MS 9263 Papers of Gertrud Bodenwieser (1890 - 1959)
- Papers
- 1919-97
- 3.62 m (10 boxes + 4 folio boxes) + 13 map cabinet folio
packages
- Available for reference
Following Gertrud Bodenwiesers death in 1959, papers documenting
her extensive career as a dancer, choreographer and teacher were left in the
custody of Marie Cuckson. Together with Emmy Towsey, Cuckson arranged and added
to the collection, through donations of memoirs, costume designs and other
material from Bodenwiesers friends and associates. In August 1998 the
collection was donated to the Library by Cuckson and her daughter Barbara
Cuckson. Part of this collection was also sent to the National Film and Sound
Archive.
The collection held by the Library includes correspondence, photographs,
costume designs, programs, press cuttings, publicity material and posters,
music scores, writings by Bodenwieser, personal documents, dissertations and
publications. The collection documents Bodenwiesers career in modern
dance both in Europe and Australia, and the tours and performances of her dance
companies Tanzgruppe Bodenwieser and the Bodenwieser Ballet. The collection
also documents numerous exhibitions and writings relating to or featuring
Bodenwieser, which reflect the continuing appreciation of her talent and
influence.
There are few letters to or from Bodenwieser. The correspondence
primarily relates to administration of the Gertrud Bodenwieser Archives,
including arrangements for exhibitions of material from the collection, and
donation of material to various dance archives, libraries and museums. Among
the correspondents are Shona Dunlop MacTavish, Eileen Cramer, Margaret Chapple,
Hede Juer, Johanna Exiner, Hilde Holger, Robyn Rawson, Giora Manor, Lysbeth
Cohen, Karl Bittman, Dr Agnes Bleir Brody, Meg Abbie Denton, Claire Robilant,
Paul Bentley, Edward Pask, Ann Butt, Genevieve Oswald, Bengt Häger, Carlos
Hecht and Sir Eugene Goossens.
The original arrangement of the collection by Marie Cuckson and Emmy
Towsey has been preserved by the Library. Cuckson and Towsey produced a
detailed catalogue of the Gertrud Bodenwieser Archives, a copy of which is
included with this finding aid.
A portrait of Bodenwieser by Clif Peir is held in the National
Librarys Pictorial Collection, as are two photographs by Max Dupain
showing ballet poses from the Blue Danube Waltz and Waterlilies.
Sound recordings made as part of the Keep Dancing! oral history project
are held in the Librarys Oral History collection. Costumes and film and
sound recordings from the Gertrud Bodenwieser Archives were sent to the
National Film and Sound Archive, and are housed as part of the Keep
Dancing! Collection. The costumes may soon be transferred to the National
Museum of Australia.
Gertrud Bodenwieser, dancer, teacher and choreographer, was born in
Vienna on 3 February 1890, the younger daughter of Theodor and Maria Bondi. She
was trained in classical ballet by Carl Godlewski, but soon came to develop her
own modern expressionist mode of dancing based on the New Dance method. By 1917
she had adopted the surname Bodenwieser. She married theatre
director Friedrich Jacques Rosenthal on 27 June 1920.
Bodenwiesers first performance was at the Wiener Konzerthaus,
Vienna, on 5 May 1919. Between 1920 and 1938 she taught at the Akademie
für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (the Vienna State Academy for Music and
Drama); she was appointed Professor in 1926. In 1931 she won a Grand Prix in
Florence, Italy, for her ballet Dämon maschine (later Demon
machine). In 1923 Bodenwieser and her newly formed dance company,
Tanzgruppe Bodenwieser, appeared in a production of Ferdinand Raimunds
Der Verschwender. From 1925 to 1939 Bodenwieser and Tanzgruppe
Bodenwieser toured extensively in Europe, also visiting New York and Japan.
Following the Nazi invasion of Austria in 1938, Bodenwieser and her
husband fled to France. While Bodenwieser went on to join some of her dancers
in Colombia, Rosenthal stayed in France, where he was later arrested and
interned in the concentration camp at Auschwitz, Poland. It is believed that he
died in 1942. Bodenwieser arrived in Australia in 1939 and established the
Bodenwieser Ballet in Sydney. From 1940 to 1954 the Ballet toured Australian
cities and towns, as well as visiting New Zealand, South Africa, Rhodesia and
India.
