- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*MGZMD 124", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"19838", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1932-1997", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1932/1997"}
{"value"=>"undated", "type"=>"inclusive"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Bessie Schönberg papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"33.5 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"30 boxes/1063 folders", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.</span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center</span> <span class=\"addressline\">40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Personal and professional papers of dance educator Bessie Schönberg, 1932-1997."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"Bessie Schönberg papers, *MGZMD 124. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Schönberg, Bessie", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Bessie Schönberg was born in Hanover, Germany on December 27, 1906, the youngest of three girls. Her American born mother, Rose MacGrew had met and married Alexander Schönberg, then an engineering student, while studying music in Germany. When Schönberg was very young the family moved often as MacGrew pursued a career as opera singer. In 1911 or 1912 however, apparently due to her mother's illness and problems in the marriage, MacGrew suddenly left the family and returned to the United States.</p> <p>Two years later Schönberg's father was called into active military duty and she and her sisters were left in the care of Gertrude Bierschenk, a young woman originally hired as a companion to Schönberg's mother. She moved to Dresden with the three girls at the start of World War I. At age nineteen at the invitation of her mother, and with the encouragement of her father, Schönberg moved to Eugene, Oregon to be with her mother and to study at the University there. Finally she had an opportunity to study dance, in which her father had never approved of her becoming involved. Yet after the rich cultural climate she had experienced in Dresden she was at first quite dissatisfied with the teachers and art she experienced in the United States. It wasn't until 1927 when Martha Hill joined the faculty of the University of Oregon that Schönberg became truly inspired by her studies in dance.</p> <p>In 1929 Schönberg decided to leave Oregon with Hill and go to New York to study dance. Hill helped Schönberg in numerous ways, including arranging for her to meet Martha Graham. After taking a few classes with Graham, Schönberg was invited to join her company and had the opportunity to observe first hand the earliest years of the company's existence and Graham's development as an artist. She performed in the original casts of such Graham masterworks as Primitive Mysteries and Heretic, as well as with other choreographers through her connection to the Neighborhood Playhouse, before her career was cut short by a knee injury. During this same period she also met Dimitry Varley, an economist working for the Department of Labor. They married in January of 1934.</p> <p>In the fall of 1933 Schönberg accepted a position as Hill's assistant at Bennington College where she simultaneously completed the undergraduate studies that had been interrupted when she left Oregon. In the summer of 1934 she assisted Hill at the first Bennington Summer School of the Dance. She continued there in the summers through 1941, but after graduating in 1935 lived during the year with her husband in New York. She continued however to travel and teach at numerous institutions including Sarah Lawrence College. In 1941, she was appointed chairperson of the Sarah Lawrence Dance Department where she remained until her retirement in 1975.</p> <p>During these years Schönberg also developed numerous long-term relationships with key institutions in the field of modern dance including the American Dance Festival at Connecticut College, Jacob's Pillow in the Berkshires and Dance Theater Workshop in New York City. Additionally, she served as advisor and advocate to countless individuals working at all levels of professionalism and in a vast range of styles, many whom have came to rely on her as both a mentor and a friend. In honor of her contributions to the field, the New York Dance and Performance awards given annually by Dance Theater Workshop were dubbed the \"Bessies\" and theaters at both Dance Theater Workshop and Sarah Lawrence were named after her. She joined the faculty of the Juilliard School in her mid-80s and she remained an extremely sought after teacher and advisor up until her death in 1997.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Bessie Schönberg papers contain material documenting her life and entire career in dance. The papers include correspondence, examples of her writing, lecture and teaching notes, the papers of numerous organizations with which she was affiliated, personal papers and ephemera as well as print material that she collected, financial documentation and two oral history manuscripts.</p> <p>Taken together these materials give an in depth portrayal of Ms. Schönberg in her many roles as a teacher, mentor and advisor to institutions but also as a friend, wife and person in the world.</p> <p>The bulk of the papers relating to Ms. Schonberg's years as Director of the Dance Program at Sarah Lawrence College were separated from this Collection after Ms. Schonberg's death. They are available to researchers at the Sarah Lawrence College Archives and are comprised of some ten linear feet of material including correspondence, institutional records and photographs.