Dance--History--Studying and teaching

Michigan Dance Archives: Leslie O'Day Benyo Papers

aergas — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 11:10:49 -0400

Leslie O'Day Benyo was the owner and artistic director of the O’Day School of Dance in Detroit from 1982 to 2010. A ballet student and performer from 1958 to 1998, O'Day Benyo has taught at various schools and special events in the Detroit area since 1973. She was also a member of the Cecchetti Council of America, an organization dedicated to teaching standards for ballet.

Benyo's papers include items such as dance programs, photos of ballerinas, newsletters, emails, souvenir booklets, clippings, certificates, and testimonials.

Michigan Dance Archives: Harriet Berg Papers

aergas — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 10:10:36 -0400

Harriet Berg (born 1924) was a choreographer, teacher, performer, and arts advocate in the Detroit area for many decades. Her papers reflect her interests in all aspects of dance and other performing and fine arts, including material on a wide variety of dance companies and individual dancers, local, national and international. Some of the papers reflect her personal life as well as that of her family members. Part 1 includes materials on many aspects of dance and other performing and fine arts, as well as her personal family life. Part 2 reflects Berg’s work as director of the Renaissance Dance Company and Madame Cadillac Dance Theater, as well as her work with the Jewish Community Center and Camp Maas. Also included are materials relating to dance history, Isadora Duncan, local, state and national dance schools, dance programs, as well as artwork and publications relating to dance. Part 3 is a continuation of these topics and includes a collection of photographs and audiovisual materials including vinyl albums, videotapes, and audiotapes.

Michigan Dance Archives: Marygrove College Department of Dance Records

aergas — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 10:05:29 -0400

Marygrove College opened its Detroit campus in 1927; it originated as St. Mary Academy, later St. Mary College. in Monroe, Michigan, in 1845. Dance programs included a long-running Summer School for the Performing Arts, which included well-known faculty from the college and around the country. Classes for children were offered in ballet, modern and creative dance. These records from the Dance Department consist mainly of photographs of dance events and performances in the 1970s and 1980s, along with individual photos of students and guest artists. There are several folders of photos from an exchange with a dance program in Japan, dating from 1988-1990. There is one oversize box containing photos. A small group of negatives, five envelopes of strips and three 4"x5" negatives, were transferred to the Reuther A-V Departent.

Michigan Dance Archives: Cecchetti Council of America Records

aergas — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 10:16:14 -0400

The Cecchetti Council of America (CCA) is a membership-based dance education organization, established in 1939, dedicated to maintaining the standards and methods of ballet training established by Cavalier Enrico Cecchetti. The CCA provides a system of accredited examinations to assess the knowledge, proficiency and quality of teacher and student candidates, with the purpose of raising the standard of ballet teaching throughout the United States. The CCA is run by a National Executive Board of Directors (NEBD), with examinations overseen by the Board of Examiners (BOE), and has offices based in Flat Rock, MI, as of 2022. The NEBD oversees teacher training and syllabi, organizes classes and seminars, and provides liaison with the regional Committees. The records in this collection reflect that work on a national level, with correspondence, administrative documents, NEBD minutes and records, and historical documents. The work of the various Committees around the country is also reflected in administrative documents and meeting minutes, as well as records of events and performances. The collection also includes some photographs, posters and books. Audio-visual materials such as videotapes, film reels, vinyl records, and DVD/CDs have been transferred to the Reuther AV Department. The CCA Records reflect the wide-ranging importance and influence of the Cecchetti Method of teaching and of the CCA nationally and internationally.

Michigan Dance Archives: Genevieve Siegel Schoenberger Papers

aergas — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 09:13:06 -0400

Genevieve Schoenberger (1910-1995), born Genevieve Siegel in Grand Rapids, MI, was a dancer and teacher credited with creating dance opportunities in the Ludington, MI, area beginning in the 1940s. This collection includes her notations and dance notes, particularly from her study and teaching of Spanish and Flamenco dance, as well as other teaching materials. There is one box of vinyl recordings of the music used for her teaching and dancing, many accompanied by dance notation documents. Also included are sheet music, brochures and programs from various dance performances and events, along with many issues of Dance Magazine from 1959 to 1989.

