Collection Summary
Muriel Manings and William Korff Papers
1914-2007
(bulk 1932-1960)
1914-2007
(bulk 1932-1960)
ML31.M2132
Manings, Muriel, 1923-2018
Korff, William, 1920-2001
1,088 items
6 containers
2.5 linear feet
50 digital files (71.19 MB)
English
Collection material in English
Music Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Performer and teacher Muriel Manings and
her husband William Korff, a performer, dance historian, and writer, compiled a
substantial collection of materials that highlight activities of the New Dance Group,
with particular emphasis on the dance trio of members William Bales, Jane Dudley, and
Sophie Maslow. Manings's acumen as a teacher of modern dance earned her two engagements
to teach in Cuba, both of which are documented in personal journals. Her leadership with
the American Dance Guild and the ADG-sponsored gala celebrating the New Dance Group is
also well documented in this collection.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Bales, William, 1910-1990.
Burdsall, Lorna.
Dudley, Jane.
Guerra, Ramiro.
Korff, William--Archives.
Korff, William.
Manings, Muriel--Archives.
Manings, Muriel--Correspondence.
Manings, Muriel.
Maslow, Sophie.
Primus, Pearl.
Organizations
American Dance Guild.
American Dance Legacy Institute.
Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
Buck's Rock Performing and Creative Arts Camp.
Conjunto Nacional de Danza Moderna de Cuba.
New Dance Group (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects
Dance--Photographs.
Dancers--Photographs.
Dancers--United States--Biography.
Dancers--United States--Correspondence.
Modern dance--20th century--History.
Modern dance--Cuba--History.
Modern dance--United States--History.
Titles
This property is condemned (Choreographic work : Manings)
Form/Genre
Articles.
Biographies.
Business correspondence.
Clippings (Information artifacts)
Dance programs.
Diaries.
Files (Digital files)
Fliers (Ephemera)
Personal correspondence.
Photographs.
Publications.
Theater programs.
Writings.
Provenance
Gift; Muriel Manings; 2009
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Processing History
The Muriel Manings and William Korff Papers were accessioned and organized by Elizabeth
Aldrich in 2009. In winter 2018-2019, the collection underwent final processing by Libby
Smigel, who also coded the finding aid for EAD format in May 2019. Maya Lerman updated
the finding aid to include digital files in 2023.
Related Material
The Library of Congress Music Division holds several collections with resources and
documentation related to Muriel Manings and William Korff. Most notably, the [New Dance Group
Collection] , of which both were members, is an extensive record of their
performance work. Other relevant collections are the [ Sophie Maslow Papers] ,
[Jane Dudley
Papers ] , and [Victoria Phillips Collection] .
Copyright Status
Materials from the Muriel Manings and William Korff Papers are governed by the Copyright
Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable international copyright
laws.
Access and Restrictions
The Muriel Manings and William Korff Papers are open to research. Researchers are
advised to contact the Music Division before visiting to determine whether the desired
materials will be available at that time.
Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.
Digital Files
Digital files were received as part of the Muriel Manings and William Korff Papers and
have been assigned the digital ID number Manings-Korff_001. Use the digital ID number to
request access copies of the files. Access to this digital content may be available
onsite only in the Performing Arts Reading Room and requires advance request. Consult
reference staff in the Performing Arts Reading Room for more information.
Online Content
A photograph of a New Dance Group collaborative dance titled
Van der Lubbe’s Head
from the Muriel Manings and William Korff Papers is available as part of the
"Politics and the Dancing Body" online exhibit, available on the Library of Congress
website [here].
