Eugene Loring Papers
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf3g500545 No online items Guide to the Eugene Loring Papers Processed by Roger Berry and Emma Kheradyar; machine-readable finding aid created by William Landis Special Collections and Archives The UCI Libraries P.O. Box 19557 University of California Irvine, California 92623-9557 Phone: (949) 824-3947 Fax: (949) 824-2472 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.lib.uci.edu/rrsc/speccoll.html © 2000 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Note Arts and Humanities--Dance--Dance PerformanceArts and Humanities--Art--Photography Guide to the Eugene Loring MS-P002 1 Papers Guide to the Eugene Loring Papers Collection number: MS-P02 Special Collections and Archives The UCI Libraries University of California Irvine, California Contact Information Special Collections and Archives The UCI Libraries P.O. Box 19557 University of California Irvine, California 92623-9557 Phone: (949) 824-3947 Fax: (949) 824-2472 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.lib.uci.edu/rrsc/speccoll.html Processed by: Roger Berry and Emma Kheradyar Date Completed: 1997 Encoded by: William Landis and Adrian Turner © 2000 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Descriptive Summary Title: Eugene Loring papers, Date (inclusive): 1925-1986 Date (bulk): (bulk 1933-1979) Collection number: MS-P002 Creator: Loring, Eugene, 1914- Extent: 14.6 linear feet (26 boxes) Repository: University of California, Irvine. Library. Dept. of Special Collections. Irvine, California 92623-9557 Abstract: The Eugene Loring Papers are comprised mainly of production photographs, scrapbooks, programs, and ephemera from the various stages of Loring's career, which culminated in a position as the founding chairman of the University of California, Irvine Dance Department (1965-1978). The collection contains rich documentation of Loring's early career, particularly in scrapbooks documenting the road tours of the dance companies Ballet Caravan and Ballet Theatre, and also broadly documents his directorship of Dance Players. Materials in this collection provide information on two important threads in Loring's diverse career in dance: his choreographic abilities as a leading developer of an American style of dance and his pedagogical skills (the latter first surfaced through his association with the American School of Dance). Additionally, the collection includes numerous performance and portrait photographs of dancers and dance companies collected by Loring and others. Language: English. Access Collection is open for research. Scrapbooks are extremely fragile and require close supervision by Special Collections staff during use. Publication Rights Guide to the Eugene Loring MS-P002 2 Papers Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives. Preferred Citation Eugene Loring Papers. MS-P02. Special Collections and Archives, The UCI Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed. For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations. Acquisition Information Gift of Eugene Loring, 1975 and 1980. Processing History Preliminary processing by Roger Berry in 1975 and 1980. Processing completed by Emma Kheradyar in 1996-1997. Guide edited by Laura Clark Brown in 1998 and completed by William Landis in 2000. Biography/Organization History Biography Born on August 2, 1914 as Le Roy Kerpestein in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Eugene Loring studied gymnastics, music, acting and performing as a young man with the Wisconsin Players. He also studied dance to improve his movement qualities as an actor. He decided in his early twenties to pursue dance full time. Loring was admitted in 1934 to the American School of Ballet, founded by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. They chose a group of students, including Loring, to perform as the American Ballet Company. This company also performed divertissement ballets choreographed by Balanchine for the Metropolitan Opera. During this time Loring also danced in the corps de ballet and as a soloist with the Fokine Ballet. When the American Ballet and Metropolitan Opera seasons ended each year, a group of dancers including Loring joined Lincoln Kirstein's independent company Ballet Caravan. Instead of following classical ballet traditions, dancers choreographed pieces about life in America. The group shared equally in all decision making. Ballet Caravan spent spring and summer caravaning to small towns across America to perform in small venues. At summer's end they returned to New York for the American Ballet and Metropolitan Opera seasons. Eugene Loring's first original ballet was Harlequin for President. While a dancer/choreographer with Ballet Caravan, he choreographed Billy the Kid at the suggestion of Lincoln Kirstein, collaborating with Aaron Copland, who composed the musical score. Billy the Kid became Loring's most famous piece and is in the permanent repertoire of American Ballet