MS-218 Josephine Schwarz Papers

Introduction
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Content Note
Series I: Schwarz School of Dance
Series II: Dayton Civic Ballet
Series III: Correspondence
Series IV: Personal and Family Papers
Series V: Published and Unpublished Materials
Series VI: NEA Dance Advisory Panel
Series VII: Hermene Schwarz Papers
Series VIII: Scrapbooks
Series IX: Journals and Diaries
Series X: Audio and Visual Materials
Series XI: Memorabilia

Introduction

The Josephine Schwarz Papers, housed in Special Collections and Archives in the Wright State University Libraries, document the careers of Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, and the history of dance in Dayton, Ohio. Donated in 1991, with a major additions in 2000 and 2004, the papers cover the period 1902 through 2004. This rich collection contains personal correspondence, photographs, writings, and memorabilia of Josephine Schwarz, and a small collection of the personal papers of her sister, Hermene Schwarz. It encompasses a wide range of topics, most importantly the founding and history of the Schwarz School of Dance, the Experimental Group for Young Dancers, and the Dayton Ballet Company. It includes professional correspondence concerning dance and ballet-related issues, and personal correspondence with family, friends, and students. Josephine’s journals, diaries, scrapbooks, and ballet and family photographs add to this
rich collection of dance history.

The Josephine Schwarz Papers consist of 27 linear feet of manuscript material and are arranged into eleven series. There are no restrictions on the use of this collection. Related collections include the Dayton Ballet Company (MS-48) and the Schwarz’ Jane Reece Collection (MS-193).

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Josephine Schwarz was born in Dayton, Ohio, on April 8, 1908, the fourth of five children of Joseph and Hannah Schwarz. Her eldest sister Hermene was born in 1902, followed by Milton in 1903 and Babette in 1906. Babette died of meningitis in 1909. A brother, Gus, was born in 1915.

Hannah Schwarz took her daughters to see Anna Pavlova dance at Memorial Hall in Dayton, Ohio, when they were very young. Miss Jo, as her friends, students, and colleagues have affectionately known her throughout her life, began her dance career in the Botts Dance Academy, a local school of dance. Her mother enrolled her in dance class to regain her strength after being bedridden with a severe case of the mumps. When her skill and desire outgrew her local teacher, she studied in Cincinnati, Ohio, each Saturday. This proved to be expensive so Miss Jo opened a school of dance in her living room at the age of 14. Her sister Hermene played the piano. There were ten students and the lessons costs .10 each. This was how Jo earned the money for her own lessons.

Hermene’s interest in learning how to dance grew and after high school, she worked in a doctor’s office, earning money for both Jo and her to go to Chicago. The sisters spent three summers in Chicago, studying and performing with Russian dancer, Adolph Bolm, from the Russian Imperial Ballet, at the Bolm School of Dance. They became members of the Ravinia Opera Ballet Company.

Both Miss Jo and Hermene traveled to Europe in the 1930’s to study at the Hellerau-Laxenberg School in Vienna. The sisters also studied with modern dance pioneer, Mary Wigman. Jo performed in the Burg Theater in Vienna and also toured with Bolm’s “Ballet Intime” while in Europe.

Josephine and Hermene founded the Schwarz School of Dance in Dayton in 1927. Miss Hermene was the accompanist for the classes when the school began, but soon became teacher, designer of costumes, scenery builder, wardrobe manager, and official photographer. The Schwarz School was one of the first to combine modern dance and ballet training for all students. Miss Jo continued to pursue a performance career and studied with George Balanchine at the new School of American Ballet in New York City in 1934. She studied at the School for three years under Balanchine, as well as with modern dancers Charles Weidmann and Doris Humphrey. She performed professionally on Broadway with the Humphrey- Weidmann Theater Company and was a solo dancer with the Broadway show, “Life Begins at 8:40.” Both Miss Hermene and Miss Jo presented many concerts in various cities. Hermene continued to run the Schwarz School in Jo’s absence. Jo’s performance career ended in 1937 with a disabling knee injury.

