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.
Riverside, CA 92517-5900
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.
Box 1, Folder 13

Gertrude Lippincott 1971

Box 1, Folder 14

Barton Mumaw 1988-1997

Box 1, Folder 15

Ted Shawn 1971

 

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 16

Robert Alton undated

Box 1, Folder 17

George Balanchine undated

Box 1, Folder 18

Jack Cole undated

Box 1, Folder 19

Agnes DeMille undated

Box 1, Folder 20

Hanyo Holm undated

Box 1, Folder 21

Doris Humphrey undated

Box 1, Folder 22

Michael Kidd undated

Box 1, Folder 23

Jerome Robbins undated

Box 1, Folder 24

Jane Sherman 1981-1987

Box 1, Folder 25

Jane Sherman and Barton Mumaw 1981

Box 1, Folder 26

Jane Sherman and Cynthia Gregory 1982

Box 1, Folder 27

Anna Sokolow undated

Box 1, Folder 28

Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in Malaguena undated

Box 1, Folder 29

Helen Tamiris undated

Box 1, Folder 30

Charles Weidman undated