Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Balcena, Anthony
- Abstract:
- Antony Galindo Balcena, a Mexican-American, was born in Lompoc, California on April 30, 1954 and died in Los Angeles, California on November 23, 1995. Antony Balcena, (also known as Tony Balcena) was an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and Gay and AIDS activist. He was known for his unique choreographic style and, through his life, he created and performed intimate and controversial performances such as "Dudes" and "Shell of Flesh." This collection documents the life and work of Balcena as a choreographer, dancer, and Gay and AIDS activists.
- Extent:
- 8.0 Linear Feet (16 boxes)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Antony Balcena papers (Collection Number 625). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection includes videotapes and audiotapes of Antony Balcena's choreographic work from 1974 to 1995. It also consists of publications (novels and newspapers clippings), unpublished materials (theses and typed manuscripts), production materials (programs, flyers, postcard ads), photographs, and slides relating to the life and work of Antony Balcena. A variety of publicity materials (flyers, photographs) to promote his choreographic work supplement this collection.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Antony Galindo Balcena, a Mexican-American, was born in Lompoc, California on April 30, 1954. Antony Balcena, (also known as Tony Balcena) was an accomplished dancer, choreagrapher and Gay and AIDS activist.
Balcena started taking dance classes at the Riverside Ballet Arts Theater, Riverside, California, in the early 1970s. In 1974 he decided to audition at the Juilliard School of Dancing and was accepted, and later earned his B.F.A. in 1977. He continued his studies and got a M.A. in Dance from UCLA in 1984 and a M.F.A. in Dance from Arizona State University in 1992.
Balcena began his dancing and choreographic career in New York City where he worked on and off Broadway. Balcena dancing style was influenced by the work of Daniel Lewis, who taught him the Limon technique. He worked with Daniel Lewis Dance Repertory Company from 1975 to 1981. Balcena's career covered dancing and bodybuilding. He worked as a professional bodybuilding coach for many years. From 1983 to 1990, he staged and choreographed several bodybuilding competitions (Mr. Olympia, Ms. Olympia, Mr. America and Mr. Universe).
In the 1980s, Balcena returned to Los Angeles where he worked with Sarah Elgart and Co. (1982) as a dancer and eventually became Assistant Director. In 1989 and 1990 he participated in the Los Angeles Dance Kaleidoscope presenting several dancing productions (e.g. "Dudes"). During the 1990s he also choreographed several controversial works about AIDS (e.g. "Shell of Flesh," "AIDS! The Musical"). He also worked as assistant choreographer for films such as "Earth Girls Are Easy" and "Rented Lips."
Balcena received several awards and honors during his career. In 1991, he won a choreographic award from the Nuevo L.A. Chicano Danceworks Festival, and an Award of Merit from the Juilliard School Alumni Association's Los Angeles chapter. He also worked for several years (1983-1993) as an instructor at Loyola Marymount University, Cal State University San Bernardino, and Plaza de La Raza, a Mexican cultural arts center. In 1994, he joined the Dance faculty at Arizona State University. He died on November 23, 1995 of complications resulting from AIDS.
Sources: ASU Insight, October 21, 1991. AIDS! The Musical program brochure, ca. 1991. DUDES, Press release, 1989 OLIO, Sunday, March 28, 1982 Vol. 6. No. 4 AIDS Wall in Protest, http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Heights/3957/ The Estate Project for Artist with AIDS, http://www.artistswithaids.org/artforms/dance/catalogue_index.html Mike and Tony, documentary by Wm. Grimes, 2001.
Different names used by or used for Balcena: Anthony Balcena, Antony Balcena, Tony Balcena, and Anthony Galindo Balcena.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Griffin, Michael, 2002.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Marisol Ramos-Lum, 2002.
Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.
We are committed to providing ethical, inclusive, and anti-racist description of the materials we steward, and to remediating existing description of our materials that contains language that may be offensive or cause harm. We invite you to submit feedback about how our collections are described, and how they could be described more accurately, by filling out the form located on our website: Report Potentially Offensive Description in Library Special Collections.
- Arrangement:
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The collection was originally arranged in boxes with books, typed manuscripts, photographs and video and audiotapes without any apparent order. The series names were assigned by the processor. The collection was arranged in the following series: 1. Publications (Books, Newspapers clippings) 2. Unpublished Papers (Typed manuscripts, theses) 3. Slides 4. Photographs 5. Videotapes (VHS, BR20 and BR30 tapes) 6. Audiotapes (5" and 7" audiotapes) 7. Production Papers (programs, flyers, postcards ads, publicity photographs)
- Physical / technical requirements:
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CONTAINS AUDIO AND AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: This collection contains both processed and unprocessed audio and audiovisual materials. Audio and audiovisual materials are not currently available for access, unless otherwise noted in a Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements note at the series and file levels. All requests to access processed digital materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
- Physical location:
- Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
- Terms of access:
-
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Antony Balcena papers (Collection Number 625). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
- Location of this collection:
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A1713 Charles E. Young Research LibraryBox 951575Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
- Contact:
- (310) 825-4988