Miss Jo returned to Dayton and rejoined her sister Hermene at the Schwarz School of Dance. The sisters expanded their school and established the Experimental Group for Young Dancers. The group included dancers of various ages, backgrounds, and experience. Most were trained in the Schwarz School. Its purpose was to provide the school’s more advanced dancers an opportunity to gain performance experience by presenting concerts to local organizations. They performed ballets in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. Miss Jo gave lectures and demonstration programs for groups in Dayton. Hermene was also director in charge of group activities for the Dayton Recreation Bureau. She organized the first ballet classes at the Linden Center.

Miss Hermene took a leave of absence from the school in 1943 and became the first girl in Dayton to serve as a Red Cross occupational therapist in England and France during World War II. After three weeks of training in Washington, D.C., she spent 3 ½ years overseas mostly working in hospitals with wounded servicemen. Hermene received two citations, one from President Roosevelt for her service in the Normandy invasion and the other from the captain of the ship, which brought her back to America, for her help with the wounded. Following the war, Hermene continued her Red Cross service work at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., lecturing and doing therapy work. While Hermene was serving in Europe, Jo was performing with her group for the Service Club and Base Hospital.

During this time, the Experimental Group for Young Dancers performed for two opera seasons with Metropolitan Opera stars at Memorial Hall and with the Symphony Pop Concerts. The group also performed with the Frigidaire shows from 1945 – 1950. Miss Jo also taught classes at the Harmon Avenue School. By 1952, Hermene was back in Dayton and in full swing in her roles as dancer, teacher, costume designer, and photographer at the Schwarz School.

The Experimental Group for Young Dancers expanded and evolved into the Dayton Civic Ballet, a nationally known regional dance company. It was the second regional dance company established in the United States. Josephine and Hermene continued to run the Schwarz School of Dance until 1984, when it became the Dayton Ballet Dance Center under the Dayton Ballet Association. This merged with the Jon Rodriguez School of Ballet in 1988 and became known as the Dayton Ballet School.

The Schwarz School of Dance reached the community through municipal shows, local television productions, benefits, Brown Bag Ballets for workers and shoppers in downtown Dayton, and thousands of school programs. Many of Miss Jo’s students went on to become outstanding performers in the world’s major ballet and modern dance companies. Jeraldyne Blunden, a Schwarz School of Dance alumna, founded the internationally acclaimed Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and credited Miss Jo with opening up dance to African Americans in the 1940’s. Miss Jo was also responsible for beginning the annual Regional Dance America Performance/Choreographic Conferences that bring together ballet directors and their students to discuss and collaborate on choreography for their companies.

Josephine Schwarz was an active member of the dance community on a national level. She served as a member of the Dance Advisory Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in 1978 and 1979 and worked tirelessly to obtain funding for regional dance companies from the NEA. She was honored as one of Dayton’s Ten Top Women in 1970. Miss Jo received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Dayton in 1974 and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree from Wright State University in 1982. She testified before Congress in 1983 for the American Arts Alliance. Josephine and Hermene were honored by the Dayton Chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews at their Brotherhood Award Dinner in 1984 for their contributions to dance in Dayton. Miss Jo was the American Dance Guild Honoree for 1985, and also received the Regional Dance America/Northeast Region Award in 1990. She was named to the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame in 1991.

Miss Jo’s accomplishments include several articles that were published in Dance Magazine. The most notable was a series entitled “Primer for Parents”, including articles as “That Grand Institution: The Annual Dance Recital”, and “Three Keys for Building Good Dancers.” She choreographed numerous ballets. Of particular note is “I Watched Myself Grow Up” which was completed in the early 1950’s and performed in 1953. Miss Jo’s writing includes two unpublished book manuscripts, one entitled “A History of Dance for Children” and an untitled manuscript on dance.

