Allegro Fund: Bernice Johnson Reagon, 1996-1997

The Jeraldyne Blunden Collection consists of personal documents, financial and business records, correspondence, articles, notebooks, journals, schedules, itineraries, and scrapbook photos which document the activities of Jeraldyne's School of the Dance as well as the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. The researcher should be aware that the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company has its own extensive collection. These materials are available in MS-273 in the Special Collections and Archives. Highlights of the collection include correspondence to Dr. Jacob Dorn supporting Jeraldyne Blunden's nomination for an Honorary Doctorate from Wright State University as well as to critically acclaimed dancers and choreographers such as Josephine Schwarz and Warren Spears. Spears, an African American from Detroit was once a choreographer for DCDC founded the New Danish Dance Theatre in Denmark in 1983.

Series I, personal information in box 1 is arranged in alphabetical order. It consists of family reunion information, wedding materials for Debbie Blunden, Jeraldyne and Charles Blunden retirement and insurance information. Also included in this box are correspondences both legal and personal regarding Derek Blunden. There are personal correspondences from Jeraldyne Blunden on behalf of Derek Blunden regarding his legal troubles. Additionally, there is a photo of Jeraldyne and Charles Blunden with Congressman Louis Stokes as well as correspondence from Congressman Stokes regarding the Blunden's visit with him.

Series II, Jeraldyne's School of the Dance, box 2, contains materials such as schedules, class syllabi, roll books, curriculum information and financial records. The materials are arranged in alphabetical order. Jeraldyne's School of the Dance, the official training school of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company is also the cornerstone of the DCDC. It was established with the philosophy that dance would encompass the total human being; the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional makeup of every student. The school was formed so that students would have the opportunity to learn techniques, train, and perform before moving to bigger stages and platforms.

Series III, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, is made up of boxes 3 through 26. This series is also arranged alphabetically; however, materials that are similar such as notebooks, board of trustees' papers, and correspondence are arranged in chronological order. This series also consists of materials regarding information about festivals, grants, and conferences. There are many articles about DCDC as well as other dancers and dance companies. These articles highlight performances, anniversaries, tributes, and reviews. The dance community is tight knit, included in this series are obituaries of dancers and choreographers, many of whom were close friends with Jeraldyne Blunden and had strong ties to DCDC such as Ulysses Dove, Alvin Ailey, and James Truitte.

Series IV, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Tour, is three boxes of scrapbook photos taken from 1962-1972. The photographs are arranged in chronological order. Since 1962 the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre has served as cultural ambassadors as a part of President John F. Kennedy's "President's Special International Program for Cultural Presentations." As a part of the program, the group has travelled Far East, South East Asia, Africa, Australia and Italy. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre was the first black dance company to travel for President Kennedy's program.