Michio Ito collection
CEMA 25
Finding aid prepared by Callie Bowdish, Janet Chen, and Suzanne Im, 2013.
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Collections
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California, 93106-9010
Phone: (805) 893-3062
Email: special@library.ucsb.edu; URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/special-collections
2013 July
Title: Michio Ito collection
Identifier/Call Number: CEMA 25
Contributing Institution:
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
9.0 linear feet
(8 document boxes and 1 oversize box)
Date (inclusive): 1911-1980
Abstract: Michio Ito was a concert dancer and choreographer from Japan. This collection consists of numerous photos, magazines, articles,
posters and books about his dances and choreography. The collection also consists of programs from his dance concerts, his
own personal notes, and diagrams of his dances, as well as films and audio recordings used for film production. The bulk of
the material is related to the writing of the book
Michio Ito: The Dancer and His Dances by Helen Caldwell.
Physical Location: Del Norte
Language of Materials: The collection is in English.
Biography
Michio Ito (ca. 1892-1961) was a Japanese concert dancer and choreographer. He left Japan for Paris in 1911. After training
in Paris, he went on to study dance in Egypt. In 1912, he enrolled at the Émile Jaques-Dalcroze school in Hellerau, Germany.
Ito later moved to London, where under the sponsorship of Lady Ottoline Morrel, he began to perform solo works. He made his
professional debut as a recital dancer in May 1915. After his debut, he gave a series of concerts in London which culminated
in his choreography and performance of
At the Hawk's Well by William Butler Yeats, at a private performance.
Ito emigrated to the United States in 1916 and lived in Los Angeles from 1929 - 1941. He spent most of his time in America
choreographing for his own company. During his time in America, he spent most of it divided between New York and on the West
Coast. During his New York period he staged several plays for innovative theater groups that included
Bushido for the Washington Square Players (1916),
Tamura (1918) and
Nuages et Fêtes(1929) for the Neighborhood Playhouse, and
Turandot (1929) for the Habima Players.
In Los Angeles Ito staged plays in Japanese for the Tokujiro Tautsui Company of Players and the Japanese Children's Theatre
and he also had symphonic groups concerts at the Rose and Hollywood Bowls. He is frequently said to have staged many Oriental
dance sequences in early sound-era films, although only two such credits can be verified, most notably, his work as a technical
advisor on the 1933 verison of
Madame Butterfly (Paramount). Ito also appeared in at least one addition Paramount film,
BooLoo (1938), in which he portrayed an African tribal chieftan.
Ito was deported from the United States in 1941 and he returned to Tokyo where he established a school. He then went on to
produce Prologs for Japanese movie-house chains and after 1946 he staged shows for the Fifth Air Force (Occupation Army).
Ito was involved in television production before his death in 1961, but it cannot be determined whether he staged dances for
variety shows or worked in a technical or production capacity. His school and company in Tokyo was managed by his former student,
Ryuko Maki and remained functioning until 1976.
Over the last few years, Ito's work and choreographic theories have had a revival in the United States, which were primarily
sponsored by Maki and her student, Satoru Shimazaki, a Japanese choreographer who worked in New York. Shimazaki has given
recitals consisting of Ito's reconstructed works and included Ito's piece in concerts of his own company and repertory. Shimazaki
also had demonstrations of Ito's choreographic vocabulary, which were a limited selection of movements that he manipulated
into his characterizational and abstract works. His theories will probably become the subject of more discussion and will
take their place with those of his contemporaries that are possibly dated, but very recognizable for their period and Dalcroze
influence.
Reference: Cohen-Stratyner, Barbara Naomi. 1982.
Biographical dictionary of dance. New York: Schirmer Books.
Access Restrictions
Service copies of audiovisual items may need to be made before viewing or listening. Please consult Special Collections staff
for further information.
Use Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or
quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given
on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply
permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Helen Caldwell, 1992.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of Item], Michio Ito collection, CEMA 25. Department of Special Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University
of California, Santa Barbara.
