Research Catalog

Title

Richard Englund papers, 1931-1992.

Author

Englund, Richard, 1931-1991

Supplementary Content

Finding Aid

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Bush, Gage
• Harrison, Lou, 1917-2003
• Haslam, Henley
• Hering, Doris
• Joffrey, Robert
• Kudelka, James
• Richter, Eric
• Smith, Oliver Lemuel, 1918-1994
• Taylor-Corbett, Lynne

Description

13.80 linear feet (28 boxes)

Summary

The Richard Englund papers cover the professional career of the American choreographer, dancer, director, and teacher. The collection spans the years 1931-1992, with the bulk of the material pertaining to his professional career as a director of several regional or training ballet companies, as well as his work as a choreographer and a teacher. The files are generally as Englund kept them, with the items usually arranged chronologically within the folders. Materials in each of the series relating to the six companies led by Englund typically include information on the sponsoring organization, financial records, costume and set design, programs, rosters, tour schedules, and repertory lists. There also are separate correspondence files for each of these companies, as well as more general correspondence in Series I. Notable correspondents include Lou Harrison, Henley Haslam (Englund's personal assistant), Doris Hering, Robert Joffrey, and Oliver Smith. Correspondence is mainly to or from Englund, but can include letters or memos to others connected with the companies (including many items to or from Gage Bush Englund). Correspondence relating to specific subjects, such as a ballet or a project, has been retained with those files. The largest part of the collection documents the choreographic works that made up the repertory of the companies with which Englund was connected. The majority of these compositions were the work of Englund, but also represented are some early pieces by choreographers who went on to achieve greater prominence, including Lynne Taylor-Corbett and James Kudelka. While lacking much personal material, the collection provides extensive documentation of Englund's choreography and other considerable contributions to the growth of American ballet. The collection also offers opportunities for researchers interested in the development of the regional ballet movement and professional dance training programs in the United States during the second half of the twentieth century.

Subject

• Englund, Richard, 1931-1991
• Birmingham Civic Ballet
• Huntington Dance Ensemble
• Dance Repertory Company (New York, N.Y.)
• Ballet Repertory Company (New York, N.Y.)
• American Ballet Theatre II
• Joffrey II Dancers
• Ballet > Costume
• Ballet > Stage-setting and scenery
• Ballet > Study and teaching > United States
• Ballet companies > United States
• Ballet dancing > Study and teaching
• Choreographers > United States > 20th century
• Dance > Study and teaching > United States
• Dance companies > United States
• Dance companies > Alabama > Birmingham
• Dance companies > New York (State) > New York
• Dance teachers > United States > 20th century
• Male dancers > United States > 20th century

Genre/Form

• Correspondence.
• Costume design drawings.
• Financial records.
• Programs.
• Set design drawings.

Source (note)

• Englund, Gage Bush

Biography (note)

• American dancer, choreographer, director, and teacher, Richard Englund (1931-1991), served as the leader of several small dance companies, including the pioneering regional ballet company, Birmingham Civic Ballet, as well as training companies for both American Ballet Theatre and the Joffrey Ballet. Born in Seattle, Washington, Englund studied dance with Mary Ann Wells, with whom Robert Joffrey also trained. He received a scholarship and attended Harvard University, before transferring to the Juilliard School as a dance major in 1951. Englund danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet from 1953-1955 and the National Ballet of Canada from 1955-1957. His major interest, however, was in choreographing and directing, rather than performing. In 1957, after appearing as guest artist with the Birmingham Civic Ballet, he accepted an invitation to direct the company, remaining through 1959. He then returned to New York where he danced in the original productions of the Broadway musicals, Greenwillow (1960) and Camelot (1960). At the end of 1959, Englund married Gage Bush, whom he had met in Birmingham, and they both joined American Ballet Theatre.
• In 1962, Englund returned to Birmingham to lead the Birmingham Civic Ballet, the first of several companies he would direct. The company became well-respected and grew under his leadership, but Englund left the company in 1967 after problems with board members. During the summer of 1967, Englund began a new venture, based in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York. This project involved forming a small professional dance company, the Huntington Dance Ensemble, to give performances and to work as artists-in-residence in the schools of the district. Englund remained with the Huntington Dance Ensemble until it was forced to disband, due to a loss of federal funding. In 1970, with a new source of funding, the small company was renamed Dance Repertory Company and toured the country giving performances and residencies through 1972. In the fall of 1972, Dance Repertory Company was taken under Ballet Theatre Foundation as its own training company. Renamed Ballet Repertory Company, Englund served as its director. In 1981, the company's name was changed again to American Ballet Theatre II (ABT II). In connection with Ballet Theatre Foundation, Englund also directed summer training programs for young dancers. He and Oliver Smith also co-directed Ballet Theatre Workshop, a program to develop new choreographers. By mid-1985, Ballet Theatre Foundation ended the company and its training programs. In the fall of 1985, at the invitation of Robert Joffrey, Englund took over the directorship of Joffrey II, the training company of the Joffrey Ballet. He also became responsible for its annual Choreographers' Workshop program. Englund was working with this group at the time of his death.