Technical Requirements
The digital files in this collection are .jpg format.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
[item, date, container or digital ID number], Muriel Manings and William Korff Papers,
Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Muriel Manings (1923-2018) received her bachelor's degree in
psychology from Brooklyn College in 1945. Her dance training began in the 1940s with the
New Dance Group, and she also trained at the Martha Graham School and the Hanya Holm
Studio. She performed with the dance companies of Jane Dudley, Sophie Maslow, and
William Bales and the New Dance Group during the 1940s to 1960s, and of the twenty-plus
dance pieces she choreographed, many were for herself and husband William Korff. In the
1951 season of the New York City Opera Company, Manings danced in
The Dybbuk
, and in 1954, she appeared as one of the Kids in the Broadway production of
Sandhog
, both choreographed by Maslow. She was artistic director of the Repertory
Dancers of New Jersey (1969-1971) and the Muriel Manings Dance Company (1968-1972), as
well as a guest choreographer and teacher at the Escuela de Artes y Conjunto Moderno in
Cuba. In the late 1980s, Manings performed with Dance Theatre Etcetera (DTE), a
community-based performance company located in Brooklyn. Considered a master teacher,
Manings taught at the New Dance Group Studio, American Dance Festival, Connecticut
College, Buck's Rock Work Camp, and the 92nd Street Y. For many years she was the dance
coordinator at Queensborough Community College, CUNY. Manings served on the board of the
New Dance Group, was a president of the New York State Dance Association, and served as
northeast coordinator for the American College Dance Festival Association. Manings was
president of the American Dance Guild from 1992 to 1996. Her essays can be found in
Dance Magazine
,
American Dance
, and
Choreography and Dance
. She also contributed articles to the
International Encyclopedia of Dance
. Below is a list of her choreography:
Date
Event
1950
In the Evening
1951
Coming Attractions
1952
This Property Is Condemned
1958
Fiesta
1960
The Pretenders
1962
Ruins
1965
Suite
1967
Celebration
1968
Haiku - Set of Fire
American Collage
1969
Winding Sheet
1972
Ing ... Ing
Ruins II
1973
Figures
Efformotion
1974
Down Front & Center
Missa Luba
1975
Canyon de Chelley
1976
Echoes
1977
The Great Race
No Commercial Traffic
1978
Short Beach
1979
Crossings
1980
Tableau Vivants
1982
Tides
William Korff (1920-2001) grew up during the Great
Depression. After his mother was institutionalized and his father became unemployed,
William and his brother were sent to the Hebrew Orphan Asylum in Manhattan. Korff
studied theater at the Theater for Action and the New School for Social Research. He was
a founding member of New Drama, one of the first racially integrated theaters producing
political work. He worked in a variety of capacities in theater: actor, director,
teacher, and costume and scenic designer. Korff studied dance at the New Dance Group
Studio and performed professionally on and off Broadway and in the dance companies of
Sophie Maslow and Jean Erdman. He met Muriel Manings at the New Dance Group; they were
married in 1950.
Scope and Content Note
The materials in the Muriel Manings and William Korff Papers are primarily documents
that highlight the New Dance Group and the artists of the NDG, Muriel Manings's
chorography and teaching, and significant artists and artistic movements of the 1940s to
1960s. Particularly strong are materials related to the dance trio of New Dance Group
members William Bales, Jane Dudley, and Sophie Maslow, including programs and
correspondence. Muriel Manings's life, teaching, choreography, and performances are also
documented; unique to her history are journals and correspondence related to her two
teaching trips to Cuba in 1970 and 1984. The collection is divided into six series:
Professional Papers; Correspondence; Photographs; Programs, Playbills, and Flyers;
Printed Matter; and Subject Files.
The series Professional Papers collects documentation of
Muriel Manings's career in dance. The materials are not exhaustive, but together provide
an overview of her activities in performance, choreography, and teaching in many venues.
Of special value are two journals, one for each of her engagements to teach modern dance
in Cuba, and the two publications that emerged afterward for each of those trips.
Additional evidence of Manings's professional activity can be found in the
Correspondence, Photographs, and Programs series.
The Correspondence series includes personal and professional
communications in the papers of Muriel Manings and William Korff. As many of their
professional associations developed into personal relationships, and vice versa, the
correspondence often offers personal and professional content within the same
communiqué. Because Manings made core contributions to many dance-related service
organizations and centers, some of the letters include information about the New Dance
Group, the American Dance Guild, or other organizations and events. The letters from
Manings to her family while she was traveling for teaching or performances provide
significant insight into her personality and relationships as well as her career.
Particularly interesting are letters sent while teaching summers during the American
Dance Festival at Connecticut College, her stint in Montreal, and the two teaching
engagements in Cuba.
The Photographs series primarily contains photographs and
prints of ballet and modern dance choreography, artists, and dance companies. The
subjects of the photos are most frequently artists or dance pieces associated with the
members of the New Dance Group or Muriel Manings's choreography or teaching. A small
number of photos depict important ballet works created in the 1930s and 1940s. Two
Antony Tudor works,
Pillar of Fire
and
Undertow
, are represented. The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo company is represented both
by studio portraits of its dancers as well as photographs of a fully costumed ensemble.