During her career, Bodenwieser choreographed approximately 300 dance
works, including dance dramas and comedies, group dances and solo dances, as
well as dances for operettas and plays. Over 100 of these were composed in
Australia, where Bodenwieser played a significant role in the development of
modern dance. Her studio in Sydney helped to produce some of Australias
best choreographers and dancers, including Keith Bain, Margaret Chapple and
Shona Dunlop MacTavish. Bodenwieser also worked with the New South Wales Art
Council and the Mobile Theatre Unit. She died in Sydney on 10 November
1959.
(For a full list of works choreographed by Bodenwieser, refer to Shona
Dunlop MacTavishs biography, An ecstasy of purpose (1987), as well
as lists collated by Marie Cuckson and Emmy Towsey in Series 11)
|
1. |
Correspondence, 1970-97 |
|
2. |
Photographs and slides, 1938-1979 |
|
3. |
Costume designs |
|
4. |
Music scores |
|
5. |
Programs, 1922-60 |
|
6. |
Posters and publicity material, 1926-79 |
|
7. |
Press cuttings, 1919-38 |
|
8. |
Tours, 1951-53 |
|
9. |
Dances, 1949-86 |
|
10. |
Exhibitions, demonstrations and lectures, 1933-90 |
|
11. |
Publications and writings regarding Gertrud Bodenwieser,
1919-97 |
|
12. |
Writings of Gertrud Bodenwieser, 1926-58 |
|
13. |
Personal documents and mementoes, c1920-86 |
|
14. |
Miscellaneous papers, 1941-96 |
Series 1 Correspondence, 1970-97
Marie Cuckson and Emmy Towsey corresponded with various dance centres,
museums and archives, as well as researchers, former dancers and others
associated with or interested in Bodenwieser. They donated copies of material
from the Gertrud Bodenwieser Archives to various museums including the Lincoln
Center (New York), the Academy of Music and Theatre Arts (Vienna), Dansmuseet
(Stockholm) and the Australian Ballet Dance Archives (Melbourne).
Cuckson and Towsey also collected memoirs, photographs and other
material relating to Bodenwieser from various people associated with her life
and work, including Shona Dunlop MacTavish, Hede Juer, Eileen Cramer and
Margaret Chapple.
Other correspondents include Marcel Lorber, Johanna Exiner, Hilde
Holger, Joel Crotty, Colin Peasley, Robyn Rawson, Giora Manor, Lysbeth Cohen,
Clem Gorman, Lyn Collingwood, Karl Bittman, Dr Agnes Bleir Brody of the
Hilverding Society, Meg Abbie Denton of the South Australian College for
Advanced Education, Claire Robilant of the London School of Contemporary Dance,
Paul Bentley of the Sydney Opera House Trust, Genevieve Oswald of the Lincoln
Center, Bengt Häger of Dansmuseet, Edward Pask of the Australian Ballet
Dance Archives and Ann Butt of the Australian Association for Dance
Education.
|
Folder |
|
|
1 |
Correspondence with the Lincoln Center (New York), Dansmuseet
(Stockholm) and Australian Ballet Dance Archives (Melbourne), 1972-80 |
|
2 |
Correspondence, 1971-97 |
|
3 |
Correspondence, 1975-86 |
|
4 |
Correspondence, 1983-93 |
|
5 |
Correspondence, miscellaneous, 1970-85 |
|
6 |
Acknowledgements of material donated to museums or loaned for
exhibitions, 1977-80 |
|
7 |
Journal of correspondence, 1976-80 |
|
8 |
Letters and writings of Eileen Cramer, 1980-85 |
|
9 |
Letters from Nell Johnson, 1961 |
Series 2 Photographs and slides, 1938-1979
This series of photographs and portraits includes work by professional
photographers, such as Australian photographer Max Dupain. The catalogue
prepared by Marie Cuckson and Emmy Towsey provides a comprehensive listing of
the photographs from 1938 to 1960, which are numbered and mounted on cardboard
sheets. There are also fourteen colour transparencies of items from the
collection, including transparencies of seven photographs, six programs and one
costume design. In addition there are several slides of a rehearsal of children
of factory works at St Marys, NSW.