Language (note)

• The Choreography files/repertory series contains an item in Danish and its English translation.

Indexes/Finding Aids (note)

• Collection guide available in repository and on internet.

Call Number

(S) *MGZMD 94

OCLC

122346436

Author

Englund, Richard, 1931-1991.

Title

Richard Englund papers, 1931-1992.

Biography

American dancer, choreographer, director, and teacher, Richard Englund (1931-1991), served as the leader of several small dance companies, including the pioneering regional ballet company, Birmingham Civic Ballet, as well as training companies for both American Ballet Theatre and the Joffrey Ballet. Born in Seattle, Washington, Englund studied dance with Mary Ann Wells, with whom Robert Joffrey also trained. He received a scholarship and attended Harvard University, before transferring to the Juilliard School as a dance major in 1951. Englund danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet from 1953-1955 and the National Ballet of Canada from 1955-1957. His major interest, however, was in choreographing and directing, rather than performing. In 1957, after appearing as guest artist with the Birmingham Civic Ballet, he accepted an invitation to direct the company, remaining through 1959. He then returned to New York where he danced in the original productions of the Broadway musicals, Greenwillow (1960) and Camelot (1960). At the end of 1959, Englund married Gage Bush, whom he had met in Birmingham, and they both joined American Ballet Theatre.

In 1962, Englund returned to Birmingham to lead the Birmingham Civic Ballet, the first of several companies he would direct. The company became well-respected and grew under his leadership, but Englund left the company in 1967 after problems with board members. During the summer of 1967, Englund began a new venture, based in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York. This project involved forming a small professional dance company, the Huntington Dance Ensemble, to give performances and to work as artists-in-residence in the schools of the district. Englund remained with the Huntington Dance Ensemble until it was forced to disband, due to a loss of federal funding. In 1970, with a new source of funding, the small company was renamed Dance Repertory Company and toured the country giving performances and residencies through 1972. In the fall of 1972, Dance Repertory Company was taken under Ballet Theatre Foundation as its own training company. Renamed Ballet Repertory Company, Englund served as its director. In 1981, the company's name was changed again to American Ballet Theatre II (ABT II). In connection with Ballet Theatre Foundation, Englund also directed summer training programs for young dancers. He and Oliver Smith also co-directed Ballet Theatre Workshop, a program to develop new choreographers. By mid-1985, Ballet Theatre Foundation ended the company and its training programs. In the fall of 1985, at the invitation of Robert Joffrey, Englund took over the directorship of Joffrey II, the training company of the Joffrey Ballet. He also became responsible for its annual Choreographers' Workshop program. Englund was working with this group at the time of his death.

Language

The Choreography files/repertory series contains an item in Danish and its English translation.

Indexes

Collection guide available in repository and on internet.

Connect to:

Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

Finding Aid

Occupation

Choreographers.

Dance teachers.

Dancers.

Added Author

Bush, Gage.

Harrison, Lou, 1917-2003.

Haslam, Henley.

Hering, Doris.

Joffrey, Robert.

Kudelka, James.

Richter, Eric.

Smith, Oliver Lemuel, 1918-1994.

Taylor-Corbett, Lynne.

Research Call Number

(S) *MGZMD 94