Two works choreographed by Martha Graham are present:
Appalachian Spring
and
Herodiade
. From her teaching engagements in Cuba, Muriel Manings became familiar with the
Conjunto Nacional de Danza Moderna de Cuba, from which she acquired photographs of
dances of different Latino choreographers. A small number of other photographs chiefly
unrelated to choreography depict individuals and groups of people or teaching.
The series Programs, Playbills, and Flyers provides
documentation of professional performances, namely for New Dance Group and the
Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio. Also represented are galas and benefit performances, programs
of multiple artists and companies, several early Chanukah Festivals, the New York City
Dance Theatre, Broadway, the New York City Opera Company, and events such as conferences
or symposia. Programs are included for Muriel Manings or William Korff
lecture-demonstrations, college-sponsored student concerts and workshops, and training
programs for young people. Flyers advertising the programming are amongst the materials.
The Printed Matter series contains publications related to
Muriel Manings, William Korff, New Dance Group and associated artists, and other
performing arts events or individuals. The Clippings subseries encompasses reviews,
features, and other writings in magazines or newspapers contemporaneous to the
individual or dance-related activities. Longer, more formal essays, research, and
newsletters are assembled in the Articles subseries.
The Subject Files series contains information Manings
gathered or retained on specific subjects or names, both individuals and organizations.
Of particular interest is the group of articles written by and about Pearl Primus and
the set of records regarding the American Dance Guild's preparations for the New Dance
Group gala. The Jane Dudley subject file includes production elements related to her
dance
Proverbs
, to which William Korff contributed design expertise.
Organization of the Muriel Manings and William Korff Papers
The Collection is organized in six series:
-
[Professional Papers,
1951-2007](mur)
-
[Correspondence, 1949-1999](cor)
-
[Photographs, 1914-1993](pho)
-
[Programs, Playbills, and Flyers,
1932-1996](pro)
-
[Printed Matter, 1935-2006](pri)
-
[Subject Files, 1932-2006](sub)
Container List
Container
Contents
4
Professional Papers, 1951-2007
1951-2007
Journals, publications, and other documentation pertaining to Muriel Manings's
career in dance.
Arranged alphabetically by topic or format.
4/1
Biographical documents, 1970-1980s
1970-1980s
Curriculum vitae, resumes, narrative biographies,
lists of choreography
4/2
Contract, 1951
1951
4/3-4
Journals, 1970, 1984
1970, 1984
Note: Documentation of Cuba engagements
4/5-6
Interview transcripts, 2003, 2007
2003, 2007
4/7-8
Lectures, undated
undated
4/9
Letter on repertory dancers, 1970
1970
4/10
List of communists, undated
undated
Photocopied excerpt, 2 p.
Note: Includes Manings and Korff
4/11-12
Writings, 1971, circa 1986
1971, circa 1986
Note: On dance in Cuba
6
Correspondence, 1949-1999
1949-1999
Personal and professional letters and other communications.
Arranged alphabetically by last name of correspondent or name of organization.
6/1
Anthony, Mary, 1989
1989
1 letter
6/2
Connecticut College School of Dance,
1967-1968
1967-1968
2 letters
Note: Workshop for teens
6/3
Delza, Sophie, 1993
1993
1 letter
Note: Thank-you to American Dance Guild
6/4-7
Dudley, Jane, 1966, 1987-1999
1966, 1987-1999
30 letters, cards, envelopes
Note: Topics include New Dance Group gala,
Dudley's London engagement
6/8
Gentry, Eve, circa 1992-1993
circa 1992-1993
2 letters and enclosure
Note: Includes information on Gentry's Tenant of the Street
6/9
Johns, Bud, 1998
1998
1 letter
Note: Refers to wife, dancer Judith Spector, and
NDG artist Mary Anthony
6/10
Manings, Muriel, to William Korff, [1949]
[1949]
4 letters, 1 card
Note: Card identifies undated items as 1949
correspondence from Manings to Korff while in Montreal, Canada
6/11
Manings, Muriel, to William Korff, 1949,
and undated
1949, and undated
10 letters, 1 envelope, 1 card
Note: Card identifies undated items as 1949
correspondence from Manings to Korff while at American Dance Festival,
Connecticut College
6/12
Manings, Muriel, 1954
1954
1 telegram, 1 card
Note: Congratulations on Sandhog
6/13-15
Manings, Muriel, to family, 1970, and
undated
1970, and undated
11 letters, 3 undated excerpts
Note: Letters written during Manings's 1970 trip
to Cuba
6/16
Manings, Muriel, 1993
1993
24 items
Note: Regarding New Dance Group gala
6/17
McKayle, Donald, 1993
1993
1 letter
Note: Materials submitted for New Dance Group
gala
6/18
Mullin, Hilda, 1997
1997
1 letter
Note: Reminiscences on early New Dance Group
period; referenced enclosure not included
6/19
Nagrin, Daniel, circa 1993
circa 1993
1 letter
Note: Program copy for New Dance Group
gala
6/20
National Endowment for the Arts, 1993
1993
2 photocopied letters
Note: Award letter to American Dance Guild for New
Dance Group gala videorecording project
6/21
O'Hara, Shane, circa 1993
circa 1993
1 letter
Note: Participation in New Dance Group
gala
6/22
Repertory Dancers of New Jersey, 1969
1969
4 letters
Note: Workshops of Repertory Dancers, led by
Muriel Manings
6/23
Tobey, Alton S., 1958
1958
1 photocopied letter, 1 p.