Selected online copies from this series are
available.
|
Folder/Piece |
|
1-29 |
Photographs, pre-1938 (Folio) |
|
30-81 |
Photographs, 1938-60 (Folio) |
|
82-86 |
Supplementary photographs, 1938-60 (Folio)
|
|
87-92 |
Miscellaneous photographs, 1939-79 (Folio)
|
|
93 |
Transparencies |
|
94 |
Information about photographs |
|
95 |
Photographs and slides, 1955-60 |
Series 3 Costume designs
This series includes drawings of a selection of costume designs from
various dance dramas, group dances and ballets including O world, The
life of the insects, The one and the many, The imaginary
invalid, The test of strength, This is my countrys sacred soil,
The swinging bell and The two lovers. The pencil, paint, crayon and
ink drawings were done by various friends and associates of Bodenwieser,
including Eileen Cramer, Evelyn Ippen, Lizzi Pisk and Cedric Flower. Notes on
the costume designs for The life of the insects are included in Series
1. A pictorial representation of scenes from O world is included in
Series 9.
|
Piece (all folio items) |
|
1 |
Costume designs recollected by Eileen Cramer |
|
2 |
Costume designs by Cedric Flower, Evelyn Ippen and Lizzi
Pisk |
|
3 |
Costume designs for The life of the insects by Eileen
Cramer |
|
4 |
Costume designs for O world by Eileen Cramer |
|
5-7 |
Costume designs, miscellaneous |
Series 4 Music scores
Throughout her career Bodenwieser worked with many notable composers,
including Marcel Lorber and Werner Baer. This series includes handwritten music
scores for a number of Bodenwiesers dances, many of which were written in
and inspired by Australia. Prior to her death, Bodenwieser had been working on
a new choreography based on Claude Debussys Des Pas sur la
Neige.
|
Piece (all folio items) |
|
1 |
No 10, The one and the many by Werner Baer The
weaker and the stronger by Werner Baer The test of strength by
Werner Baer Waltzing Matilda by Werner Baer Barlumi by
Malipiers |
|
2 |
No. 14, The imaginary invalid by Marcel Lorber |
|
3 |
Cain and Abel by Marcel Lorber |
|
4 |
Cradle song of Mother Earth (also titled Berceuse)
by Marcel Lorber |
|
5 |
Terror by Marcel Lorber |
|
6 |
Joan of Arc by Marcel Lorber |
|
7 |
The life of the insects by Werner Baer |
|
8 |
Central Australian suite by C. C. Gheysens |
|
9 |
O world (one scene) by Kurt Herweg (photocopy)
Demon machine by Lisa Maria Meyer Israeli dance by Werner
Baer Des Pas sur la Neige by Claude Debussy (handwritten copy)
Sphinx by Marcel Lorber |
Series 5 Programs, 1922-60
This series includes original and photocopies of programs for
performances by Bodenwieser and her dancers, from the first appearance of
Tanzgruppe Bodenwieser in Ferdinand Raimunds Der Verschwender in
Vienna, 1923, to the Bodenwieser Ballets memorial recital A tribute
to Gertrud Bodenwieser in Sydney, 1960.
From 1922 to 1938 Bodenwieser and her Vienna-based dance company
Tanzgruppe Bodenwieser performed and toured across Europe. When World War II
began, Bodenwieser immigrated to Australia and formed the Bodenwieser Ballet.
Bodenwieser and the Ballet performed often, including numerous tours throughout
regional Australia and overseas. A detailed listing of the programs may be
found in the catalogue prepared by Marie Cuckson and Emmy Towsey.
|
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
Collection of programs as selected for display at exhibitions,
1926-60 |
|
2-3 |
Programs, 1922-38 |
|
4-5 |
Programs, 1939-60 |
|
6 |
Miscellaneous programs, 1928-37 (2 items from this
folder are in Folio Box 3) |
|
7 |
Programs of some student recitals, 1927-31 |
Series 6 Posters and publicity material, 1926-79
This small series includes posters for various exhibitions relating to
or featuring Bodenwieser, including Tanz 20. Jahrhundert in Wien
in Vienna, 1979-80. There is also a selection of posters and publicity notes
for both Tanzgruppe Bodenwieser and the Bodenwieser Ballet.