Hermene died in 1986. Miss Jo honored her sister by organizing a commemorative program entitled “Remembrances of Miss Hermene” that was presented in 1987. When Jo was honored by the American Dance Guild in 1985, she emphasized the tremendous contributions her sister had made to her career with the following tribute: “And without doubt, my sister (in homage), whose talents and taste added a beautiful patina to school and company alike, I would not be standing here tonight to thank you for this honor had it not been for Hermene, I assure you.”

Josephine Schwarz has been described by her peers as “artist, dancer, essential teacher, choreographer, visionary, and maker and shaper in the world of the arts. Miss Jo spent her last years in Colorado near her brother’s families. She passed away on February 27, 2004, in Boulder, Colorado.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Josephine Schwarz Papers consists of a collection of the personal correspondence, photographs, writings, and memorabilia of Josephine and, to a lesser extent, the personal papers of her sister, Hermene Schwarz. The collection encompasses a wide range of topics including the Schwarz School of Dance, the Dayton Ballet, correspondence concerning dance and ballet related issues, personal correspondence with family, friends, and students, her journals, diaries and scrapbooks, ballet and family photographs, and memorabilia. Researchers should be aware that more detailed information concerning the Dayton Ballet Company is available in MS-48.

Series I consists of records related to the operation of the Schwarz School of Dance. Included in this series are lecture notes from class sessions, lectures from special summer school sessions, program and recital information, and scripts for a number of ballets. The records provide information about the content of the class instruction, as well as the progression of classes and students. Span dates are 1923 to 1990.

Series II is an eclectic collection of papers related to the Dayton Ballet Company. Included in this series is the constitution and by-laws of the Experimental Group for Young Dancers, the forerunner of the Dayton Ballet Company. Also included are the articles of incorporation for the Dayton Dancers Endowment Fund, a variety of newspaper articles about the Dayton Ballet, and a number of newsletters and programs related to the Dayton Ballet and other ballet companies. As noted previously, more extensive information about the Dayton Ballet Company can be found in MS-48.

Series III is the most extensive of the Josephine Schwarz Papers. Series III contains the correspondence of Josephine Schwarz from 1925 to 2003. The series is divided into four subseries.

Subseries IIIA contains correspondence related to the Dayton Ballet Company and the Schwarz School of Dance. In this subseries researchers will find Miss Schwarz’s correspondence with ballet schools and societies, magazine editors, and book publishers. Within this correspondence there is also information about proposed ballets, performance schedules, and repertoire. Of particular interest are her notes concerning her 1983 testimony before Congress for the American Arts Alliance. This subseries also contains letters of commendation praising Dayton Ballet Company performances. The span dates for this subseries is 1920 to 1998.

Subseries IIIB contains personal correspondence received and sent to Miss Schwarz’s students and friends. Much of the correspondence relates to the placement and progress of Dayton dancers in ballet companies throughout the United States and overseas. The span dates for this subseries is 1927 to 2003.

Subseries IIIC contains the family correspondence of the Schwarz family and relatives. A major part of the subseries is Miss Schwarz’s letters to family members as she traveled around the United States and overseas. Of particular interest are her 1925 to 1927 letters from Chicago while she was attending the Adolph Bohm School of Dance, her 1929 to 1930 letters from Europe, and her 1932 to 1936 letters from New York when she attended the School of American Ballet. Also included in this subseries are letters from brothers, nieces and nephews, and a variety of cousins. Of particular interest are letters from Josephine's brother, Milton, while he was overseas during World War II, and letters from her other brother, Gustave or "Gus," from his home in Wyoming. The span dates for this subseries is 1925 to 2000.

Subseries IIID contains general correspondence received and sent by Josephine primarily during the 1990s. The correspondence is divided by year beginning in 1991 and ending in 2003.

Series IV contains a variety of personal and family papers spanning a period beginning in 1902 and ending in 1999. Included are such items as Josephine's birth certificate, the estate files of Joseph and Hannah Schwarz, the trust agreement of Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, and a variety of newspaper and magazine clippings. Also included is the citation for Josephine's honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Dayton and newspaper clippings concerning her honorary Doctor of Humanities degree received from Wright State University in 1982. Finally, included in this series are 27 years of "Weekly Minders" detailing her daily schedule of appointments. The "Weekly Minders" begin in 1972 and end in 1999.