1
Photographs, 1914-1993
1914-1993
Chiefly photographs and prints of scanned images of ballet and modern dance
choreography, artists, and dance companies. Includes digital scans as well, mostly
of Muriel Manings.
Principle file format: .jpg
Organized as two subseries.
Dance Works, 1914,
1935, 1944-1948
1914, 1935, 1944-1948
Arranged alphabetically by title.
1/1
A 90 millas [90 miles], undated
undated
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Lorna Burdsall
Dancers: Gerardo Lastra
Note: Conjunto Nacional de Danza de
Cuba
1/2
American exodus, 1937
1937
1 photograph
Photographer: Works Progress Administration
[WPA]
Choreographer: Myra Kinch
Dancers: Clay Dalton, Myra Kinch
Note: Federal Theatre Project credits on
verso
1/3
Appalachian spring, 1944
1944
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Martha Graham
Dancers: Erick Hawkins, Martha Graham, and 5
others
1/4
Ball in Old Vienna, undated
undated
1 photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Kurt Jooss
1/5
Ballade, undated
undated
1 photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Kurt Jooss
1/6
Ballet imperial, circa 1941
circa 1941
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: George Balanchine for Ballet
Russe de Monte Carlo
Dancers: Maria Tallchief, Mary Ellen Moylan,
Nicolas Magallanes
1/7
Birthday party [?], circa 1938
circa 1938
1 print
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Jane Dudley
Pictured from left: Billie Kirpich, David Wood,
Anneliese Widman, Muriel Manings, Irving Burton, Charles Czarney, Sophie
Maslow, William Bales
1/8
Ceremonial de la danza, undated
undated
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Ramiro Guerra
Dancer: unidentified
Note: Conjunto Nacional de Danza de
Cuba
1/9
Champion, [1948]
[1948]
2 two-sided prints
Photographer: Isadora Bennett and Richard
Pleasant, NYC
Choreographer: Sophie Maslow
Dancers: Mary Anthony, Jane Dudley, Andrea
Hadgin, Billie Kirpich, Muriel Manings, Sophie Maslow, Normand Maxon, Donald
McKayle, Alvin Shulman
1/10
Coming attractions, [1951]
[1951]
4 prints
Photographer: Nat Jaffee, Brooklyn
Choreographer: Muriel Manings
Dancers: Muriel Manings, William
Korff
1/11
Danses concertantes, circa 1944
circa 1944
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: George Balanchine
Dancers: Ruthanna Boris, Dorothy Etheridge,
Alexander Goudovitch [later Alex Goudavich] of Ballet Russe de Monte
Carlo
1/12
Dust Bowl ballads, [1941]
[1941]
1 contact print
Photographer: Barbara Morgan
Choreographer: Sophie Maslow
Dancer: Sophie Maslow?
1/13
The green table, undated
undated
1 photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Kurt Jooss
Note: Refugees episode
1/14
Haiku, [1968?]
[1968?]