|
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
Posters, 1960 |
|
2-3 |
Posters, 1926-79 (Folio) |
|
4 |
Posters, 1979-80 (Folio) |
|
5 |
Publicity notices, 1930-60 |
|
6 |
Publicity notices with quotations from world-wide press reviews,
1926-50 |
|
7 |
Publicity notices for tours, 1950-54 |
Series 7 Press cuttings, 1919-93
This comprehensive series includes approximately 1500 cuttings and
photocopies of cuttings. These document many of the tours and performances by
Bodenwieser and the Tanzgruppe Bodenwieser and Bodenwieser Ballet dance
companies.
|
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
Press cuttings, 1919-38 (Folio) |
|
2 |
Press cuttings, 1939-42 (Folio) |
|
3 |
Press cuttings, 1944-46 (Folio) |
|
4 |
Press cuttings, 1947 (Folio) |
|
5 |
Press cuttings, 1948 (Folio) |
|
6 |
Press cuttings, 1949 (Folio) |
|
7-8 |
Press cuttings, 1950 (Folio) |
|
9 |
Press cuttings, 1951 (Folio) |
|
10 |
Press cuttings, 1952-70 (Folio) |
|
11 |
Supplementary press cuttings, 1947-60
(Folio) |
|
12 |
Press cuttings received after 1980, 1941-93 |
Series 8 Tours, 1951-53
Bodenwieser toured extensively throughout Europe and Australia, firstly
with Tanzgruppe Bodenwieser and then with the Bodenwieser Ballet. During a
period of 30 years, Bodenwieser dancers visited over 200 of the worlds
cities and towns, including tours to Japan, New Zealand, South America, South
Africa and India. Publicity material for tours is included in Series 6, and
photographs from a number of tours are included in Series 2.
|
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
Mementoes of tours, 1951-53 |
|
2 |
List of cities and towns at which the Bodenwieser Company
performed |
|
3 |
Map of tours (two copies) (Folio) |
Series 9 Dances, 1949-86
This small series includes notes on dances by Bodenwieser and others
involved with the Bodenwieser Ballet. There are also papers relating to the
labonotation of Bodenwiesers ballet Demon Machine. Labonotation is
a method of recording dance movements through symbolic notation. The
labonotation of Demon Machine was sponsored by the South Australia
College of Advanced Education, and published in the Dance Notation
Journal, vol. 4, no. 1, 1986. Costume designs, musical scores and
photographs of dance scenes are included in Series 2, 3 and 4.
|
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
Scenarios and notes on some dance dramas and group dances,
1949-59 |
|
2 |
O World, a pictorial account by Eileen Cramer
(Folio) |
|
3 |
Labonotation of Demon Machine, 1986 |
Series 10 Exhibitions, demonstrations and lectures, 1933-90
This series documents numerous exhibitions, lectures and dance
demonstrations relating to or featuring Bodenwieser. These activities reflect
the continuing interest in and appreciation of Bodenwieser and her work.
Cuckson and Towsey helped to promote Bodenwieser through donations or loan of
material for exhibitions and lectures. As well, they organised and presented a
number of lectures and lecture demonstrations based on Bodenwiesers
choreography. This series includes correspondence, photographs, exhibition
programs and catalogues, lectures, dance newsletters and journals. Other
material relating to various exhibitions is included in Series 2 and 11.
The earliest exhibition to include Bodenwieser was Der tanz,
in Künstlerbund Hagen, Vienna, 1933. A major exhibition in Vienna in
1979-80, Tanz 20. Jahrhundert in Wien (Dance in the
Twentieth Century in Vienna) included a display on Bodenwieser and her work. In
1982 the Hilverding Society (Vienna) donated material from this exhibition to
the Theatre Collection of the National Library of Vienna, and provided the
Gertrud Bodenwieser Archives with copies of material relating to
Bodenwiesers career in Europe. The catalogue prepared by Cuckson and
Towsey includes details of many of these events.