Series V contains a variety of published and unpublished materials written by Josephine Schwarz. Miss Schwarz wrote a variety of articles about dance, particularly as it relates to children. Of particular note are her "Primer for Parents," "That Grand Institution: The Annual Dance Recital," and "Three Keys for Building Good Dancers," which were published in Dance Magazine. Also contained in this series are two books she was working on that were never published—“A History of Dance for Children" and an untitled work about dance. Finally, Miss Schwarz wrote a number of ballets. Included in this series is background information on two ballets written, or being written, by Miss Schwarz. The first, "I Watched Myself Grow Up" was completed in the early 1950s and first performed in 1953. The second, "American Legends and Traditions," was never completed. Span dates for this series are 1927 to 1990.

Series VI includes information concerning Miss Schwarz’s membership on the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Dance Advisory Panel. In this series researchers will find her correspondence with other members of the panel between 1975 and 1981, as well as copies of dance related grants written to the NEA. Miss Schwarz served on the Dance Advisory Panel in 1978-1979. Part of her duties was to review grant requests and make recommendations for funding.

Series VII contains the personal papers of Hermene Schwarz. Included in this series are her estate records, letters she wrote to her family, and a variety of photographs. Noteworthy is a section on her World War II experience as a Red Cross worker in Europe. Included in this section are her letters home, photographs of Hermene in her Red Cross uniform, and photographs of her co-workers. Finally, included in this series is a section concerning a commemorative program, "Remembrances of Miss Hermene," sponsored by Josephine in 1987, after Hermene's death in 1986. The span dates on this series are 1925 to 1987.

Series VIII contains thirteen scrapbooks. Included are several scrapbooks about the Schwarz family, Hermene's World War II scrapbook, two scrapbooks containing articles and programs pertaining to the Schwarz School of Dance, and several scrapbooks about dance in general. These scrapbooks span the period 1920 to 1990.

Series IX consists of journals and diaries written primarily by Josephine Schwarz. Miss Schwarz wrote her first diary in 1916 and her last in 1981. Most of the journals and diaries document Josephine's travels in South America, Europe, and within the United States. Also included are several travel diaries written by Hermene, a remembrance written by her mother of her mother’s Lindeman years, and the travel diary of several cousins who traveled west in 1944-1945.

Series X consists of audio and visual material and is divided into four subseries. Subseries XA contains over 1400 photographs grouped into three areas. The first area documents performances of the Dayton Ballet Company and the Schwarz School of Dance. The second area contains photographs of family and friends. The last area contains photographs of Josephine’s and Hermene's travels in the United States and overseas. Subseries XB contains a variety of cassette tapes documenting Dayton Ballet performances and a lecture by Miss Schwarz to the University of Southwest Louisiana. Of particular note is a recording of a special tribute to "Miss Jo." Also included in this subseries is a reel-to-reel tape of a "No Words-Cut Version" of "I Watched Myself Grow Up." Subseries XC contains a variety of VHS tapes concerning ballet and performances of the Dayton Ballet Company. Also included are three 16-MM films that have been converted to VHS tape. Finally, Subseries XD contains fourteen phonograph records inscribed with performances of the Dayton Ballet Company during the 1950s. On several researchers will hear the voice of Josephine Schwarz as the narrator.

Finally, Series XI contains memorabilia related to Josephine Schwarz and the Schwarz family. Included are several autograph books and several guest books documenting special occasions. Of particular note are the honorary doctoral hoods Miss Schwarz received from the University of Dayton and Wright State University, as well as a child's dance costume from the Schwarz School of Dance. Also, of note, is the last box in the collection containing memorial service information, newspaper clippings, and letters of condolence after Josephine's death in 2004.