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Creator
Fernandez, Royes, 1945-1980
Call number
(S) *MGZMD 45
Physical description
1155 items in 134 folders
Language
English
Preferred Citation

Fernandez, Royes, 1929-1980. Papers, (S) *MGZMD 45, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Repository
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

For the most part the Royes Fernandez Papers (ca. 1945-1980) comprise correspondence. This series (784 items), dating from 1945 until shortly before his death in 1980, is predominantly letters written to Fernandez from personal and professional friends and audience members. They include birthday and holiday greeting cards.

Biographical/historical information

Royes Emanuel Fernandez was born July 15, 1929, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents, Manuel Paul Fernandez (a jeweler) and Francoise Blanchine Fernandez, were of Spanish and French descent respectively. He had an older sister, Jeanne.

Fernandez began his ballet training at age eight with Lelia Haller in New Orleans. He performed with the New Orleans Opera Ballet in 1944. During the summer of 1945 he was in New York studying at the School of American Ballet.

After graduating from high school in June 1946, Fernandez went to New York to live, and there he studied with Vincenzo Celli, joining the Original Ballet Russe (de Basil) in September of that year. The following year he joined the Markova-Dolin Ballet as a soloist. His primary affiliation from 1950 to 1973 was American Ballet Theatre, first as a soloist and then as a principal dancer from 1957 onward. However, Fernandez continued to perform with other companies as a guest artist or as a member for brief periods of time. These companies included Ballet Alicia Alonso, Borovansky Ballet, London Festival Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Margot Fonteyn 1963 World Tour (as her partner), and the New York City Ballet (Spring 1959-Spring 1960).

Fernandez was considered by many the greatest American danseur nobleto date. He was particularly noted for the male principal roles in Giselle, Swan Lake,and La Sylphidebut danced contemporary works as well. He partnered the foremost ballerinas of his time including Fonteyn, Lupe Serrano, and Toni Lander. Fernandez was active as a teacher and guest perfomer with both major and small companies throughout the United States, eventually leaving active performing to join the faculty first of the University of South Florida (1973-1974) and then the State University of New York at Purchase from 1974 until his death.

Royes Fernandez died of cancer on March 3, 1980, in New York.

Scope and arrangement

For the most part the Royes Fernandez Papers (ca. 1945-1980) comprise correspondence. This series (784 items), dating from 1945 until shortly before his death in 1980, is predominantly letters written to Fernandez from personal and professional friends and audience members. They include birthday and holiday greeting cards.|||The second largest series is Legal and Financial Papers (236 items). These papers are concerned with Workman's Compensation, unemployment records, AGMA records, automobile insurance and repairs and also include Fernandez' leases, passports, visas, licenses, identification cards, airline tickets, and various personal bills and receipts.|||The Companies and Universities series (151 items) pertains to Fernandez' association with various institutions as a dancer and teacher. It includes correspondences, schedules, tour itineraries, and course records and grades. The companies are American Ballet Theatre, The Eliot Feld Ballet, The San Francisco Ballet, and The Royal Swedish Ballet. The schools are The University of South Florida and The State University of New York at Purchase.|||The remaining series are: Contracts, 1952-1979 (94 items), of Fernandez' performing engagements, and Miscellaneous (90 items), including calendars, diaries, and mementos from a 1966 Russian tour.|||Certain non-manuscript materials received with the original purchase have been removed from the Royes Fernandez Papers. All newspaper and magazine articles, programs, photographs, scrapbooks, films, and videotapes have been dispersed throughout the Dance Collection. A separation list, located at the end of the folder list, indicates the nature and disposition of these items.|||Material is written in English with some Spanish

The Royes Fernandez papers are arranged in five series:

  • I. Correspondence
    1945-1979.
    784 items

    For the most part the Royes Fernandez Papers (ca. 1945-1980) comprise correspondence. This series (784 items), dating from 1945 until shortly before his death in 1980, is predominantly letters written to Fernandez from personal and professional friends and audience members. They include birthday and holiday greeting cards.

  • II. Contracts
    1952-1979.
    94 items
  • III. Companies and Universities
    151 Item

    The Companies and Universities series (151 items) pertains to Fernandez' association with various institutions as a dancer and teacher. It includes correspondences, schedules, tour itineraries, and course records and grades. The companies are American Ballet Theatre, The Eliot Feld Ballet, The San Francisco Ballet, and The Royal Swedish Ballet. The schools are The University of South Florida and The State University of New York at Purchase.

  • IV. Legal and Financial Papers

    The second largest series is Legal and Financial Papers (236 items). These papers are concerned with Workman's Compensation, unemployment records, AGMA records, automobile insurance and repairs and also include Fernandez' leases, passports, visas, licenses, identification cards, airline tickets, and various personal bills and receipts.

  • V. Miscellaneous
    90 items

Administrative information

Custodial history

Gift of Jeanne Bruno, 1980.

Source of acquisition

Gift of Jeanne Bruno. Jeanne Bruno. Received: September 1980.

Processing information

Processed by Diane Coburn Brüning.

Separated material

The following material was received with the original gift but has been separated from the manuscript collection. The current location of the material (as of July 1986) is indicated. All the materials remain in the possession of the Dance Collection.

  • Book of dance poems and drawings entitled “Despite the Still Sadness” handmade by Sandra Armstrong - Location: 3-D cabinet
  • Clippings - Location: to *MGZR files
  • Plaques
    • Louisiana Council for Music and Performing Arts; 1968 and 1974 (two plaques)- Location: 3-D cabinet
    • Personalities of the South Award; 1975-1976 - Location: 3-D cabinet
  • Photographs - Location: to *MGZEA files
  • Programs - Location: to *MGZB files

Using the collection

Location

Jerome Robbins Dance Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor