Collections in Jerome Robbins Dance Division

Janet Adler was a dance and movement therapist who specialized in the Discipline of Authentic Movement. Her papers, dating from 1960 to 2023, chronicle her early career working with children on the autism spectrum to her later development of the Discipline of Authentic Movement and her teaching practice. The collection holds her published writings, administrative records, correspondence, audio and moving image recordings, photographs, and creative works. less

Richard James Allen (b. 1960) is an Australian poet, dancer, and filmmaker. Dr. Karen Pearlman is an Australian writer, filmmaker, educator, and dancer. They are the founders and present artistic directors of the Australian performing arts production company, The Physical TV Company. The Richard James Allen and Karen Pearlman papers date from 1991 to 2006 and document the careers of Richard James Allen and Karen Pearlman, particularly their dance companies That Was Fast, Tasdance, and The Physical TV Company. The collection holds Tasdance company files; clippings and articles; programs and publicity materials; and writings. less

Founded in 1956 as the Guild of Creative Teachers of Children's Dance, the New York City-based American Dance Guild evolved into a non-profit service organization dedicated to uniting the dance community at both the individual and organizational levels. Consisting of administrative files, Board of Directors correspondence and meeting minutes, as well as extensive conference, seminar, and workshop materials, the American Dance Guild records document over forty-five years of service to the dance community. less

The American Tap Dance Foundation (ATDF) is a non-profit organization committed to establishing and legitimizing tap as a vital component of American dance through creation, presentation, education, and preservation. The ATDF records, dating from 1935 to 2019, document its history and activities, as well as the careers of two of its co-founders, tap dancers Brenda Bufalino and Tony Waag. It also illustrates the history and development of tap dance. The collection contains video and audio recordings, photographs, scrapbooks, administrative files, programs, clippings, promotional literature, and dancer photographs and biographies. less

Marion Andersen (1924-2002) was a modern dancer, choreographer, and instructor. The Marion Andersen papers, dated 1930 to 2002, document her choreography work; creation of dance departments and performing companies at Utah State University and the University of Washington; and founding of the Valley Dance Ensemble in Logan, UT. The collection consists of choreographic notes, scripts, photographs, programs, posters, correspondence, and research materials on May O'Donnell, a modern dance choreographer and Andersen's mentor. less

The Sonia Arova collection, dating from 1946 to 2013, documents her career as a ballerina and artistic director of the San Diego Ballet and the Alabama Ballet. The collection holds printed matter, photographs, correspondence, audio and video media originals. less

Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948- ) is a Russian-American dancer, choreographer and actor. The Mikhail Baryshnikov archive holds awards, choreographer files, contracts, correspondence, photographs, press clippings, programs, scripts, and other materials documenting Baryshnikov's 40-plus year career. less

The Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury collection contains a partial autobiography, family photographs, publicity, career related photographs, printed matter, and some correspondence relating to the life and career of Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury (1930-2003) an Indian folk dancer, choreographer, actor, writer and painter. less

Wendy Hilton was a choreographer, dancer, instructor, researcher, and author specializing in Baroque dance. Her papers contain files related to her dance performance and teaching career; her early life in England; and her research files and plans from her unpublished book, A Celebration of Lully. Hilton's papers were compiled by her biographer, Susan Bindig, who authored the book, Wendy Hilton: A Life in Baroque Dance and Music. less

Dorothy Bird (1913–1996) was a dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, a performer on Broadway, and a teacher of the Graham technique. Her papers provide a record of her career, containing audio recordings, an autobiography manuscript and notes, memorabilia, and correspondence. less

