Guide to the Papers of Gertrud Bodenwieser
MS 9263, MS Acc16.119, MS Acc21.039
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: 2016
Online Items
Class MS 9263. Consignments received 1998-2005
Series 1. Correspondence, 1961-1997
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)...
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...
Posterboard set, 1938-1960 (Item 1-86)
86 posterboard sheets detailing the life and career of Gertrud Bodenwieser. Includes photographs in black and white, sepia, colour (some reproductions), including portraits of Bodenwieser, performances; newspaper clippings; invitations; postcards; detailed captions and information sheets. Where material is in German, a translation is provided. Prepared by the Gertrud Bodenwieser Archives, c.1980s.
Mixed black and white photographs, 1932 - 1959 (File 87)
19 black and white photographs. Includes photographs of performances, group portraits, artistic photos. Locations include India; Wellington, New Zealand; Sydney; Australia. Performances include Masks of Lucifer, The Pied Pipa. Persons named include Kurt Bain, Steffi Fry, Claire Vallance, Jean Raymond, Coralie Hinkley, Irma Herrman, Eileen Cramer.
Mixed black and white photographs, negatives of Opera House Exhibition, c. December 1979 (File 88)
Six black and white photographs, negatives. Mrs. Marie Cuckson and Emmy Towsey at a Gertrud Bodenwieser exhibition, Sydney Opera House Exhibition Hall.
Black and white photographs of rehearsals at St Mary's, c. 1957 (File 89)
37 black and white photographs. Includes photos of perfomances at St Mary's, including Demon Machine and Sphinx. Performers often listen by given name only, including Coralie, Keith, Anita.
Black and white photographs of Central Australian Suite, 1956 (File 90)
Eight black and white photographs of Central Australian Suite performance, including part one "Solitude" and part two "Wild Chase". Choreography by Gertrude Bodenwieser, music by Camille Clovis Marcel Gheysens. Dancers Coralie Hinkley and Keith Bain. Photographers Max Dupain and Kerry Dundas.
Mixed photographs of performances, c. 1952 (File 91)
Six black and white and one sepia photographs of performances. Includes Eileen Cramer in Indian Love Song, c. 1952, Christmas Song; Jean Raymond; Basil Pattison; Elaine Vallance. Photographs by Noel Rubie.
Mixed photographs and negatives, c. mid-1920s - 1953 (File 92)
33 black and white photographs, two negatives. Some photographs are more recent prints. Includes photographs of performances, including Coralie Hinkley, Eileen Cramer, Mardi Watcho in Wheel of Life; Eileen Cramer and Jean Raymond in a 1948 revival of Passionsblumen [Water Lilies]; Basil Pattison and Eva Nadas; Margaret Chapple in Pilgrimage of Truth, c. 1950; Jean Raymond; Elaine Vallance, Margaret Chapple, Ann Butt in Inconstant Prince. Other photographs are portraits, including a c. 1920s portrait of Bodenwieser (modern print).
Mixed photographs and negatives, 1946 - 1951 (File 93)
One black and white photograph of a performance by Shona Dunlop in Joan of Arc, c. 1946; one sepia photograph portrait of Bodenwieser Ballet on tour in New Zealand, 1947, including Manager John McCallum; one black and white photograph portrait of Arts Council Tour, 1951 including Camilla Djubinski and orchestra beside tour bus.
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 country's 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 colour transparency of a costume design for O world can be found in Series 2, and a pictorial representation of scenes from O world is included in Series 9.
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 Bodenwieser's 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 Debussy's Des Pas sur la Neige.
Series 5. Programs, 1922-1960
This series includes original and photocopied programs for performances by Bodenwieser and her dancers, from the first appearance of Tanzgruppe Bodenwieser in Ferdinand Raimund's Der Verschwender in Vienna, 1923, to the Bodenwieser Ballet's memorial recital 'A tribute to Gertrud Bodenwieser' in Sydney, 1960...
Series 6. Posters and publicity material, 1926-1979
This small series includes posters for various exhibitions relating to or featuring Bodenwieser, including Tanz - 20. Jahrhundert in Wien in Vienna, 1979-1980. There is also a selection of posters and publicity notes for both Tanzgruppe Bodenwieser and the Bodenwieser Ballet.
Series 8. Tours, 1951-1953
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 world's 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.
Series 9. Dances, 1949-1986
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 Bodenwieser's 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.
Series 10. Exhibitions, demonstrations and lectures, 1933-1990
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 Bodenwieser's 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...
Series 11. Publications and writings regarding Gertrud Bodenwieser, 1919-1997
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 Bodenwieser's choreographies and other biographical information...
Series 12. Writings of Gertrud Bodenwieser, 1926-1958
This small series of includes a selection of writings by 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.
Class MS Acc16.119. Consignment received 2016, 1935-2016
This consignmentn includes a detailed timeline of Gertrud Bodenwieser's life and work; photographs and recollections of Bodenwieser group reunions; a comprehensive list of Madame Bodenwieser's choreographies for children, accompanied by production photographs; photographs of Emmy Steinninger-Taussig teaching Bodenwieser inspired classes and improvisation; drawings of dancers in the Bodenwieser style; and documents relating to recent revivils and re-imaginings of Bodenwieser choreographies, illustrating the continuation of Madame Bodenwieser's legacy.