Michigan Dance Archives: Denise Szykula Papers

aergas — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 09:20:30 -0400

Denise Szykula won praise over many decades for her work as a dancer, choreographer, teacher and innovator. Szykula founded Dance Nonce Ensemble in 1973 (later renamed Dance Nonce) and served as its artistic director and choreographer for over 45 years. As a respected teacher of modern dance and creative movement, Szykula has taught weekly classes as well as serving as guest teacher and choreographer for workshops and master classes in colleges and universities. Szykula has collaborated with many musicians and artists around Michigan, and her body of work has been supported frequently with grants from
arts organizations. Szykula's papers includes choreographic notes and notations from many of her works dating from 1979 to 2015, as well as her notebooks of lesson plans dated from 1991 to 2018. Brochures, programs, publicity and correspondence are also included. There
is one box of photos from various productions of her work, and an oversize box contains photos and posters, including original artwork. Small wooden stage-set mock-ups for two of her dances are part of the collection. One box containing slides and DVDs has been transferred to the Reuther A-V Department, and ten videos of dances are held in
the Reuther digital repository.

Wayne State University Dance Department

aergas — Wed, 29 May 2019 10:29:30 -0400

These records of the Wayne State University Dance Department date mostly from the mid to late 20th century and include departmental documents, correspondence and teaching materials. Professional and some personal papers of Professor Ruth Lovell Murray, the director/chair of the Dance Workshop and Dance Program from 1928 to 1954, as well as of some other faculty, are part of this collection. The records begin in the era when the Wayne dance program was part of the Physical Education Department. The dance program moved from the Division of Health and Physical Education to the newly formed School of the Fine Arts in 1986 and became the Department of Dance. In 2000, the department was named after supporter and donor Maggie Allesee and merged with the Theater Department in 2012 to become the Maggie Allesee Department of Theater and Dance. Also included are records of the Ethel Perrin Club and the Dance Alumni Association, as well as issues of the Dance Workshop's newsletter, Choreo Bulletin, from 1954 to 1973. There are folders of programs, choreographic notes and other materials from many performances by students over the years, particularly the annual spring concert, as well as materials from visiting professional dancers and dance groups. Series 3 of these records includes photographs, posters and scrapbooks dating from the 1920s into the 21st century.

Congratulations to Harriet Berg -- 100 years young

aergas — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 10:19:37 -0500

The Reuther Library extends its congratulations to Harriet Berg on becoming a centenarian this month. Berg has been a choreographer, teacher, performer and arts advocate in the Detroit area for many decades, especially known for her historical dance companies, the Madame Cadillac Dancers and the Renaissance Dance Company. read more »

In Memoriam: Harriet Berg, 1924-2025

aergas — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 10:13:05 -0500

The Reuther Library announces with sadness the death of Detroit cultural icon Harriet Berg on February 20, 2025.
More than 30 years ago, Harriet and her husband Irving Berg founded and endowed the Michigan Dance Archives (MDA) at the Reuther Library. read more »

Michigan Dance Archives at the Reuther Library

aergas — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 10:00:31 -0400

Recent work on papers donated to the Reuther Library has created new interest in the Michigan Dance Archives, which focuses on the history of dance in the Detroit metro area and across Michigan. The Michigan Dance Archives (MDA) was established in 1994 to acquire and preserve the rich heritage of Michigan dance, and it includes the papers of its founder Harriet Berg. read more »

New dance collection open: Cecchetti Council of America Records

aergas — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 09:31:00 -0400

The newest addition to the Michigan Dance Archives is now open to researchers: Cecchetti Council of America Records. The CCA is a membership-based dance education organization, established in 1939, dedicated to maintaining the standards and methods of ballet training established by Cavalier Enrico Cecchetti (1850-1928). read more »

Denise Szykula and Dennis East

mcourtney — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 08:51:37 -0400

Denise Szykula and Dennis East rehearsing "Private Passion Private Pain." From the Denise Szykula Papers.

Ensemble, Wayne University Dance Workshop, circa 1933-1936

teller — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 10:26:19 -0400

Wayne University Dance Workshop ensemble, circa 1933-1936. From Wayne State University Dance Department Records, Box 8, Folder 1.

(47145) Harriet Berg as the Teeny-Tiny Lady, c. 1960s

eclemens — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 09:01:44 -0500

Harriet Berg poses as the Teeny-Tiny Lady.

Inscription on verso reads: "Love from the Teeny Tiny Lady...again. Nov. 1980."

[Podcast] "You Do It and You Teach It": 90 Years of Dance at Wayne State

teller — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 10:31:25 -0400

Eva Powers, recently retired associate professor and former chair of the Maggie Allesee Department of Dance, shares the fascinating history and bright future of the modern dance program at Wayne State University. One of the longest-running dance programs in the country, it traces its origins to the Dance Workshop, founded in 1928 by Professor Ruth Lovell Murray. read more »