Ruth Hatfield Collection
Finding aid created by Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts Library staff using RecordEXPRESS
Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts Library
2022
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Title: Ruth Hatfield Collection
Dates: 1937-1993
Collection Number: 001.012
Creator/Collector:
Hatfield, Ruth
Extent: 8 Boxes. 7.5 linear feet.
Repository:
Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts Library
San Francisco, California 94124
Abstract: Ruth Hatfield was a dancer, choreographer and dance educator. In 1936, Ruth married Don Hatfield and they moved to Minneapolis,
MN. One year later Ruth and Gertrude Lippencott formed the Modern Dance Center in Minneapolis. Around that same time, Don
Hatfield took up dance photography and began photographing Ruth's dance activities. She founded The Dance Trio with Margorie
Parkin and Nik Krevitsky and taught and choreographed for the Goodman Theatre, the Chicago YWCA and the Chicago Dance Council
Dance Festival. In 1942, Ruth helped establish the San Francisco Dance League. After the birth of her three daughters, she
began teaching children's dance classes at Live Oak Recreation Center in Berkeley and started the Teen Dance Workshop. In
1962 she began teaching dance at Holy Names College. This collection consists of Ruth Hatfield's papers regarding her career
as a modern dancer, choreographer and dance educator from about 1937 until the mid 1980's . Included are lesson plans and
notes on classes, notes on choreography, notes for alignment lectures and clinics, and additional resources on art and dance
that she found useful. There are also photographs in the collection.
Language of Material: English
Entire Collection is open for research.
Reproduction of these materials can occur only if the copying falls within the provisions of the doctrine of fair use. Copyright
varies by item.
[Identification of item]. Ruth Hatfield Collection. Collection Number: 001.012. Museum of Performance and Design, Performing
Arts Library
Papers were donated by the daughters of Ruth Hatfield.
Biography/Administrative History
Ruth Hatfield was a dancer, choreographer and dance educator. She was born Ruth Hopkins Sanders in Modesto, California in
1914 and spent most of her life in California. She began ballet studies as a child and studied modern dance at U.C. Berkeley
beginning in 1931. In 1936, Ruth married Don Hatfield and they moved to Minneapolis, MN. One year later Ruth and Gertrude
Lippencott formed the Modern Dance Center in Minneapolis. Around that same time, Don Hatfield took up dance photography and
began photographing Ruth's dance activities. In 1940, the Hatfields moved to Chicago, where Ruth founded The Dance Trio with
Margorie Parkin and Nik Krevitsky. Her other activities included teaching and choreographing for the Goodman Theatre, the
Chicago YWCA and the Chicago Dance Council Dance Festival. In 1942 the Hatfields returned to San Francisco, where Ruth helped
establish the San Francisco Dance League. After the birth of her three daughters, she began teaching children's dance classes
at Live Oak Recreation Center in Berkeley. Soon thereafter, she started the Teen Dance Workshop. In 1962 she began teaching
dance at Holy Names College, where she eventually established a strong dance program and remained until her retirement in
1977. In addition to teaching dance, Ruth studied Ideokinesis with Andre Bernard and began teaching alignment clinics in 1974.
She continued to be involved in dance organizations such as the Isadora Duncan Awards and was a site visitor for the CAC arts
grants.
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection consists of Ruth Hatfield's papers regarding her career as a modern dancer, choreographer and dance educator
from about 1937 until the mid 1980's . Included are lesson plans and notes on classes, notes on choreography, notes for alignment
lectures and clinics, and additional resources on art and dance that she found useful. There are also photographs in the collection.
The following periodicals have been removed from the collection and are now filed with SFMPD periodicals: Kinesiology for
Dance; CORD; Dance Observer; and Dance Research Journal. Dance programs removed from the collection are now filed under the
company name. Hatfield collected clippings about dance, especially John Martin's articles from the New York Times. All clippings
that did not relate specifically to her work have been removed from the collection.
Dance teachers
Choreographers
Hatfield, Don
Krevitsky, Nik
Lippencott, Gertrude
Parkin, Margorie
Chicago Dance Council Dance Festival
The Dance Trio
Goodman Theatre (Chicago, Ill.)
Modern Dance Center, Minneapolis
San Francisco Dance League
YWCA (Chicago, Ill.)