Todd Bolender was born Feb. 27, 1914 in Canton, Ohio and settled in New York City in 1936 where he studied with Hanya Holm. Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine recruited him for their first company, the American Ballet. Kirstein asked him to join Ballet Caravan and he was a novice choreographer with Ballet Society. When New York City Ballet was founded in 1948, there began a long association between Bolender and the company which included memorable performances in Balanchine's The four temperaments, Symphonie concertante, and Agon, Jerome Robbins' Age of anxiety and Concert, and creating his own works Still point, Souvenirs, and Creation of the world. A period of working abroad included being ballet director in Cologne and Frankfurt, Germany and the Ataturk Opera House in Turkey. He became artistic director of the Kansas City Ballet (later renamed the State Ballet of Missouri) in 1981, retiring in 1996. As artistic director emeritus, he continued to supervise his own works for the company. He died, age 92, in Kansas City, Kan. on Oct. 12, 2006. Personal letters written over a 30 year span to colleague Joel Schnee, discussing their mutual careers as choreographers and ballet directors, especially in Germany and Turkey. People discussed include Heinz Spoerli, William Whitener, James Jordan, Betty Cage, Una Kai, Sevgi Hanim, New York City Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, the George Balanchine Foundation, and State Ballet of Missouri. Passing references are made to George Balanchine, Janet Reed, the United States Information Agency, San Francisco Ballet, John Taras, and George W. Bush. less

Forrest Bonshire (1926-2012) was an American dancer and choreographer. The Forrest Bonshire photographs, dating from the 1930s to 2012, primarily document his dancing career with photographs, programs, letters, telegrams, clippings, contracts, and a scrapbook. less

Ruthanna Boris (1919-2007) was an American ballet dancer and choreographer who performed with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and choreographed works for the New York City Ballet. The Ruthanna Boris papers date from 1935 to 2007 and document Boris's work on an unpublished book through draft manuscripts, correspondence, clippings, and notes. less

Dr. Angela Bowen (1936-2018) was a Black dance educator, lesbian rights and feminist activist, writer, and professor. The collection, dated 1940 to 2016, illustrates Bowen's career as a dance school owner and teacher, and her impact on her students and community in New Haven, Connecticut. The Angela Bowen collection consists of concert programs, correspondence, dance programs, flyers, newspaper articles, and video recordings of performances. less

The Janis Brenner papers date from 1960 to 2012 and document her career as a dancer, singer, choreographer, and dance company leader. The collection includes promotional material; photographs; clippings; correspondence; and files pertaining to her teaching. less

Oleg Briansky (1929-) is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and artistic director, born in Belgium to Russian parents. Mireille Briane is a French dancer, choreographer, teacher, and artistic director. Both have worked in the United States since 1963. The Oleg Briansky and Mireille Briane collection (1947-2013) consists of photographs, programs, loose clippings, scrapbooks, and video recordings. less

Papers documenting the professional life of dancer, teacher, choreographer and arts administrator, Richard Niles Bull. Bulk dates, 1964-1998, include his work as teacher and administrator at New York University, the State University of New York at Brockport, and Wesleyan University; his creative work for his companies the New York Chamber Dance Group, Improvisational Dance Ensemble, and the Richard Bull Dance Theatre; and his work as an administrator of the Improvisational Arts Ensembles and producer of performances, classes and workshops at the Warren Street Performance Loft. Included also is a small selection of photos, slides and personal papers. less

Nathan Middleton Clark (1916 – 2011), was a British shoe manufacturer for C. & J. Clark International, Ltd., his family's company. During the 1960s, Clark decided to move to New York City where he became a friend and financial supporter for the performing arts. The Nathan Clark papers, dated 1957 to 2011, reflects his interest in promoting the performing arts and befriending the artistic community through correspondence, photographs, programs, posters, and ephemera. less

Selma Jeanne Cohen (1920-2005) was a pioneering dance historian, writer and educator who helped revolutionize the field of dance research and history. The Selma Jeanne Cohen papers document the intellectual and professional career of this leading dance historian. less

Blondell Cummings (1944-2015) was a Black postmodern choreographer, dancer, video artist, teacher, and founder of the Cycle Arts Foundation artist collective. This collection, which dates from 1969 to 2011, illustrates her choreographic work, dance performances, and teaching career through audio and video recordings, photographs, press materials, and administrative files. The majority of the collection is video recordings, and the emphasis is on the visual and creative aspects of Cummings' career less