3 black-and-white photographs
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Muriel Manings
Dancers: Muriel Manings, and
unidentified
1/15
Hanukkah Festival, circa 1960s
circa 1960s
2 prints from scans
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Sophie Maslow
Dancers: Muriel Manings, Yuriko,
others
Note: Rehearsal, Madison Square
Garden
1/16
Herodiade, circa 1944
circa 1944
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer and dancer: Martha
Graham
Note: Stamped "From the collection of L. V.
Michel" on verso
1/17
Impressions of a big city, undated
undated
1 photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Kurt Jooss
Note: Also known as The
big city
1/18
Impromptu galante, undated
undated
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Ramiro Guerra
Dancers: Conjunto National de Danza Moderna de
Cuba company
1/19
In the evening, [1950?]
[1950?]
3 prints
Photographer: Nat Jaffee, Brooklyn
Choreographer and dancer: Muriel
Manings
1/20
Introduction to the players, circa
1930s
circa 1930s
1 photograph
Photographer: Angelo Photos
Dancers: Lisan Kay, Yeichi Nimura
1/21
O'Mika, circa 1914
circa 1914
1 photograph
Photographer: E. O. Hoppé
Choreographer and dancer: Ruth St.
Denis
1/22
Passacaglia, 1938
1938
4 photographs
Photographer: Barbara Morgan
Choreographer: Doris Humphrey
1/23
Pillar of fire, circa 1942-1945
circa 1942-1945
1 photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Antony Tudor
Dancers: Hugh Laing, Nora Kaye
1/24
Prologue, circa 1959
circa 1959
3 prints
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Sophie Maslow
Dancers: Beatrice Seckler, Mark Ryder, Sheldon
Ossonsky, Billie Kirpich, Muriel Manings, Miriam Pandor, David
Gordon
1/25
Rodeo, circa 1942
circa 1942
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: unknown
Dancers: Dorothy Etheridge, Pauline Goddard,
Nicolas Magallanes
Choreographer: Agnes de Mille for Ballet Russe
de Monte Carlo
1/26
Sandhog, 1954
1954
1 black-and-white photograph; 2 prints on
single page
Photographer: Fred Fehl
Dancers/Actors: Jack Cassidy, Muriel Manings,
Yuriko, Douglas Collins, Eliot Feld, Betty Ageloff, David Winter
Choreographer: Sophie Maslow
1/27
Seasons, undated
undated
3 black-and-white photographs
Photographer: Harold G. Morse, Plainfield, New
Jersey
Dancers: unidentified
Choreographer: Muriel Manings
1/28
Seventh symphony, circa 1938
circa 1938
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: Gordon Anthony
Dancer: Nini Theilade
Choreographer: Leonide Massine for Ballet Russe
de Monte Carlo
1/29
Spanish suite [?], 1944
1944
1 proof
Photographer: Gerda Peterich
Dancers: Jane Dudley, Sophie Maslow, William
Bales
Choreographer: unknown
1/30
Spear episode [?], circa 1930s
circa 1930s
1 photograph
Photographer: unknown
Dancer: Yeichi Nimura
1/31
Suite yoruba, undated
undated
2 black-and-white photographs
Photographer: unknown
Dancers: Eduardo Rivero, Luz Ma
Collazo
Choreographer: Ramiro Guerra
1/32
Swing your lady, 1944?
1944?
