Richard Englund papers, 1931-1992
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
Archival Material, English, 1931
1931