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Bessie Schönberg papers are arranged in eight series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19838#c412414'>Series I: Personal Documents and Biographical Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1958 - 1960, undated</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series I (Personal Documents and Biographical papers), while small, includes some valuable biographical material, including official documents such as Schönberg's birth certificate and personal items, such as a collection of handwritten Christmas menus that she created with her husband Dimitry Varley.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19838#c412432'>Series II: Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1933 - 1990, undated</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series II (Correspondence) comprises the bulk of the collection and is subdivided into family, other individuals, and institutions. The six boxes of correspondence exchanged between Ms. Schönberg and Mr. Varley spans their entire relationship. In the early years of their marriage, and during various summers or other periods when Ms. Schönberg was teaching or Mr. Varley's work called him overseas, their separation is accounted for in a usually daily correspondence. The letters reveal much about the tone and nature of their marriage. The early letters discuss their relationship, later, their home and garden. They share news of their daily activities as well as of the people in their professional and social circles. Ms. Schönberg frequently discusses her work with her husband and solicits his advice. Scattered throughout are her feelings, often strongly expressed, about her colleagues in the dance community as well as her students.</p> <p>There is one box of correspondence from other family members, which includes letters from her father and mother as well as from her sisters, Gertrude Bierschenk and others.</p> <p>The nine boxes of professional and personal correspondence with individuals and dance company representatives are organized by last name. Because dance companies are included in this series, they are filed under the last name of the artistic director. Depending on the amount of material they may be filed all together or, when the volume is more substantial, subdivided. In the case of Merce Cunningham, for example, Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation is separated from Merce Cunningham as individual. But all are filed under (C). Paul Taylor is another example in this category. When the company is not named for the artistic director however, or when it is ambiguous as to whether the correspondence is from an individual or the company as a whole, this system may be become a little more opaque. The dance company Sounddance, for example, is filed under Artistic Director Sandra Stratton and the New York Baroque Dance Company is filed under Catherine Turocy. Whenever possible cross-references will appear in the Folder list. When there are two artistic directors, such as in the case of Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis, correspondence may appear under either N or L depending on the nature of the correspondence. There is also a section alphabetized by first name when the last name was unknown.</p> <p>These general correspondence files show the scope of Ms. Schönberg's contacts. She was highly regarded and deeply loved by an enormous number of people and seemed to cultivate a wide range of strong and intimate connections. The letters attest not only to the professional assistance she offered to so many choreographers, but to her friendship, hospitality, generosity and warmth. The letters from both well and little known choreographers, dancers, teachers and others are filled with gratitude for being seen, being heard, being challenged and being loved.</p> <p>There is also one box of outgoing correspondence containing copies and drafts of Schönberg's letters to family other than Dimitry as well as two sections of correspondence to other individuals, one filed by last name and one by first when the last was unknown. Also included is a folder containing the general Christmas letters that she sent out in later years.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19838#c413113'>Series III: Business Papers and Related Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series III is an alphabetical collection of correspondence and papers from institutions other than Dance companies (colleges, professional organizations, etc.) with which Schönberg was professionally connected. It is subdivided into two sections. The first includes institutions with which she had extensive and lasting connections as an advisor, teacher or board member. This sub series includes the most substantial and widest range of material, and therefore often documents much about the institutions themselves beyond Schönberg's particular role there.</p> <p>The second section contains papers from institutions where her role was more limited. While the types of material are the same, the volume is considerably less and the different types of papers are inter-filed (unlike section one in which the volume of papers made more organizational subdivisions necessary).</p><p> Includes incoming and outgoing correspondence, contracts, teaching notes, print materials. Additional teaching notes can be found in Series IV) [Correspondence is counted by items.]