>OSU FINDING AID: HISTORIC DNB DOCUMENTS

This is a finding aid of off-site Dance Notation Bureau material stored for many years by Helen Priest Rogers, a co-founder of the Bureau, in Brattleboro, Vermont. In some cases this was to give the DNB more office space and in other cases it was to place/preserve duplicate copies outside New York City. Added to the DNB Collection in Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute at The Ohio State University in 1996.

Box #1: Scrapbooks (large green three-ring folders) with articles on DNB from all over the world not primarily from New York City; there is one more scrapbook in Box #3.

Box #2: DNB publications.

Box #3: Records for the DNB and two scrapbooks.

Microfilm: Ten boxes total (four are in archival boxes); inventories for reels #1-155.

Box #1

Scrapbook #1: 1936-48 and 1949

Scrapbook #2: 1950-51

Scrapbook #3: 1952-53

Scrapbook #4: 1954

Scrapbook #5: 1955

Scrapbook #6: 1956

Scrapbook #7: 1957-58

Scrapbook #8: 1959-60

Scrapbook #9: unmarked (1961-62)

Scrapbook #10: 1963

Scrapbook #11: 1964-65 (in Box #3)

Box #2

1. Loose sheets: Index of Titles and Information for the Dance Notation Record. Vol I-VI, 1945-55;

2. Folder: marked The Dance Notation Record, published by the DNB; one newsletter entitled “DNB a Non-Profit Organization” from Jan 1943; Dance Notation Record begins March 1943 vol 1 no 1, 2, 3, 4; vol 2 no 1, 2, 3, 4; vol 3 no 1, 2, 3, 4; vol 4 no 1 (special issue December 1947); vol 5 no 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; vol 6 no 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6;

3. Bound issues of The Dance Notation Record, vol 7 # 1, 2 May and June 1956 through vol 11 no 4 fall to winter 1960 (appears to be a complete set);

4. Individual bound volumes: Dance Notation Journal, vol 1 no 1 Jan ’83, through vol 6 winter/spring 1988-89 (appears to be a complete set);

5. Labanotator Folder #1: The Labanotator (DNB) no 1 December 1957 through no 13, 1963 (two copies of some issues);

6. Labanotator Folder #2: The Labanotator (DNB) no 14, 1963 through no 25, 1965 (two copies of some issues);

7. Loose issue: Labanotator (Language of Dance Centre), no 26, January 1978;

8. Green 3 ring binder (issues have no hole punches): Labanotator (Language of Dance Centre) no 33, April 1981 through no 77 October, 1994 (missing no 43);

9. Green clip folder : Action! Recording! newsletters from the Language of Dance Centre: no 5 February 1977; no 21 April 1981 through issue 39, October 1985; (missing no 22 of the Language of Dance Centre); Action! Recording! newsletter from the Labanotation Institute: no 40 January 1986 through 59 are bound; loose issues: no 60-61 July 1991 through no 76 December 1995 (missing no 62);

10. DNB Newsletters Folder #1: begins with July/August/September 1949, no 12, and goes through Summer/Fall 1955, no 20a; handwritten list by Helen Priest Rogers that lists each issue, when they were suspended, how they were numbered, and any missing pages for Folders #1 and #2;

11. DNB Newsletters Folder #2: begins winter 1955, issues no 21 through 40 (missing no 28, 32, 33, 36-38); also April 1968 and April 21, 1969;

12. Newsletters Folder #3: spring 1971? and goes through fall 1990 (irregular publication);

13. Teacher’s Bulletin Folder #1: copy #1 (no date); issue no 3, April 1965; teacher training materials from 1964-66;

14. DNB Teacher’s Bulletin (red) Folder #2: no 1 (Feb. 1977), 3 (April 1978), 4 (June 1979), 5 (Mar 1980), 6 (May 1980), 7 (Nov 1980), 8 (June 1981), 10 (May 1982), fall 1988;

15. Folder marked Contract--Originals: contract forms (not completed);

16. Publications of the Bureau in chronological order as issued: #1 Jan 1955-May 1955; #2 May through August 1955; #3 September through December 1955; #4 January 1956 through December 1956; #5 January 1957 through December 1957; #6 August through December 1958; #7 January 1961; #8 September through December 1962; #9 1964;

17. Loose materials Publications: Dance Techniques and Studies Book 1, 1950 (appears to be missing its cover); Tracking, Tracing, Marking, Pacing—a catalog, Feb. 1982, curator Ellen Schwartz; The VRI Slide Library of Dance History Vol III/Dance notation, prepared by Muriel Topaz and Patricia W. Rader, copyright 1985; Publications from the DNB catalog (3 copies); Gala materials: invitations and gala program for the DNB gala honoring Earl Ubell April 1989; invitations for the DNB 50th Anniversary Celebration gala honoring Beverly D’Anne1990; invitation and program for the Ninth Annual DNB award honoring Estelle Sommers and Ann Hutchinson Guest, May 1991; The American Palace Theatre brochure;

Box #3 (Binders)

