John Dougherty collection, 1904-1988.

Links

• View catalog record
• View finding aid (149.95 KB PDF)

Creator

Dougherty, John, 1910-1988.

Location

Jerome Robbins Dance Division

Extent

• 5.75 linear ft. (12 boxes)

Scope/Contents Note

The John Dougherty collection consists of correspondence, writings, research materials, dance programs, and newspaper clippings relating to John Dougherty's career asa performer, writer, and lecturer. The collection is unique because it contains a significant amount of material relating to the thought and dance of Ruth St. Denis. The collection's two main series reflect this splitbetween materials documenting Dougherty's own career as a dancer and critic and those generated through his work as secretary and literary adviser to Ruth St. Denis during the 1960s. The collection covers the years 1904-1980, withthe majority of the materials dating from the 1960s. Dougherty's close relationships with Ted Shawn and CharlesWeidman are also evident in his correspondence.

Biographical/Historical Note

John Dougherty was a dancer, dance historian and dance critic who spent most of his life affiliated with Ruth St.Denis and the Denishawn School. Born in 1910 in Pennsylvania, Dougherty became a scholarship student of the first resident class at Denishawn House in 1928-1929. He made his professional debut dancing with the company Ted Shawn took out in the spring of 1929. Dougherty also attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning degrees in literature. Dougherty combined his knowledge of dance and literature to become a prolific writer on dance. Dougherty served as Southern California correspondent for Dance Magazine from 1956-1965 and performed similar work for Dance News in the 1970s and the early 1980s. In 1960, he began lecturing on dance history at University of California at Los Angeles and served as a consultant and moderator for dance festivals during the 1960s and 1970s; notably retrospectives of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. Dougherty was St. Denis' secretary and literary adviser, assisting with the operations of the Ruth St. Denis Centerand helping to collect her writings for publication. Dougherty also worked with Ted Shawn, helping to catalog materials relating to Shawn's personal life and career, including his costume and fabric collection. He taped and transcribed interviews with Shawn, which were used by Walter Terry to write Shawn's biography. Dougherty died inLos Angeles, California in 1988.

Controlled Access Terms

• Dougherty, John, 1910-1988.
• St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968.
• Shawn, Ted, 1891-1972.
• Weidman, Charles.
• Dance critics -- California.
• Clippings.
• Correspondence.
• Interviews.
• Lecture notes.
• Photographs.
• Programs.
• Scores.
• Dance critics.

Additional Creator Names

• St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968.
• Shawn, Ted, 1891-1972.
• Weidman, Charles.