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: Barbara Morgan
Choreographer and dancer: Jane Dudley
1/33
Sword ritual, circa 1930s
circa 1930s
2 photographs
Photographer: unknown
Dancer: Yeichi Nimura in one photo; Lisan Kay
[Nimura] in the other
1/34
This property is condemned, circa 1952
circa 1952
1 original photograph; 3 prints
Photographer: Nat Jaffee, Brooklyn
Dancers: Muriel Manings, William
Korff
1/35
Tierra, undated
undated
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choroegrapher: Elena Noriega
Dancers: Eduardo Rivero, Pablo
Trujillo
1/36-39
Trend, circa 1938
circa 1938
6 photographs
Photographer: Barbara Morgan
Choreographer: Hanya Holm
Dancers: Hanya Holm and others
1/40
Undertow, circa 1945
circa 1945
1 photograph
Photographer: unknown
Choreographer: Antony Tudor
Dancers: Hugh Laing, Nana Gollner
1/41
Van der Lubbe's head, 1934
1934
3 photographs
Photographer: Alfredo Valente
Choreographer: Miriam Blecher and/or New Dance
Group
1/42-43
The village I knew, undated
undated
2 prints of multiple images
Photographer: Arnold Eagle, and
unknown
Choreographer: Sophie Maslow
Dancers: Muriel Manings, and
unidentified
1/44
War trilogy, undated
undated
2 photographs
Photographer: Alfredo Valente
Choreographer: New Dance Group
collective
Note: "On the barricades" section
1/45
Winding sheet, [1969]
[1969]
5 photographs
Photographer: Sonia Stark Rothstein, Teaneck,
New Jersey; and unknown
Choreographer: Muriel Manings
Other, 1930s-1993
1930s-1993
Arranged alphabetically by name
People, 1930-1988
1930-1988
1/46
Boris, Ruthanna, with Leon Danielian,
undated
undated
2 black-and-white photographs
Photographer: unknown
Note: Costumed for 2 unidentified ballets of
the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
1/47
Danielian, Leon, with Alexandra Danilova,
undated
undated
1 black-and-white headshot
Photographer: Maurice Seymour,
Chicago
Note: Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
1/48
Danilova, Alexandra, undated
undated
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: Maurice Seymour
Note: Costumed for an unidentified ballet of
the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
1/49
Danilova, Alexandra, with Frederic
Franklin, undated
undated
3 black-and-white photographs
Photographers: Maurice Seymour, and
unknown
Note: Costumed for 2 unidentified ballets of
the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo; third photo outdoors
1/50
Krassovska, Natalie, undated
undated
1 black-and-white headshot
Photographer: unknown
Note: Headdress for an unidentified ballet
of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
1/51
Lazowski, Yurek, undated
undated
1 black-and-white photograph
Photographer: unknown
Note: Costumed for an unidentified ballet of
the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
1/52-53
Manings, Muriel, 1950s-1970s, and
undated
1950s-1970s,
and undated
17 prints; 2 black-and-white
photographs
Photographer: unknown
Note: Headshots and midshots, production
photos, teaching, business group
Manings, Muriel, 1950s-1970s, and
undated
1950s-1970s,
and undated
Manings-Korff_001
46 digital files
Photographers: unknown
Note: Headshots and midshots, production
photos, teaching
1/54-55
Maslow, Sophie, 1930?, 1988?
1930?, 1988?
3 headshots; 1 negative
Photographers: Lisa Cohen, Watertown,
Massachusetts, and unknown
1/56
Primus, Pearl, undated
undated
4 photographs
Photographer: Ingrid Estrada, and
unknown
1/57-61
Shankar and his Hindu Ballet,
undated
undated
5 photographs
Photographer: unknown
Note: Uday Shankar, dancers Simkie, Zohra,
and Uzra, Vishnudas Shirali and Hindu Orchestra
1/62
Tallchief, Maria, undated
undated
1 photograph
Photographer: Walter E. Owen, New
York
Note: Costumed for an unidentified ballet of
the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
1/63
Yuriko, undated
undated
1 print with 2 images
Photographers: unknown
Places, 1930s-1993
1930s-1993
1/64-69
Buck's Rock Camp, 1954-1960s, and
undated
1954-1960s,
and undated
17 photographs, 2 prints
Photographer: unknown
Note: Teaching, performance, location
shots
1/70-72
New Dance Group, New York,
1930s-1940s?
1930s-1940s?
2 photographs, 5 prints
Photographers: Kessner, Alfredo Valente, and
unknown
Note: New Dance Group founders and executive
committee
1/73
New Dance Group rehearsal,
undated
undated
1 photograph
Photographer: unknown
Dancers and onlookers: Frieda Flier, Nina
Casserman, Judith Delman, Sophie Maslow, Lili Mann, others
1/74
New Dance Group gala, 1993
1993
13 two-sided prints of 49 images
Note: Groups of attendees, exhibit,
performance shots
1/75
Queensborough Community College,
1980
1980
2 two-sided prints
Photographer: unknown
Note: Celebrate Dance event, with
identification of subjects on verso
2-3
Programs, Playbills, and Flyers, 1932-2006
1932-2006
Promotional materials that document professional performances, mostly those by New
Dance Group and the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio.
Arranged alphabetically by name of event, performance group, or performer, and
then by date therein.