1. 3 ring binder “New Text XI-XX-XXIV”: textbook revision; typed pages with some pasted in text and examples (originals, typed pages with pen and ink drawings), Chapter 11, Sept. 1968—Chapter 24, Appendices A-E with notes by Lucy Venable, Jan. ’69; (pasted in—coming unglued and darkening); Chapter 17 ends with cancellation for mixed supports with note following that Ann Hutchinson took Chapter 17;

2. 3 ring binder “New Text I-X”: textbook (May 1968) text book revision Chapter 1-10, with introduction; xerox copy with some pasted on additions/revisions except chapter 5 [marked “to come after (interwoven turns)] which is typed original with pen and ink drawings;

3. 3 ring binder “FYI”: misc. articles, newsletters and letters 1968-69 from the DNB offsite storage;

4. 3 ring binder (black) unmarked: general letters of recommendation (1976) for support of the DNB and its services from choreographers and dance organizations; appears to be copies rather than originals;

5. 3 ring binder marked “releases”: press releases from 1963-1968, one from 1969;

6. 3 ring binder (blue) marked “Advanced correspondence course”: no date, notation is pre-1968 textbook, lessons 11-20; notation appears to be no later than the 1950’s or early 1960’s due to long bar lines in the notation and signs; for further dating a sheet at the beginning gives DNB address on 8 E. 12 St. in NYC;

7. 3 ring binder marked “TAP”: Technical Advisory Panel reports, memos, notes and minutes 1968-1971;

8. larger spiral binder (cover of binder has come apart and articles are in plastic sleeves) marked “DNB Founding Personalities Early History 1940-1950”: includes clippings, photos, most seem to be copies not originals;

9. series of DNB scrapbooks, 3 ring binder 1964-1965: focus on dance courses and dance in education, but not entirely;

10. photo album of the First Institute of Court Dance 1970 at Lake Fairley Camp in Ely, Vermont; black and white photos by Helen P. Rogers, unidentified (plastic sleeves and glued self-stick surface);

11. 3 ring binder unidentified: misc. reports, articles from 1968-1971: report on regional reconstruction plan May 1971; report ad hoc committee for the formation of a Labanotation division, duties of technical committee: executive director, president, sales, budgets, 1968, 1969; report from Effort division May 1968, proposal for writing project summer 1968, report from Effort/Shape division June 1968, fundraising—various letters, minutes, June 1968; by-laws 1959-1966 certificate of Incorporation February, 1952; officers and board members from 1969; reprint from Nov, 1961 issue of Madamoiselle magazine. “Ballets in Symbol: Dance Notation”; letters and plans for the IBM Labanotation ball; list of certified teachers 1966;

Box 3 (File Folders/Envelopes)

1. Publication Proposals” 1977-78;

2. Application for the program in Labananalysis 1979 (Labananalysis copy);

3. “Copyright Joan Fitzgerald”: copyright law symposium 1967 article “Choreography and Copyright” by Gary D. Ordway, from American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Columbia U. P., NY 1967; folder also includes gray folder with info on copyright from Library of Congress, and misc., 1967 bill S597 for the general revision of copyright law;

4. 1979-81 DNB courses and programs, misc. articles; folder is marked “DNB Courses and Programs”;

5. “Grant Letter 100 Greatest Works”: board minutes, notes and plans 1974-1975, 100 Greatest Dance Works: The Masterwork Collection, request for collaborative funding; many duplicates, letter to the NEA, financial statement from 1974

6. “Publications 1967-“: DNB minutes and activities 1967; one newsletter;

7. “JOHPER” Nov/Dec 1965 Journal of Health Physical Education Recreation not in a folder;

8. “Humphrey Book Promotion”: for Doris Humphrey the Collected Works, Volume One; including reviews in DRJ and Dance Chronicle;

9. “Articles on DNB”: 1975-76;

10. “Kestenberg’s Role of Movement Patterns and Development”: publication notes and correspondence;

11. Envelope marked “Archival material 1981 from Gill Miller from Denison University”: articles and press releases mostly 1981;

12. Program from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre: founder and artistic director Nicholas Petrov;

13. Unmarked folder: looks like book orders, Art Management Newsletters 1967-68;

14. “Hilton Books”: notes on notation and correspondence with Muriel Topaz and Ann Hutchinson; mail manilla envelope; notation by Mairelle Backer;

15. Unmarked folder: International Registry of Teachers; letters 1976—collection of letters with whom the Bureau has been associated-copies; correspondence course assignments; DNB newsletter from August, 1978; misc.;

16. Unmarked folder: seems to be related to the Kestenberg Role of Movement Patterns and Development—see folder #10;

17. Unmarked folder: misc. includes letter from Muriel Topaz to Helen P. Rogers re official historian for DNB dated Sept.,1981;

18. Unmarked envelope: a series of articles on Benesh and other movement notation, reprints from the Dancing Times March-July 1968;

19. Unmarked folder: photo, misc.;

20. Photograph: Eve Gentry in “The Good Neighbor” with notation of pose; photo by Don. M Hatfield (8 x 10)—glue—needs acid free folder;

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