Dance - An Art in Academe

New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia University, 1970. First Edition 1st Printing. Maroon Cloth. Fine Book/Fine DJ. Unworn, Unmarked, A Little Fading To Dj. Inscribed To Ny And California Actress Elizabeth Talbot-Martin By Juana De Laban, And Dated "Xmas 1970". "Juana De Laban Von Varalja Was An Internationally Recognized Teacher, Performer, Choreographer, Director, Author, Critic, And Theatre And Dance History Scholar. As A Dance Educator, Laban Influenced The Development Of The Pedagogy Of Dance History And Research. Juana De Laban, The Eldest Daughter Of Rudolf Von Laban And Maya Lenares, Was Born On October 21, 1910. Laban's Mother Was A Famous Italian Opera Singer And Her Father Was A World-Famous Movement Analyst, Philosopher, Writer, Director, Choreographer, And Dancer Who Developed The Labanotation Dance Notation System. Laban's Early Years Were Dominated By The Tutelage Of Her Father. By 1934, She Had Earned A Diploma From The Royal Hungarian Academy In Budapest Where She Specialized In The National Dances Of Hungary. During The Mid-1930'S, She Toured Austria, Switzerland, And Germany As A Solo Danseuse And Served As A Critic For The Dancing Times And Der Tanz. Her Understanding Of The Arts And Fluency In Five Languages Provided Her With A World Picture That Was To Guide Her Professional Career. At The Onset Of Wwii In 1938, She Immigrated To The United States. In 1939, Laban And Dance Partner, Frances Bartha, Toured Together And Opened The Laban Dance Studio In New York City. In 1941, She Began Her American Academic Training At Yale University, Completing A Master Of Fine Arts In 1943 And A Doctor Of Philosophy Degree In Theatre Arts In 1947. After Graduation, Laban Shifted Her Focus Away From Performing To Concentrate On Her Role As Educator. She Built Her Career In Academia Through A Series Of Posts In American Public Institutions, Teaching And Speaking On Modern Educational Dance, Folk Dancing, And The Role Of Dance As Part Of A Fine Arts Curriculum. In 1954, Paul Baker, Chairman Of The Drama Department At Baylor University, Recruited Laban To Head The Graduate Division For Drama, Where She Taught Stage Movement And Theatre History. The Next Eight Years Were Exceptionally Fruitful For Laban: Developing New Courses; Spearheading A National Trend To Train Actors In Movement; Directing And Choreographing Student Productions; And Teaching In South America On A Fulbright Lectureship. In 1963, Laban Accepted A Position At University Of California, Los Angeles (Ucla), Where She Returned To A Position Within A Dance Department. Here She Concentrated On Teaching, Publishing, And Speaking About The Importance Of Scholarly Research And The Study Of Dance History. As An Early Member Of The Committee On Research In Dance (Cord), Laban Helped Shape The Development Of This Organization. By 1967, Laban Became So Committed To Scholarly Research That She Founded A Private Business, The Dance Research Associates, To Perform Research Assignments On A Request Basis. Because Of Her Distinguished Reputation, Southern Methodist University In Dallas Recruited Laban To Head The Burgeoning Graduate Dance Program In 1971. Upon Her Return To Dallas, Laban Renewed Her Association With The Dtc And Paul Baker. Robyn Baker Flatt, A Former Student And Baker's Daughter, Appointed Laban To The Dtc Graduate Program In 1973. Ill Health Forced Her Retirement To Temple, Tx Where She Died Of Cancer In 1978, At The Age Of 68." "The Scope Of The Juana De Laban Dance Collection Housed At The Dallas Public Library Is So Broad That It Can Serve As An Important General Resource For International Research On The Many Idioms Of Dance And For The Study Of Human Movement. The Size Of The Collection Is Impressive."