Scope and Content
The Michio Ito Collection contains Ito's personal notes and biographical research about Ito done by Helen Caldwell. The collection
is divided into six series spanning 9 boxes. The bulk of the collection consists of articles, programs, and publications about
Ito's career. Also included are Ito's personal notes, dance diagrams, films, and audio recordings. Altogether, the collection
provides an insight into Ito's creative and professional life as a dancer and choreographer.
Processing Information
Processed by Callie Bowdish, Janet Chen, and Suzanne Im, 2013.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Itō, Michio, 1893-1961
Choreographers--Japan
Dancers--Japan
Japanese--California--Los Angeles
Japanese--United States
Series I: Michio Ito book materials
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of pictures from Helen Caldwell's book about Michio Ito. There are also pictures taken by Toyo Miyatake.
Box 1, Folder 1-7
Book Pictures
June 28, 1977
Box 1, Folder 13-15, Box 5, Folder 26-28
Series II Research
Series Scope and Content
This series contains Helen Caldwell's research on Michio Ito.
Box 1, Folder 8-12, Box 5, Folder 30-33
Box 5, Folder 1-4
III-Chapter II - Melancholy + Epic Hero 127-157
Box 5, Folder 14
Ippolitow-Iwanow-Caucasian Sketches
Box 9, Folder 1
Biography and career - "Memories"
Box 9, Folder 2
Costume pictures in cedar chest
Box 9, Folder 5
ITC - Xerox articles - Yeats, Harlocke Ellis, Castles, Ruth St. Denis, Howarth, HSC
Series III: Articles and programs
Series Scope and Content
This series contains numerous articles, programs, and magazines about Michio Ito and his dance concerts.
Box 3, Folder 16-18
Miscellaneous Programs and Articles
Box 3, Folder 5, 6, Box 4, Folder 5
Box 3, Folder 22-24
Xeroxes, Programs, and Annoucements
Series IV: Publications
Series Scope and Content
This series contains publications, such as books and magazines about Ito. Also included is the book written by Helen Caldwell
in English and Japanese versions.
Box 6
Takeishi, Midori, and David Pacun. 2006.
Japanese Elements in Michio Ito's Early Period (1915-1934): meetings of East and West in the collaborative works. Tokyo: Gendai Tosho.
Box 6
Caldwell, Helen. 1977.
Michio Ito: the dancer and his dances. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Box 6
Caldwell, Helen. 1977.
Michio Ito: the dancer and his dances. Berkeley: University of California Press. Translated by Einosuke Nakagawa into Japanese
Language of Material:
Japanese
Box 7
Miscellaneous Publications about Dance and Costume
Lemoisne, P.A., and Tyra de Kleen. 1929. L'illustration: Noël 1929. Paris: [s.n.]
December 1929
Dance Lovers Magazine
March 1924
Dance Lovers Magazine
July 1924
Dance Lovers Magazine
November
The Dance Magazine
March 1926
The Dance Magazine
July 1926
The Dance Magazine
October 1926
L'Illustration
December 1928
L'Illustration
December 1929
Series V: Movies
Series Scope and Content
This series contains reel to reel films, magnetic audio tapes used for film production, slides and stop-motion negatives.
Audio for movie production
1972-1980
Reel A23155/R7
Movie - Intro and Program I and II
Reel A23159/R7
Billy III and HC
1980 July 1
Reel A23161/R7
Caldwell III Slowed and Caresse on side II
1980 May 15
Reel A23162/R7
Steve I and Caresse retape
Film V2164
Hal Mohr Blue Print Of Choreography
Film V2166
Hal Mohr Blue Print of Choreography-Scriabing 5
Film V2167
Hal Mohr Blue Print of Choreography-Spanish Fan
Film V2170
Reel 2 -Unidentified Sc no. 25 [Pavnane?]
Film V2171
Scr no [6?] (Several Film Titles)
Film V4904
Full part of chorography, Hal Mohr
Box 7
Stop motion - final version
1976 July 11
Series VI: Musical scores
Series Scope and Content
This series includes musical scores with handwritten notes. Information regarding this music is also included in Series II:
Research, Subject Files.
Box 8, Folder 2
Amsco Music Publishing Co.