|
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
Memorial recital, New South Wales Conservatorium of Music,
Sydney, 1960 |
|
2 |
Exhibition, Tanz 20. Jahrhundert in Wien,
Vienna, 1933-80 |
|
3 |
Exhibition in the Sydney Opera House, 1979-80 |
|
4 |
Exhibitions in Vienna and Sydney, 1979-81
(Folio) |
|
5-6 |
Bodenwieser Centenary Exhibition, 1990 |
|
7 |
Lecture demonstrations regarding Gertrud Bodenwieser for
teachers and prospective teachers, 1981-82 |
|
8-10 |
Dance in education course material for the Bachelor
of Education, Institute of Early Childhood Development, 1980 |
|
11 |
The history of sacred and biblically-inspired dance in
Australia, a lecture by Mary Jones at the Israel Festivals
International Symposium on the Bible in dance, 1979 Workshop Phases
and stages Modern Dance in Australia and America, from 1923-1983,
at the Champagne Fairs, South Australian College of Advanced Education, 1983
Notes on an exhibition on Viennese dance by the Austrian Institute,
London, 1981-82 Lecture demonstration on Gertrud Bodenwieser by Johanna
Exiner, biennial conference of the Australian Association for Dance Education,
1986 |
|
12 |
Expressive dance in Austria up to 1938, a lecture by
Dr Andrea Amort, 1986 |
|
13 |
Material relating to the Hilverding Society, 1966-83 |
Series 11 Publications and writings regarding Gertrud Bodenwieser,
1919-97
Marie Cuckson and Emmy Towsey assembled a collection of brief personal
accounts by associates of Bodenwieser, who recounted their experiences with
Bodenwieser and her companies Tanzgruppe Bodenwieser and the Bodenwieser
Ballet. This series includes typescripts or transcripts of memoirs by Hede
Juer, Hilde Holger, Illa Banner, Lisl Petter, Helmtraud Pribitzer, Emmy Towsey,
Johanna Exiner, Shona Dunlop MacTavish, Hans Forst, Jack Horner, Coralie
Hinkley, Basil Pattison, Gisa Taglicht, Barbara Cuckson, Marie Cuckson, Anita
Ardell, Lesma von Sturmer, Jean Raymond, Eileen Cramer and Colin Peasley.
Cuckson and Towsey also prepared numerous summaries and lists, including a list
of Bodenwiesers choreographies and other biographical information.
There are also dissertations, books, magazines and journals by or about
Bodenwieser, and containing accounts or her work and influence. These writings
reflect Bodenwiesers role in the development of modern dance both in
Europe and Australia. Other writings regarding Bodenwieser are included in
Series 9 and 11.
The catalogue prepared by Cuckson and Towsey includes a detailed list of
publications.
|
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
Summaries and lists prepared by Marie Cuckson and Emmy Towsey,
1978-86 |
|
2 |
Memoirs, 1946-97 |
|
3 |
Typescript of dissertation by Gabrielle Renner, Gertrud
Bodenwieser: her importance as a choreographer and exponent of the New
Dance, 1981 |
|
4 |
Typescript of dissertation by Robyn Rawson, Gertrud
Bodenwieser: German Expressionism and the development of Modern Dance in
Australia, 1986 |
|
5 |
Translations of articles in the European press, 1919-38
|
|
6 |
Translations, various, 1928-79 |
|
7 |
Extracts from books, articles and magazines referring to Gertrud
Bodenwieser, 1932-96 |
|
8 |
Extracts from books articles and magazines referring to Gertrud
Bodenwieser, 1946-84 |
|
9-10 |
Magazines and journals referring to Gertrud Bodenwieser,
1945-92 |
|
11-13 |
Magazines and journals referring to Gertrud Bodenwieser, 1945-92
(Folio) |
|
14 |
Karl Bittman. Strauss to Matilda: Viennese in Australia
1938-1988 (1988) |
|
15 |
Barbara Cuckson. Dance principles (1969) |
|
16 |
Shona Dunlop MacTavish. An ecstasy of purpose (1987)
|
|
17 |
Shona Dunlop MacTavish. Gertrud Bodenwieser: tänzerin,
choreographin, pädagogin (1992) |
|
18 |
Shona Dunlop MacTavish. Leap of faith: my dance through
life (1997) |
|
19 |
Trader Faulkner. Peter Finch: a biography (1979)
|
|
20 |
Jean Garling. Australian notes on the ballet (1950)
|
|
21 |
Arnold Haskell and P.J.S. Richardson. Whos who in
dancing (1932) |
|
22 |
Rudolf Lämmel. Der moderne tanz (1928) |
|
23 |
Marlene J. Norst and Johanna McBride. Austrians and Australia
(1988) |
|
24 |
Ted Shawn. Dance we must (1946) |
|
25 |
Paul Stefan. Tanz in dieser zeit (1926) |
|
26 |
The Dance Vol. 1 (vol. 5 no. 5 March 1926 - vol. 9, no. 4
February 1928) |
|
27 |
The Dance Vol. 2 (vol. 9 no. 5 March 1928 - vol. 13, no.
