INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Order Number 1350398 Dance development in a small community: Reading, Pennsylvania, 1850—1950 Weber, Jody Marie, M.A. The American University, 1992 Copyright ©1992 by Weber, Jody Marie. All rights reserved. UMI 300 N. ZeebRd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 DANCE DEVELOPMENT IN A SMALL COMMUNITY- READING, PENNSYLVANIA 1850-1950 by Jody M. Weber submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of the American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Dance Signatures of Committee: Chair &](2.ifrt ______ Dean (of the College 9 S l Date 1992 The American University 733/ Washington, D.C. 20016 CHI AMERICAN TJNlVERSm ETBM ff © COPYRIGHT by JODY M. WEBER 1992 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DANCE DEVELOPMENT IN A SMALL COMMUNITY- READING, PENNSYLVANIA 1850-1950 BY Jody M. Weber ABSTRACT To fully understand our nation's theatrical dance history, it is imperative to understand the evolution of dance in small communities. It is also important to realize that dance in these communities was influenced by much more than European dance forms. This look at the arrival and development of theatrical dance in Reading, Pennsylvania must include an analysis of preceding forms that affected and contributed to this community's tradition. Reading was chosen for its rich dance tradition and the availability of personal testimony and materials to document its development. There are three main pre-existing forms that contributed to Reading's dance heritage; acrobatics, elocution, and social dance. A brief historical background of these elements combined with their specific association with Reading, Pennsylvania will demonstrate how they became part of their community's dance tradition. As these forms weave into Reading's theatrical dance heritage, differences between metropolitan dance and community dance will be clarified. ii With special thanks to Todd Mulder for his loving support, and to Pearl Haines Horton and Bernice Weber for their time and memories TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................. ii INTRODUCTION ......................................... 1 PART ONE INFLUENTIAL FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEATRICAL DANCE IN READING, PENNSYLVANIA Chapter 1. ELOCUTION: HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DANCE IN THE READING COMMUNITY . 7 2. THE ASSOCIATION OF ACROBATICS AND DANCE IN READING, PENNSYLVANIA ....................... 20 Reading's Acrobatic Tradition................... 22 3. DANCING MASTERS IN THE READING AREA: 1850-1910 . 24 PART TWO METROPOLITAN DANCE INSTRUCTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEARL HAINES' STYLE AND TECHNIQUE 4. THE VESTOFF-SEROVA RUSSIAN NORMAL SCHOOL OF D A N C E .................................... 34 5. NED WAYBURN AND HIS INSTITUTES OF DANCING . 45 6. THEODORE KOSLOFF AND ALEXANDRA BALDINA IN LOS A N G E L E S.............................. 54 PART THREE PEARL HAINES CONTRIBUTIONS TO DANCE 7. PEARL HAINES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF HER SCHOOL . 62 8. THE EMERGENCE OF HAINES' TOURING COMPANY; POLLY AND THE POLLY AN N S .................... 79 9. CONCLUSION................................... 100 iv INTRODUCTION American dance came of age in the 1930's when great artists such as Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and George Balanchine began to create works of art and new techniques of learning that were to have an enormous impact on dance all over the world. These artists made their home in New York City and their work has been well documented. The central question raised in this thesis relates to the kind of dance that was being seen, taught, and created in small communities from 1920 through 1940. The history of American dance during this period is unimaginable without an analysis of what was happening on the grass roots level, and how this shaped America's emerging understanding and experience with dance as an art form. It is important to ask what techniques were taught in local schools and where small town dance teachers were trained. The types of performances that teachers, students, and local residents were able to access within their community has an important impact on that community's understanding of dance. Part of the difficulty of exploring dance history in small communities is the lack of materials to properly analyze and document the local dance heritage. The author has been 1 able to gain access to the personal archives of Pearl Haines Horton who was an active and pioneering dance educator in Reading, Pennsylvania. Ms. Haines continues to be a vital member of.the Reading community at the age of ninety-three. Her contributions as a dance instructor and choreographer were essential to the development of theatrical dance in Reading. At the turn of the twentieth century, theatrical dance was almost completely unavailable in small rural communities. The performing arts that were available seem peripheral to dance. As a member of the Reading community Haines became involved with the popular forms of social dance, and elocution. She was also influenced by Reading's active acrobatic heritage. Haines brought her unusual performing background into the art of dance when she opened her first school in 1915. From the beginning of her school, Haines wanted to further her dance education. She continued her training in New York and Los Angeles during the summers. In 1927 she formed a performing group called Polly and the Pollyanns which traveled throughout the East coast until 1940. Haines' school remained open until 1966. After the death of her husband she taught for one of her former dancers until 1976. Haines retired after over sixty years of teaching, performing, and choreographing for her community. Pearl Haines' dedication to the development of her art form deeply influenced the ideals of the public and Reading's current dance instruction and performances. Dance is a complex art form. It has never attained the widespread accessibility that theater and music have achieved through technology. It is not a part of the daily experience of most Americans, and is still taught through a hands-on relationship between student and teacher. Years of careful, rigorous study are needed to develop an understanding of the art form. The channels through which dance passed in the early twentieth century created conditions that allowed for enormous modifications in the technique. Teachers routinely closed their schools in the summer so that they could study dance in urban centers. Many metropolitan dance instructors offered special seminars for these teachers. Enormous amounts of information were exchanged in relatively short periods of time. It was also quite common for large urban dance schools to sell dancing instructions, choreography, and music. This implied that the art of dance could be fully understood through mail order lessons. When these factors are combined with the influences such as elocution and acrobatics, the development of dance in small communities is quite unique. In addition to the factors influencing the development of dance technique, presenters take a different shape in rural settings. Dance was an active part of the Grandstand shows in county and state fairs. The enormous popularity of fairs in the first half of the twentieth century allowed dance to be seen by communities that may not have had access to a theater or dancing school. This places dance companies like the Polly Anns in a powerful position to shape and influence the dance experiences of many rural areas. Dance in rural communities has developed with influences that differ greatly from those affecting urban areas. To truly begin to understand the dance sentiments of this country, we must begin to unravel the development of dance in our own communities. This thesis will begin this exploration with the dance history of Reading, Pennsylvania between 1850 and 1950. PART ONE INFLUENTIAL FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEATRICAL DANCE IN READING, PENNSYLVANIA 6- Reading, Pennsylvania's dance heritage was influenced by elocution, acrobatics, and its local dancing masters. Through the contributions