Theatre. The Australian Ballet and the Oakland Ballet also have performed Billy as part of their repertoire. Loring choreographed The Great American Goof, a ballet-play with spoken words (libretto by William Saroyan), for Ballet Theatre in 1940. The work was a compilation of dance, music, speech, and sliding stage screens. In the same year, Loring appeared on Broadway as an actor in Saroyan's The Beautiful People. Loring created his own dance company named Dance Players in 1941, which continued in the same vein as Ballet Caravan. He choreographed Man From Midian and Prairie and the company performed Billy the Kid, along with many of his earlier works such as Yankee Clipper and Harlequin for President. The company disbanded in 1942, but Loring reused the name later for other student dance companies. In 1943 Loring was contracted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to work as a dance director and actor in films. It was a productive period for Loring as he choreographed dance sequences for the films Ziegfeld Follies, Funny Face, and Silk Stockings, as well as several Broadway shows, including Carmen Jones, Kismet, Park Avenue, and Silk Stockings. Loring also choreographed extensively for the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. Loring founded the American School of Dance (not affiliated with American School of Ballet) in Hollywood in 1947. The school remained in existence for over 25 years from the time Loring first arrived in California until a few years before his death. His goal for the school was to give students training in ballet, modern, jazz, tap, composition and notation. Loring developed his own dance technique at this time which was known as the "Free-Style Technique," combining ballet and jazz. Its purpose was to allow students to make easily the technique changes that were required of them professionally. The school had a sizable faculty roster and actively advertised guest teachers and lecturers. In the 1950s the school was home to the 15-member, semi-professional dance troupe Dance Players, led by Loring. The company gave over 300 performances to high schools, colleges and civic groups. Loring was invited to the White House in 1962 to present Billy the Kid. He was awarded Dance Magazine's Annual Award in 1968. One year later, he was the founding director of the Los Angeles Dance Players. At the same time, he developed his lecture series "Dance As a Language." Loring's goal was to educate the audience about dance in a way that paired narrative with dance. During the same year, he received a creative writing grant from the University of California to write Kineseography, about his form of dance notation. Loring worked with the Oakland Ballet in 1976 to stage Billy the Kid, and Guide to the Eugene Loring MS-P002 3 Papers in 1978 he re-staged a ballet titled The Sisters, which had originally premiered with the San Diego Ballet in 1966. Loring's careers as a choreographer and teacher intertwined for three decades before he became the founding chairman of University of California, Irvine's Dance Department in 1965. He developed an instructional program for the department with a focus similar to his American School of Dance. Examinations for technique classes were adjudicated like professional auditions, and students had different teachers for technique each day. The department's goal was to prepare students for professional jobs immediately after graduation. Loring used his position as an opportunity to mount new works that were not financially possible using a professional dance company. Eugene Loring died in Kingston, New York on August 30, 1982. Chronology Refer to the Choreology for dates of Loring's choreographic activities and works. 1914 Born Le Roy Kerpestein in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 2nd. 1934 Professional stage debut with Michel Fokine. 1934 Danced in Corps de Ballet and as a soloist with one year of concentrated ballet training. 1934 Performed in Sorcerer's Apprentice and Prince Igor. 1935-1938 Dancer in Corps de Ballet, then soloist for Balanchine and Kirstein's American Ballet. 1935 Danced in his first professional productions as Photographer in Alma Mater and as Brighella in Reminiscence. 1936 Joined Lincoln Kirstein's Ballet Caravan as a soloist and choreographer (through 1939). 1936 Danced Harlequin in his own Harlequin for President and Satyr in Promenade (choreographed by William Dollar) for Ballet Caravan (Bennington, Vermont). 1937 Danced Farm Boy in his own Yankee Clipper and Saltarello in Folk Dance (Saybrook, Connecticut). 1938 Danced Ray, a Truck Driver in Filling Station (choreographed by Lew Christensen) for Ballet Caravan (Hartford, Connecticut). 1938 Danced title role in his own Billy the Kid for Ballet Caravan (Chicago). 1940 Danced title roles in his own The Great American Goof and in Peter and the Wolf. 1940 Danced Devil in Three Virgins and a Devil for Ballet Theatre (New York). 1940 Cast in Saroyan's The Beautiful People on Broadway.