Research Catalog

Title

Hanya Holm papers, 1803-1984 (bulk dates 1931-1980).

Author

Holm, Hanya, 1893-1992.

Supplementary Content

Finding Aid

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Wigman, Mary, 1886-1973.

Description

19 linear ft. (865 folders in 49 boxes)

Summary

The Hanya Holm papers primarily document Holm's professional life as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer of concert dance, musical theater, and opera. Included are correspondence, teaching material, choreographic notes, designs and annotated scores for both concert dance and musical theater, material related to Holm's forty-three summers at Colorado College, material related to honors and awards, biographical material, financial information regarding the Hanya Holm Studio, general information on the New York Wigman School of the Dance, publicity material and programs for Hanya Holm and Dance Company, photographs, and drafts for both published and unpublished writings. The collection also includes a small selection of personal papers. Choreographic works with significant content in the collection include Trend, Namesake, and the musical Kiss me Kate.The collection also includes significant correspondence from Holm's inspiration, teacher, and friend Mary Wigman.

Subjects

• Choreographers
• Holm, Hanya, 1893-1992
• Holm, Hanya, 1893-1992 > Friends and associates
• Dancer teachers > New York (State) > New York
• Manuscripts
• Women dancers > United States > 20th century
• Wigman, Mary, 1886-1973
• Hanya Holm and Dance Company
• Musical comedies > Kiss me Kate
• Dance teachers
• Trend (Choreographic work : Holm)
• Hanya Holm Studio
• New York Wigman School of the Dance
• Dancers
• Namesake (Choreographic work : Holm)
• Colorado College > Summer School of Dance
• Choreographers > United States > 20th century

Genre/Form

Manuscripts.

Access (note)

• Collection is available for research.

Source (note)

• Gift of the estate of Hanya Holm.

Biography (note)

• Hanya Holm, recognized as one of the four early pioneers of modern dance in the United States, was born Johanna Josepha Eckert on March 3, 1893. Her early education at the Konvent der Englischen Fr?ulein in Mainz was followed by music studies at the Hoch Conservatory and the Dalcroze Institute at Frankfurt-am-Main, graduating in 1916. She taught Dalcroze and music until 1921. Her earlier desire to dance was strengthened by seeing Mary Wigman perform in 1921. She was affiliated with the Wigman Central Institute from 1921-1931, becoming chief instructor in 1924 and Director in 1929. Holm's performing career blossomed during her years with Wigman. She was an original member of the Wigman Concert Dance Group (1923-1928), touring Europe to great acclaim. In 1931 Holm was brought to the United States by Sol Hurok to open and direct a branch of the Wigman School in New York. As official representative of Mary Wigman in America, Holm was also sought for many outside lectures and teaching engagements. She taught regularly in Washington and Philadelphia and presented lecture demonstrations to educational institutions and arts organizations nation-wide. These presentations later developed into Holm's signature Demonstration Program, a choreographed manual of dance and movement theory performed to music by Harvey Pollins, with percussion accompaniment by the dancers, and a lecture by Holm. It was, according to Holm's 1950s publicity material, one of Holm's 2great and unique accomplishments3. The school was immediately very successful, but by 1936 anti-Nazi feeling was strong in the United States and Wigman's name lost favor. Furthermore, Holm's movement theories had begun to diverge from her teacher's. With Wigman's consent, the school became the Hanya Holm Studio in 1936, and renamed, in 1949, the Hanya Holm School of the Dance. Modern dancers and dance professionals of other styles flocked to Holm's courses for she offered a solid foundation in movement principles which transcended genre. Alwin Nikolais, Glen Tetley, Louise Kloepper, Valerie Bettis, Mary Anthony, Murray Louis, Claudia Gittleman, Bambi Lynn, Marge and Gower Champion, and Annabelle Lyon were among some of Hanya's students who were then, or were soon to be, among the leading dancers and choreographers of their times. Her school closed in 1968 but Holm continued teaching into the 1980s at the Nikolais-Louis Dance Lab and at the Juilliard School. In addition to her New York City school, Holm was one of the founding faculty members of the now famous Bennington School of the Dance in the summer of 1934, along with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. She taught each summer until 1940, finding time to also teach at the University of Iowa and in Colorado at the Perry Mansfield summer camp. In the summer of 1941, she founded the Colorado College Summer School of the Dance, returning annually as director, teacher, and choreographer until it closed in 1983. Her twenty-fifth and fortieth anniversary summers were celebrated in grand style, with special performances, articles in the local Colorado press, and gala events. Her Choreography developed in two distinct genres. From 1936-1947, she had her own company of personally-trained dancers, performing works such as Trend (1937), Dance of work and play (1938), They too are exiles (1941), The golden fleece (1941), among others. After her company folded, she continued creating concert dance during the summers at Colorado College, and, in the 1980s, for the company of her former student, Don Redlich. But Holm's choreography soon began to be more widely seen on the commercial stage. Holm's prolific output in the fields of musical theater, opera, film and television began with 2Eccentricities of Davey Crockett,3 created for the cooperative Ballet Ballads in 1948. Later the same year, Holm collaborated with Jose Ferrer on The Insect Comedy, and by year's end, Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate was in previews with Holm's choreography. In the following years, Holm was choreographer or movement director for more than twenty theatrical productions, including The golden apple (1954), My fair lady (1956), Where's Charley? (1957), and Camelot (1960). She received the New York Drama Critics' Award for the choreography of Kiss me Kate, a Critics' Circle Citation for The golden apple, and a Tony Award nomination for the choreography of My fair lady. In 1952, Holm was granted a copyright for her dances from Kiss me Kate, making her the first choreographer of a Broadway show ever to receive such protection. Holm received numerous other honors and awards for her work, an Honorary Doctorate Degrees of Fine Arts from both Colorado College and Adelphi College, the Colorado Governor's Award for Arts and Humanities, the Dance Magazine Award for Tragic Exodus, the Award from the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies for 2outstanding contribution to the Modern Dance Movement in America,3 the Capezio Award, the Astaire Award, and the Samuel H. Scripps Award for Lifetime Achievement. Holm was naturalized in 1939. She died in New York City on November 3, 1992.

