Full Description
The story of this groundbreaking summer dance program is told through the voices of staff, faculty, and students. Administrative director Mary Josephine Shelly's previously unpublished writings form a key summary of eight of the nine summer sessions. The Bennington School of the Dance held classes from 1934 through 1942 at Bennington College in Vermont, with one summer spent at Mills College in California. Its effects were far-reaching in the development and dissemination of modern dance as an original American art form.
The school produced unique choreographic works by teachers in residence: Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman. Leading choreographers of the later 20th century such as Merce Cunningham, Anna Halprin, Jose Limon, Alwin Nikolais and Anna Sokolow participated at the school. The largest portion of students were high school and college level teachers who would spread modern dance across the country and abroad.
Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Charles Reinhart
Preface
Introduction
1. Bennington: An Historic Milepost
2. 1933: Planning the School
3. Summer of 1934: The Beginning
4. Summer of 1935: The Workshop Began
5. Summer of 1936: The First Festival
6. Summer of 1937: The Final Workshop Program,
the Fellowships
7. Summer of 1938: Culmination of a Plan, or "the Year of the Tent"
8. Summer of 1939: From East to West
9. Summer of 1940: First Summer of the School of the Arts
10. Summer of 1941: Last Summer of the School of the Arts
11. Summer of 1942: Bennington College Summer Session
12. Looking Back: Group Discussion on the Bennington School of the Dance, 1959
13. Recollections and Anecdotes
Epilogue
Appendix A: Timeline of Dance Premieres and Other Historic Events
Appendix B: Students, Faculty/Staff and Audiences, 1934 to 1942
Appendix C: Biographies of Contributors of Recollections
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