Notebook of "notes, letters and observations collection for research", 1938-2016 (File 1) - Box 1 (MS Acc16.119)
Contains: timeline of GB and her husband FR, 1938-1942; a history of the Bodenwieser archive; GB's classes and studios 1939-1954; GB's classes and teaching - a transcribed conversation between Barbara Cuckson and E. Vallance; Bodenwieser teachers at St Mary's 1954-1973; letter from Eileen Kramer about Bodenwieser documentary film; letter from Shona Dunlop for the 2004 GB reunion; commemorating Emmy Steinninger-Taussig at the 1992 GB reunion; letter from Anita Ardell about the Bodenwieser studio; list of costumes donated to the National Museum of Australia; GB and the Cuckson connection; dates from Marie Cuckson's diary 1959-1994; list of costume designers for GB in Vienna; list of GB's choreographies for children 1940-1959; a record of choreographies taught at the Bodenwieser St Mary's school, along with recreations spanning 1954-1973, and recreations at the Rozelle School of Visual Arts 1971-2016; record of Bodenwieser dancer and student reunions, commemorative exhibitions and special classes; newspaper cutting and advertisement, 1955.
Photograph album 1 (File 2) - Box 1 (MS Acc16.119)
List and photographs of GB's children's choreographies at St Marys and Rozelle School of Visual Arts; photographs of GB reunions and "archives" exhibitions. Album cover is labelled '2A' and '2B'.
Photograph album 2 (File 3) - Box 1 (MS Acc16.119)
List and photographs of GB's adult choreographies and reconstructions at St Mary's and Rozelle School of Visual Arts; photographs from the documentary film "Living Art of the Dance". Album cover is labelled '3A' and '3B'.
File of photographs (File 4) - Box 1 (MS Acc16.119)
Photographs of Emmy Steinninger-Taussig (formerly Towsey) teaching Bodenwieser style classes and improvisation.
Drawings of dancers in the Bodenwieser style (File 5) - Folio-Box (Shared), Box 2 (MS Acc16.119 & MS Acc21.039)
Artworks by five artists. Drawings of Bodenwieser chroeographies by Elizabeth Armstrong-Halls, 1962; Sketches of dancers in motion, Dr Lisa Roberts,2013; Sketches of dancers in the Bodenwieser style, unknown artist, pre-1959; Photographs of six silkscreen posters, Marion ives, 1998; Sketches from memory, Eileen Kramer, 2016.
At Bodenwieser School in St Marys, in 1962, 1962 (Item) - Folio-Box (Shared)
Elizabeth Armstrong-Halls, art teacher at SCEGGS. Original drawings of Bodenwieser cheoreographies: Pied Piper, Frog Prince, Czechoslovakian Polka, Dance of the Golden Hoops and Dance of the Golden Discs, Stephanie Fry teaching Witches.
At Rozelle School of Visual Arts, 2013 (Item) - Box 2 (MS Acc16.119 & MS Acc21.039)
Dr Lisa Roberts, PhD, Media Arts, MA (Animation), Dip Aboriginal Studies, DipEd, Dip Art Bodenwieser class by B Cuckson. 6 sketches of dancers in motion, signed copies.
Pencil Sketches, pre-1959 (Item) - Box 2 (MS Acc16.119 & MS Acc21.039)
Unknown artist. Original small pencil sketch of two dancers in the Bodenwieser style, from the estate of the late Gertrud Bodenwieser.
Photographs of silkscreen posters, 1998 (Item) - Folio-Box (Shared)
Marion Ives, B.A (SocSci, Dip Journalism), TV, print and radio journalist. Photographs of six large silkscreen posters, (incl. 'Liberty', 'Equality', and 'Fraternity'). Depicting dancers in the Bodenwieser style, inspired by GB's choreographies.
Sketches From Memory, 2016 (Item) - Box 2 (MS Acc16.119 & MS Acc21.039)
Eileen Kramer, Dancer (Bodenwieser Group), costume designer, choreographer, writer. Sketchbook and loose sheets, including original drawings and copies: Form out out of Chaos, Wheel of Life, Cradle Song of Mother Earth and others.
File of photographs (File 8) - Box 2 (MS Acc16.119 & MS Acc21.039)
Three original photographs of GB, and three photographs of her memorial plaque.
File or photographs, 1935-1959 (File 9) - Box 2 (MS Acc16.119 & MS Acc21.039)
23 photographs of the Bodenwieser group; and 6 photographs of the inside of the Bodenwieser studio, 210 Pitt Street, 1957.
File of miscellaneous ephemera, c. 1957-2014 (File 13) - Box 2 (MS Acc16.119 & MS Acc21.039)
Includes a continuity sheet from a 1957 Channel 7 documentary about students performing; photographs from a rehearsal of "Slavonic", 2014; Theatre Royal Gala performance programme; issue of "Bulletin" magazine with announcement of donation of Bodenwieser archives to the National Library, 1998; samples of Bodenwieser St Mary's programmes up until 1973.