</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19838#c413431'>Series IV: Teaching, Directing, Performing, Lecture Notes, Writing and Speeches</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series IV contains miscellaneous teaching notes that were not immediately placeable in the notes of any one institution. Also, some 19 small notebooks with teaching notes, exercises and responses to student work. Additionally, there are notes for lectures, award presentations and for speeches at special events that Schönberg moderated.</p> <p> Document box within storage box filled with small notebooks, mostly from teaching. Many refer to specific institutions but may not have been used exclusively for work there. Also contain some drafts of letters and personal notes, shopping lists etc.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19838#c413441'>Series V: Appointment Books and Calendars</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series V is comprised of two boxes of Schönberg's appointment books and calendars. Organized chronologically these seem to contain increasing amounts of notes and information of interest in the later years.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19838#c413478'>Series VI: Financial and Medical Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series VI contains the financial papers and is made up mostly of bank and investment information as well as bills, medical expenses and information regarding charitable contributions made by Schönberg and her husband.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19838#c413504'>Series VII: Interviews with, Articles about, and Awards</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series VII includes awards and articles written about Schönberg as well as two oral history manuscripts. The oral history done for the Dance Division is an in depth life history documenting nearly 30 hours of recorded interview and comprising nearly 500 pages. The Columbia University oral history was done with a particular focus on the Bennington summer school.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19838#c413513'>Series VIII: Materials Collected by Bessie Schönberg</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series VIII is a collection of print materials that Schönberg saved. The first subseries is comprised of unpublished and manuscript material sent by individuals. These may be of interest in their own right although the particular connection to Schönberg insofar as content is less clear. The second subseries is also print material that she deemed worthy of saving, including bibliographies, poetry and student papers, but does not represent the substantial work of any single author.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul class=\"list\"> <li>Series I: Personal Documents and Biographical Papers</li> <li>Series II: Correspondence<ul class=\"list\"> <li>Subseries A: From Dimitry Varley to Bessie Schönberg</li> <li>Subseries B: From other Family Members to Bessie Schönberg</li> <li>Subseries C: From Individuals and Dance Company Representatives</li> <li>Subseries D: Bessie Schönberg to Dimitry Varley</li> <li>Subseries E: Outgoing Correspondence to other Family Members</li> <li>Subseries F: From Bessie Schönberg to Individuals and Dance Company Representatives</li></ul></li> <li>Series III: Business Papers and Related Correspondence<ul class=\"list\"> <li>Sub-series A - Bennington</li> <li>Sub-series B - Connecticut College School of Dance/American Dance Festival</li> <li>Sub-series C - Dance Theatre of Harlem</li> <li>Sub-series D - Dance Theatre Workshop</li> <li>Sub-series E - Dancing in the Streets</li> <li>Sub-series F - Jacob's Pillow</li> <li>Sub-series G - Laban Centre</li> <li>Sub-series H - State University of New York (SUNY)</li> <li>Sub-series I - The Yard</li> <li>Sub-series J - Other Organizations</li></ul></li> <li>Series IV: Teaching, Directing, Performing, Lecture Notes, Writing, and Speeches</li> <li>Series V: Appointment Books and Calendars</li> <li>Series VI: Financial and Medical Papers</li> <li>Series VII: Interviews with, Articles about, and Awards</li> <li>Series VIII: Materials Collected by Bessie Schönberg<ul class=\"list\"> <li>Sub-series A - Writing by Others</li> <li>Sub-series B - Miscellaneous Print Material</li></ul></li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Estate of Bessie Schönberg.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>A detailed list of materials separated is available in the Dance Division. This list serves as an incomplete indication of the viewing habits, interests, and reading of Bessie Schönberg. Please consult librarian.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Susan Kraft; Machine-readable finding aid created by Charles Perrier.</p>"}
- relatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>The bulk of the papers relating to Ms. Schönberg's years as Director of the Dance Program at Sarah Lawrence College were separated from this collection after Ms. Schönberg's death. They are available to researchers at the Sarah Lawrence College Archives and are comprised of some ten linear feet of material including correspondence, institutional records and photographs</p>"}
- note
-
{"value"=>"Personal and professional papers of dance educator Bessie Schönberg, 1932-1997"}
- date_start
-
1932
- keydate
-
1932
- date_end
-
1997
- date_inclusive_start
-
1932
- date_inclusive_end
-
1997
- extent_statement
-
33.5 linear feet (30 boxes/1063 folders)