Christena L. Schlundt papers
Finding aid prepared by Julianna Gil, Student Processing Assistant.
Special Collections & University Archives
The UCR Library
P.O. Box 5900
University of California
Riverside, California 92517-5900
Phone: 951-827-3233
Fax: 951-827-4673
Email: specialcollections@ucr.edu
URL: http://library.ucr.edu/libraries/special-collections-university-archives
© 2017
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Christena L. Schlundt papers
Date (inclusive): 1936-2003, undated
Collection Number: UA 075
Creator:
Schlundt, Christena L.
Source:
University of California, Riverside. Department of Dance
Extent:
0.42 linear feet
(1 box)
Repository:
Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
Abstract: This collection includes documents, correspondence, photographs, and other material regarding Christena L. Schlundt, Professor
Emerita of Dance and founding faculty member at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Materials in the collection
include items pertaining to the UCR Department of Dance, the study of dance, and modern dancers and choreographers like Ted
Shawn and Barton Mumaw.
Languages: The collection is in English.
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction,
and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and
publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by
copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions
apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for
obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], [date if possible]. Christena L. Schlundt papers (UA 075). Special Collections & University Archives,
University of California, Riverside.
Acquisition Information
Provenance unknown.
Processing History
Processed by Julianna Gil, Student Processing Assistant, in 2017.
Processing of the Christena L. Schlundt papers was completed by undergraduate students from the University of California,
Riverside as part of the Special Collections & University Archives Backlog Processing Project started in 2015. This project
was funded by the UCR Library and administered by Jessica Geiser, Collections Management Librarian.
Biographical Note
Christena L. Schlundt was born May 6, 1922, in La Porte County, Indiana. Schlundt earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1944 from Augustana
College, where she taught Physical Education for five years after graduating. In 1953, she was hired to develop the women's
section of Physical Education at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), and then acquired a PhD from Claremont Graduate
School in 1958. Her graduate research focused on 20th cenutry American choreographers such as Ted Shawn, Helen Tamiris, and
Doris Humphrey among others.
In 1972, Schlundt served as Chair of the Dance Program at UCR, which she first helped transfer to the Department of Drama
and then saw its evolution into its own Department of Dance. She also established the nation's first Master of Arts degree
program in dance history in 1982, and helped the UCR Department of Dance become an internationally recognized center for the
study of dance theory and history. In 1981, she earned the Distinguished Teaching Award from the UCR Academic Senate. Then
in 1991, Schlundt retired from teaching. Her legacy is recognized in the 190-foot UCR mural painted on the Highway 60 underpass
at the University Avenue entrance to the campus.
Christena Schlundt was married to Howard Schlundt, and they had two daughters. She died on October 6, 2004 in Riverside, California.
Collection Scope and Contents
The collection consists of programs, correspondence, photographs, and other documents from UC Riverside Professor Emerita
of Dance Christena L. Schlundt. Items in the collection relate to the Dance Department at UC Riverside as well as Schlundt's
study of and relationships with modern choreographers and dancers, most notably those related to the Denishawn dance company.
Collection Arrangement
The collection is divided into four series as follows:
- Series 1. UC Riverside Dance Department, 1956-1978, undated
- Series 2. Dance conferences, program, and related materials, 1936-2003
- Series 3. Correspondence, 1971-1997
- Series 4. Photographs, 1981-1987, undated
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
University of California, Riverside. Department of Dance
Mumaw, Barton, 1912-2001
Shawn, Ted, 1891-1972
St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968
Choreographers
Dance
Genres and Forms of Materials
Correspondence
Photographs
Series 1. UC Riverside Dance Department
1956-1978, undated
Series Scope and Contents
The series consists of materials related to the study of dance at UC Riverside, and includes performance programs, student
handbooks, brochures, articles, and correspondence about transferring the program from Physical Education to the Drama department.
Series Arrangement
Materials in the series are arranged chronologically.
Box 1, Folder 1
Dance Performance programs
1956-1960
Box 1, Folder 2
"Spring Formal Springs Fri" in the UCR
Highlander
1958
Box 1, Folder 3
Dance Program transfer to Drama Department
1963-1964
Box 1, Folder 4
Program in Dance Student Handbook 1978-79
1978
Box 1, Folder 5
Chancellor's Performance Awards at UC Riverside (application)
undated
Series 2. Dance conferences, programs, and related materials
1936-2003
Series Scope and Contents
This series consists of materials collected and created by Schlundt related to dancers, choreographers and the study of dance.
Items in the series include conference programs, performance programs, a funeral program for dancer Wendy Hilton, and a biography
written by Schlundt on Ruth St. Denis.
Series Arrangement
Materials in the series are arranged chronologically.
Box 1, Folder 6
Ted Shawn and his Ensemble of Men Dancers - Program
1936
Box 1, Folder 7
"Into The Mystic with Miss Ruth" by Christena L. Schlundt
1971
Box 1, Folder 8
Fifth CORD (Committee on Research in Dance) Conference Program
1976
Box 1, Folder 9
International Conference on Dance Research Program
1985
Box 1, Folder 10
Choreographing History Conference Program
1992
Box 1, Folder 11
Society of Dance History Scholars Conference Program
1992
Box 1, Folder 12
Wendy Hilton Funeral Program
2003
Series 3. Correspondence
1971-1997
Series Scope and Contents
This series consists of letters written to Schlundt from dancers and choreographers Ted Shawn, Gertrude Lippincott and Barton
Mumaw.
Series Arrangement
The series is arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's last name.
Series 4. Photographs
1981-1988, undated
Series Scope and Contents
This series consists of photographs of famous dancers and choreographers from the 20th century. The majority of the photographs
are headshots, with a few personal photographs sent to Schlundt by Jane Sherman.
Series Arrangement
The series is arranged alphabetically by the last name of the person photographed.
Box 1, Folder 17
George Balanchine
undated
Box 1, Folder 25
Jane Sherman and Barton Mumaw
1981
Box 1, Folder 26
Jane Sherman and Cynthia Gregory
1982
Box 1, Folder 28
Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in Malaguena
undated