Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn papers, 1904-1999, undated, bulk 1923-1972

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Summary

Creators:
St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968 and Shawn, Ted, 1891-1972
Abstract:
Ruth St. Denis was one of the first internationally known modern dancers, and was famous for her cultural dance performances. Ted Shawn was a male pioneer for American modern dance, and was St. Denis' dance partner for a large part of their careers. This collection contains correspondence, business and personal documents, publications, and photographs regarding the personal and professional lives of St. Denis and Shawn. Also included are biographical manuscripts of Ruth St. Denis, agendas written by Ted Shawn, and material regarding the Denishawn Dance School, the Society of Spiritual Arts, and many of their dance productions and programs.
Extent:
4.52 linear feet (8 boxes, 4 flat file folders)
Language:
The collection is primarily in English .
Preferred citation:

[identification of item], [date if possible]. Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn papers (MS 069). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains correspondence, business and personal documents, press clippings, programs, photographs, and other material in relation to Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, two of the first pioneers of modern dance in the early- and mid-20th century. Much of the material highlights Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn's work at the Denishawn School of Modern Dance, the Society of Spiritual Arts, and the Jacob's Pillow dance festival. Also included in this collection is material relevant to St. Denis' and Shawn's individual careers, such as the founding of the dance group "Ted Shawn and his Men Dancers", Ruth St. Denis' solo performances, as well as other related documents. Other materials in this collection include a large amount of photographs of St. Denis and Shawn, a few unpublished manuscripts and poems written by St. Denis, and a book about Ted Shawn's dancing career.

Biographical / historical:

Ruth St. Denis was born January 27th, 1879, in Newark, New Jersey. One of the first internationally known modern dancers, Ruth St. Denis was first inspired by modern dance when she saw the Egyptian goddess Isis on a cigarette poster in 1904. She met Ted Shawn in 1911 at a performance, and they soon became artistic partners and spouses afterward. Together, they created the Denishawn School of Modern Dance in Los Angeles, California, in 1914. Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis separated in 1930, but remained good friends. The Denishawn School was also disbanded in 1930. In 1931, St. Denis formed the Society of Spiritual Arts to spread religious worship and mysticism through dance. Ruth St. Denis later also founded the Church of Divine Dance in Hollywood, California, where masses and rituals relating dance to religion took place. She remained active in the dance and religious spheres until her death at the age of 89. Ruth St. Denis passed away July 21st, 1968, in Hollywood, California.

Ted Shawn, born October 21, 1891, was a male pioneer for American modern dance. In addition to creating the Denishawn School of Modern Dance, he formed an all male company call Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers. Through this company, Shawn intended to bring awareness to dance from a male perspective. Ted's all male company led to the creation of the Jacob's Pillow: a dance school, retreat, and theater. Jacob's Pillow ultimately became an internationally acclaimed annual dance festival. Ted Shawn taught at Jacob's pillow up until his death in 1972.

Acquisition information:
The Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn papers were acquired as a gift by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in 1966.
Processing information:

This collection was processed by Jamie Madrigal and Anja Espinoza, Student Processing Assistants, 2015.

Processing of the Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn papers was completed by undergraduate students from the University of California, Riverside as part of the Special Collections and University Archives Backlog Processing Project started in 2015. This project was funded by the UCR Library and administered by Bergis Jules, University and Political Papers Archivist, and Eric Milenkiewicz, Manuscripts Curator.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into four series as follows:

  • Series 1. Correspondence, 1919-1994, undated
  • Series 2. Documents, 1907-1971, undated
  • Series 3. Publications,1904-1999, undated
  • Series 4. Photographs, 1904-1982, undated
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

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]. Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn papers (MS 069). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Riverside - Special Collections and University Archives
P.O. Box 5900
Riverside, CA 92517-5900, US
Contact:
(951) 827-3233
specialcollections@ucr.edu
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