Typescript for parts 2 through 10, 1922-1945 (part 6 is missing). <span class=\"persname\">Shawn</span> used an edited version of this proposed book for his <span class=\"title\">One Thousand and One Night Stands.</span>Part 5 is an edited version of <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> correspondence with <span class=\"persname\">Lucien Price</span>, 1933-1938, which mainly relates to <span class=\"persname\">Jacob's Pillow</span> and <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span> and his Men Dancers (for a complete set of this correspondence see section IA of this collection).</li></ul></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19667#c344475'>IV. WRITTEN WORKS BY TED SHAWN</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><ul> <li> IV. WRITTEN WORKS BY <span class=\"persname\">TED SHAWN</span>, 1910-1941 12 items Includes short stories, poems, and motion picture scenarios which <span class=\"persname\">Shawn</span> wrote while he was a student at the University of Denver, 1910-1911; also includes an article, “Theatre as a Triune Art” (<span class=\"title\">Direction.</span>Darien, Ct. Apr-May, 1941) and other miscellaneous writings.</li></ul></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19667#c344491'>V. WRITTEN WORKS ABOUT TED SHAWN</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> <ul> <li> V. WRITTEN WORKS ABOUT <span class=\"persname\">TED SHAWN</span>, 1926-1950 15 items Includes 5 short articles (1930-1940) about <span class=\"persname\">Shawn's</span> accomplishments as a dancer; 2 interviews with <span class=\"persname\">Shawn</span> (1941); reviews of the Denishawn Dancers in the Orient (1926); reviews of <span class=\"persname\">Shawn</span> in Australia (1947) and <span class=\"persname\">Shawn</span> in Boston (1930); and other miscellaneous writings.</li></ul></p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19667#c344508'>VI. NOTES FOR TED SHAWN'S THIRTY-THREE YEARS OF AMERICAN DANCE</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><ul> <li> VI. NOTES FOR <span class=\"persname\">TED SHAWN'S</span> THIRTY-THREE YEARS OF AMERICAN DANCE approximately 10 items <span class=\"persname\">Shawn's</span> notes for his book, published in Pittsfield, Ma. in 1959. Includes a chronology of dance events from 1927 to 1956.</li></ul></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19667#c344535'>VII. DENISHAWN COMPANY; SHAWN AND HIS MEN DANCERS</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>(Diaries, Route lists, Financial records)</p> <ul> <li> VII. DENISHAWN DANCERS; <span class=\"persname\">TED SHAWN</span> AND HIS MEN DANCERS approximately 30 items <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> diaries closed until 1982. Includes route lists, financial records, and diaries kept by <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span> during American and Oriental tours with the Danishawn Dancers (1915-1930); also includes route lists from <span class=\"persname\">Shawn's</span> company of men dancers (1935-1942).</li></ul></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19667#c344569'>VIII. DELSARTE SYSTEM OF EXPRESSION</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>(Notes, Lectures, Manuscripts)</p> <ul> <li> VIII. DELSARTE SYSTEM OF EXPRESSION approximately 100 items Includes 2 typescripts, book orders, reviews, advertisements, and editing notes for <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn's</span> book, <span class=\"title\">Every Little Movement</span>(1954). Also includes information collected by <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span> regarding Delsarte, such as: notes, lectures, and manuscripts of <span class=\"persname\">Ted Shawn</span>, <span class=\"persname\">Grace Hickox</span>, <span class=\"persname\">Henriette Hovey</span>, and others; magazine articles; excerpts from books and masters theses; and a copy of <span class=\"title\">Florence James Adams: A Sketch of her Life and Work</span>by <span class=\"persname\">Joseph Anthony Milburn</span>.</li></ul></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19667#c344667'>IX. MISCELLANEOUS</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><ul> <li> IX. MISCELLANEOUS approximately 10 items Includes materials relating to some of the later performances of <span class=\"persname\">Ruth St. Denis</span> (1944-1957) and miscellaneous items from relatives of <span class=\"persname\">Shawn</span> and <span class=\"persname\">St. Denis</span>.</li></ul></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Gifts; one segment purchased. Ted Shawn was the major donor. Other donors include Grace Badorek, Gray Johnson Poole, and Walter Terry. The Ted Shawn/Arthur Todd correspondence was purchased from Al Pischl. Received: 1959-1972.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Partially restricted; For folders which are permission required or closed, consult register.</p>"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1903-1971", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1903/1971"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1903
- date_inclusive_end
-
1971
- note
-
{"value"=>"<p>This collection documents Ted Shawn's personal life as well as his career as a dancer, choreographer, and writer</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
{"value"=>"<p>The material is divided into nine major sections: Correspondence (603 folders divided into six sections: Correspondence to Ted Shawn or his representative, Correspondence re Ted Shawn's 80th birthday, Ted Shawn/Walter Terry correspondence, Correspondence re 1001 night stands, Correspondence to or from Ruth St. Denis); Ted Shawn's annual newsletters (9 folders); Unpublished manuscript of Ted Shawn's autobiography (10 folders); Written works by Ted Shawn (5 folders); Written works about Ted Shawn (5 folders); Notes for Shawn's 33 years of American dance (24 folders); Denishawn Dancers and Ted Shawn and his Men Dancers (Diaries, route lists, and financial records in 28 folders); Delsarte system of expression (Notes, lectures, and manuscripts in 78 folders); Miscellaneous (8 folders)</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
{"value"=>"<p>The bulk of the correspondence dates from 1960-1971; it consists mainly of personal and business letters written to Ted Shawn by notable people in the dance world. Many letters are in regard to Jacob's Pillow. There is a large amount of Ruth St. Denis-Ted Shawn correspondence (mainly from the 1920's and 1960's). The Delsarte section includes 2 typescripts for Shawn's Every little movement</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
{"value"=>"<p>Inquire at reference desk for register and folder list</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
- keydate
-
1903
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- processinfo
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{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Nancy M. Shawcross and Wendy Laakso.</p>"}
- extent_statement
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ca. 6,200 items in 770 folders
- date_start
-
1903
- date_end
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1971