2/1
American Dance Festival, 1948-1953, 1969
1948-1953, 1969
12 programs, 1 flyer
Note: Includes summer festivals held at
Connecticut College and 1948 performances in New York City to benefit future
festivals
2/2
American Dance Guild conference and performance,
1996
1996
2 programs, 1 brochure, 3 flyers
2/3
American Dance Legacy Institute, 2005
2005
3 programs
2/4-5
Benefits and galas, 1942-1949, [1961?],
1968
1942-1949, [1961?],
1968
6 programs
Note: For benefit of the Bronx Division of Greater
New York Cmmittee for Rusian Relief, Russian War Relief, Henry George School of
Social Science, the Dance Observer magazine, and
the Woodward School Scholarship Fund
2/6
Buck's Rock Camp, 1958-1965
1958-1965
10 items
2/7-9
Chanukah Festivals for Israel, 1956-1962
1956-1962
1 flyer, 3 programs
2/10
Congress on Research in Dance, 1993
1993
1 program
Note: Joint conference titled Of, by, and for the people
2/11-12
Connecticut College, 1952, 1967-1968
1952, 1967-1968
8 items
Note: Louis Horst is credited with introducing
1952 student performances
2/13
Cunningham, James, with others, 1998-1999
1998-1999
2 postcards, 2 programs
Note: Performances with Jane Comfort, Tina Croll,
and documentary performance of From the horse's
mouth with other artists
2/14
Dudley-Maslow, 1938
1938
1 program
2/15-26
Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio, 1940s-1953, and
undated
1940s-1953, and
undated
43 items
2/27
Jane Dudley, 1988-1995
1988-1995
3 flyers, 2 programs
2/28
Little Orchestra Society, 1955
1955
3 programs
Note: Performances of L'enfant et les sortileges [The bewitched child], with Manings's
choreography
2/29
Marie Marchowsky and Company, 1948
1948
1 flyer, 1 program
Note: Premiere of Antigone and Odyssey at Cort
Theatre
2/30
Martha Bowers Dance/Theatre/Etc, 1987
1987
1 program
Performance at The Field
2/31
Mary Anthony Dance Theatre, 1996-1998
1996-1998
2 programs
2/32
Muriel Manings and Nina Caiserman, 1953
1953
1 program
Note: Joint program including William Korff,
sponsored by Jewish Public Library, Montreal
2/33
Muriel Manings and William Korff, undated
undated
1 brochure
Note: Brochure for classes
2/34
Muriel Manings Dance Company, 1967-1968
1967-1968
3 items
2/35
National Dance Teachers Guild, Queens Chapter,
1963
1963
1 program
2/36
National Museum of Dance, 2006
2006
1 flyer
Note: Program including New Dance Group
2/37-38, 3/1-24
New Dance Group, 1932-1934, 1945-1970,
1977, and undated
1932-1934,
1945-1970, 1977, and undated
44 items
3/25-26
New Dance Group gala, 1993
1993
8 items
3/27
New Dance Group Studio, 1947-1948,
1971-1974
1947-1948,
1971-1974
6 schedules
3/28-29
New York City Dance Theatre, 1949
1949
7 programs
3/30
New York City Opera Company, 1951
1951
1 excerpt
Note: Opera of The
Dybbuk, choreographed by Sophie Maslow
3/31-34
Queensborough Community College, 1972-1990
1972-1990
56 items
Note: Includes Spring Dance Concerts, dance event
calendars, dance workshops, QCC Celebrate Dance festival
3/35-38
Repertory Dancers of New Jersey,
1968-1970, and undated
1968-1970, and
undated
6 items
3/39
Sandhog
, 1954
1954
2 programs
Note: Phoenix Theatre, choreographed by Sophie
Maslow, with Muriel Manings among cast
3/40
Stage for Dancers, 1952
1952
1 program
Note: Fred Berk program with multiple
artists
3/41
The Drama Lab, 1951
1951
2 flyers
Note: Youth educational programs directed by
Muriel Manings, with William Korff among faculty
3/42
United Jewish People's Order [U.J.P.O.],
1949
1949
1 program, 1 flyer
Note: Montreal
3/43
YMHA, 1941-1944
1941-1944
3 programs
Note: Includes Valerie Bettis, Pearl Primus, and
others
3/44
Miscellany, 1989-1990, and undated
1989-1990, and
undated
7 items
Note: Teaching schedules, concerts
5
Printed Matter, 1935-2006
1935-2006
Clippings, reviews, articles, essays, research materials, newsletters, and other
publications related to Muriel Manings, William Korff, New Dance Group and
associated artists, and other performing arts events or individuals.