Indexes/Finding Aids (note)

• Collection guide available in repository and via the internet.

Call Number

(S) *MGZMD 136

OCLC

NYPY05-A10000

Author

Holm, Hanya, 1893-1992.

Title

Hanya Holm papers, 1803-1984 (bulk dates 1931-1980).

Access

Collection is available for research.

Biography

Hanya Holm, recognized as one of the four early pioneers of modern dance in the United States, was born Johanna Josepha Eckert on March 3, 1893. Her early education at the Konvent der Englischen Fr?ulein in Mainz was followed by music studies at the Hoch Conservatory and the Dalcroze Institute at Frankfurt-am-Main, graduating in 1916. She taught Dalcroze and music until 1921. Her earlier desire to dance was strengthened by seeing Mary Wigman perform in 1921. She was affiliated with the Wigman Central Institute from 1921-1931, becoming chief instructor in 1924 and Director in 1929. Holm's performing career blossomed during her years with Wigman. She was an original member of the Wigman Concert Dance Group (1923-1928), touring Europe to great acclaim. In 1931 Holm was brought to the United States by Sol Hurok to open and direct a branch of the Wigman School in New York. As official representative of Mary Wigman in America, Holm was also sought for many outside lectures and teaching engagements. She taught regularly in Washington and Philadelphia and presented lecture demonstrations to educational institutions and arts organizations nation-wide. These presentations later developed into Holm's signature Demonstration Program, a choreographed manual of dance and movement theory performed to music by Harvey Pollins, with percussion accompaniment by the dancers, and a lecture by Holm. It was, according to Holm's 1950s publicity material, one of Holm's 2great and unique accomplishments3. The school was immediately very successful, but by 1936 anti-Nazi feeling was strong in the United States and Wigman's name lost favor. Furthermore, Holm's movement theories had begun to diverge from her teacher's. With Wigman's consent, the school became the Hanya Holm Studio in 1936, and renamed, in 1949, the Hanya Holm School of the Dance. Modern dancers and dance professionals of other styles flocked to Holm's courses for she offered a solid foundation in movement principles which transcended genre. Alwin Nikolais, Glen Tetley, Louise Kloepper, Valerie Bettis, Mary Anthony, Murray Louis, Claudia Gittleman, Bambi Lynn, Marge and Gower Champion, and Annabelle Lyon were among some of Hanya's students who were then, or were soon to be, among the leading dancers and choreographers of their times. Her school closed in 1968 but Holm continued teaching into the 1980s at the Nikolais-Louis Dance Lab and at the Juilliard School. In addition to her New York City school, Holm was one of the founding faculty members of the now famous Bennington School of the Dance in the summer of 1934, along with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. She taught each summer until 1940, finding time to also teach at the University of Iowa and in Colorado at the Perry Mansfield summer camp. In the summer of 1941, she founded the Colorado College Summer School of the Dance, returning annually as director, teacher, and choreographer until it closed in 1983. Her twenty-fifth and fortieth anniversary summers were celebrated in grand style, with special performances, articles in the local Colorado press, and gala events. Her Choreography developed in two distinct genres. From 1936-1947, she had her own company of personally-trained dancers, performing works such as Trend (1937), Dance of work and play (1938), They too are exiles (1941), The golden fleece (1941), among others. After her company folded, she continued creating concert dance during the summers at Colorado College, and, in the 1980s, for the company of her former student, Don Redlich. But Holm's choreography soon began to be more widely seen on the commercial stage. Holm's prolific output in the fields of musical theater, opera, film and television began with 2Eccentricities of Davey Crockett,3 created for the cooperative Ballet Ballads in 1948. Later the same year, Holm collaborated with Jose Ferrer on The Insect Comedy, and by year's end, Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate was in previews with Holm's choreography. In the following years, Holm was choreographer or movement director for more than twenty theatrical productions, including The golden apple (1954), My fair lady (1956), Where's Charley? (1957), and Camelot (1960). She received the New York Drama Critics' Award for the choreography of Kiss me Kate, a Critics' Circle Citation for The golden apple, and a Tony Award nomination for the choreography of My fair lady. In 1952, Holm was granted a copyright for her dances from Kiss me Kate, making her the first choreographer of a Broadway show ever to receive such protection. Holm received numerous other honors and awards for her work, an Honorary Doctorate Degrees of Fine Arts from both Colorado College and Adelphi College, the Colorado Governor's Award for Arts and Humanities, the Dance Magazine Award for Tragic Exodus, the Award from the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies for 2outstanding contribution to the Modern Dance Movement in America,3 the Capezio Award, the Astaire Award, and the Samuel H. Scripps Award for Lifetime Achievement. Holm was naturalized in 1939. She died in New York City on November 3, 1992.

Indexes

Collection guide available in repository and via the internet.

Source

Gift of the estate of Hanya Holm.

Connect to:

Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

NYPL Digital Collections

Finding Aid

Occupation

Choreographers.

Dance teachers.

Dancers.

Local Subject

Musical comedies. Kiss me Kate.

Added Author

Wigman, Mary, 1886-1973.

Research Call Number

(S) *MGZMD 136