4 February 1930) |
|
28-29 |
Tanz 20. Jahrhundert in Wien (1979) (2 copies)
|
Series 12 Writings of Gertrud Bodenwieser, 1926-58
This small series of includes a selection of writings by Gertrud
Bodenwieser, such as notes for lectures, notes on the history of the dance,
introductory remarks to a performance by the Bodenwieser Ballet, and a
typescript draft of an article The modern dance. A number of these
are translations from the original German.
|
Folder |
|
|
1 |
Writings, 1926-58 |
Series 13 Personal documents and mementoes, c1920-86
This series of personal documents and mementoes includes photographs of
Bodenwieser, contracts and certificates, notes for rehearsals and articles and
documents referring to Bodenwiesers husband Friedrich Rosenthal.
The series also includes letters of Gertrud Bodenwieser to Emmy Towsey,
Hermann Bahr, Werner Baer and Dorothy Helmrich, as well as letters from Sir
Eugene Goossens, Carlos Hecht and the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
Cuckson and Towseys catalogue of the collection includes a detailed
listing of these items.
|
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
Personal and professional documents, 1921-77 |
|
2 |
Personal mementoes, c1920-79 |
|
3 |
Friedrich Rosenthal, 1948-86 (1 item from this folder is
in Folio Box 3) |
Series 14 Miscellaneous papers, 1941-96
This small series of miscellaneous items comprises a copy of Miquette
Hirmer-Markls portrait of Bodenwieser, a scrapbook of publicity notices,
programs and press cuttings collated by Regal Tours manager John Clugston, and
notes for examinations set by Bodenwieser for teachers and students.
|
Folder |
|
|
1 |
Photographic copy of a portrait of Gertrud Bodenwieser by
Miquette Hirmer-Markl |
|
2 |
Scrapbook of John Clugston, 1942-96 (bulk 1948) |
|
3 |
Examination notes, Grades I-IV, 1941-59 |
(Please note: Series 2-11, 13 include items in folio boxes
and/or the map cabinets)
| Box |
Series
|
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
1 |
1-5 |
|
2 |
1 |
6-9 |
|
2 |
94-95 |
|
5 |
1-2 |
|
3 |
5 |
3-7 |
|
6 |
1, 5 |
|
4 |
6 |
6-7 |
| |
7 |
12 |
|
8 |
1-2 |
|
9 |
1,3 |
|
10 |
1-2 |
|
5 |
10 |
3, 5-11 |
|
6 |
10 |
11-13 |
|
11 |
1-4 |
|
7 |
11 |
5-9 |
|
8 |
11 |
14-22 |
|
9 |
11 |
23-28 |
|
10 |
11 |
29-30 |
|
12 |
1 |
|
13 |
1-3 |
|
14 |
1-3 |
|
|
|
|
Folio 1 |
2 |
1-86 |
|
Folio 2 |
2 |
87-93 |
|
3 |
1-7 |
|
Folio 3 |
4 |
1-9 |
|
Folio 4 |
5 |
2 programs from Folder 6 |
|
6 |
2-3 |
|
9 |
2 |
|
10 |
4 |
|
11 |
11-13 |
|
13 |
1 newsletter from Folder 3 |
|
|
|
|
Folio packages in map cabinets |
6 |
4 |
|
7 |
1-11 |
|
8 |
3 |
Guide prepared March 1999 Amended May 2001 |