Arranged as two subseries: Clippings and Articles. Clippings are generally
arranged chronologically by decade. Where a specific performing arts group or
event is of major significance to this collection, such as the
Sandhog
production or the New Dance Group gala, these can be found within the
folders of their respective decades. Articles are organized alphabetically by
author's last name, or, in a few instances, by title of the publication if that
issue includes multiple relevant articles.
Clippings, 1935-2006
1935-2006
242 items
Newspaper and magazine clippings, some from
original sources and a few are reprints of earlier publications. Especially
plentiful are reviews of New Dance Group performances and the
Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio.
5/1
1930s
1930s
5/2-4
1940s
1940s
5/5-8
1950s
1950s
Note: Includes Sandhog and 1956 Chanukah Festival
5/9-10
1960s
1960s
Note: Includes earliest coverage of Repertory
Dancers of New Jersey
5/11-13
1970s
1970s
Note: Includes Repertory Dancers of New
Jersey
5/14-15
1980s
1980s
Note: Includes Martha Bowers company
5/16-18
1990s
1990s
Note: Includes New Dance Group gala
5/19
2000s
2000s
5/20
Undated
Undated
Articles, 1942-1995
1942-1995
5/21
American Dance Guild newsletter,
1993-1996
1993-1996
3 issues
5/22
Banes, Sally,
"Red shoes: The Workers'
Dance League of the 1930s," 1984
1984
1 article
Note: Published in The
Village Voice
5/23
Fisher, Jennifer,
"History in motion,"
1993
1993
Full issue
Note: Published in Dance
International
5/24
Gottlieb, Beatrice,
"Making of an
institution," [1952]
[1952]
Excerpt, 1 p.
Note: Published in Theatre Arts Magazine
5/25
Manor, Giora,
"Brother, can you spare a
dance? Dances red, pink & naive in America in the thirties," 1985
1985
Photocopied manuscript, 42 p.
5/26
Maskey, Jacqueline,
"The group,"
1965
1965
Reprint, 2 copies; excerpt
Note: Published in Dance
Magazine
5/27
Maximovna, Elena,
"Second generation
modern," 1942
1942
1 article
Note: Published in Dance
Magazine
5/28
"The movement is political," 1984
1984
7 articles, 16 p.
Note: Section on dance for social change
published in The Village Voice
5/29
Newhall, Mary Anne,
"Strange heroes:
The role of the New Dance Group in American political dance," 1995
1995
Photocopied manuscript, 39 p.; annotated
excerpt, 5 p.
Note: Draft copy; no illustrations
5/30
Prickett, Stacey,
"From Workers' Dance
to New Dance," 1989
1989
1 article
Note: Published in Dance
Research
5/31
Siegel, Marcia B.,
"The people spoke,"
1993
1993
1 article
Note: Published in The
Hudson Review
6
Subject Files, 1932-2006
1932-2006
Topical files assembled by Manings on specific subjects, names, or
organizations.
Arranged alphabetically by name or organization or last name of individual.
6/24-25
American Dance Guild, 1992-1996
1992-1996
14 items
Note: Includes proposals for New Dance Group gala
and recordings
6/26
American Dance Legacy Institute,
1993-2006, and undated
1993-2006, and
undated
25 items
6/27
Anthony, Mary, 1997, and undated
1997, and undated
6 items
6/28-29
Dudley, Jane, 1974, 1990, 2001, and
undated
1974, 1990, 2001,
and undated
14 items
Note: Includes detailed plans and designs for her
choreography titled Proverbs
6/30
Hadassah, 1995, and undated
1995, and undated
2 items
6/31
Maslow, Sophie, 1996, 2006
1996, 2006
6 items
6/32
Merry-Go-Rounders, circa 1970
circa 1970
1 item
Note: Participants list by year
6/33
National Museum of Dance, 2005-2006
2005-2006
8 items
6/34-41
New Dance Group, 1932-1945, 1965-1970s,
1992-1993, and undated
1932-1945,
1965-1970s, 1992-1993, and undated
46 items
Note: Governance, personnel lists, gala publicity
and other New Dance Group records
6/42-43
Primus, Pearl, 1944-1950, 1995-1998, and
undated
1944-1950,
1995-1998, and undated
14 items
Note: Writings by and about Primus