Jeraldyne Blunden Collection
Scope and Content
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.
Dates
- Creation: 1960-2000
Creator
- Blunden, Jeraldyne, 1941-1999 (Person)
Restrictions on Access
There are no restrictions on accessing materials in this collection.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Biography of Jeraldyne Blunden
Jeraldyne Blunden (10 December 1940-2 November 1999) was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. At the age of 8 she began her dance training under the guidance of Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, founders of The Dayton Ballet. The support of the Schwarz sisters provided Blunden with numerous opportunities to study at the Dayton Ballet, the American Dance Theater and the Dance Theater of Harlem. She also had the opportunity to study under the guidance of reputable choreographers such as Jose Limon, Martha Graham and James Truitte; later on these choreographers became great friends of Blunden. The influence of the Schwarz sisters as well as many others throughout the world of dance helped to shape the vision Blunden had for a future dance company in her hometown of Dayton, Ohio.
In 1959 when she was 19 years old, Jeraldyne married Charles Blunden. The couple quickly started a family. In 1960 their daughter Debra Lynne Blunden was born. Later they had another child, a son, Derek. Also in 1960 Blunden was appointed the director of the Linden Community Center established by Josephine Schwarz. It was here that she established Jeraldyne's School of the Dance. Much like the Schwarz sisters, Blunden felt it was crucial to provide her dancers with invaluable experiences to study at renowned dance companies and under the guidance of reputable choreographers.
Blunden founded the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) in 1968. Since then DCDC has become one of the premier dance companies not only in Dayton but throughout the nation and overseas. DCDC is the oldest modern dance company in Ohio and one of the largest extending from the Midwest to the East Coast. For more information regarding the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company see MS-273.
In 1990, Blunden chose her daughter Debra Blunden-Diggs, who was one of her earlier dancers as well as Kevin Ward, choreographer-dancer, as co-Artistic Directors so that the future of the dance company would remain intact. As of 2007, Debbie Blunden-Diggs became the sole Artistic Director when Kevin Ward retired. Blunden-Diggs also serves as the Executive Director of Jeraldyne's School of the Dance.
In 1999 Blunden died at the age of 58 as a result of renal failure at the Franciscan Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. She was laid to rest at Woodland Cemetery on 29 November 1999. Blunden's legacy is carried on through her daughter Debbie Blunden-Diggs and her granddaughters Alexis and Lindsey Diggs, dancers at Jeraldyne's School of the Dance, who hope to take over DCDC in the future.
- Date Prestigious Awards
- 1990 Honorary Doctorate degree from the University of Dayton
- 1991 Regional Dance America Northeast Award
- 1994 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellowship Award
- 1997 Dance Women Living Legend Honors Honorary Doctorate degree from Wright State University
- 1998 Dance Magazine Award Katherine Dunham Achievement Award National Black Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2000 Dance/USA Honors Award- posthumously
- 1990
- Honorary Doctorate degree from the University of Dayton
- 1991
- Regional Dance America Northeast Award
- 1994
- John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellowship Award
- 1997
- Dance Women Living Legend Honors
- Honorary Doctorate degree from Wright State University
- 1998
- Dance Magazine Award
- Katherine Dunham Achievement Award
- National Black Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2000
- Dance/USA Honors Award- posthumously
Extent
12.5 linear feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection consists of correspondence, schedules, notebooks, and business and financial records from Jeraldyne Blunden the founder of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and the creator of Jeraldyne's School of the Dance. There are also personal papers in the collection such as family reunion and wedding materials, insurance information and awards. Also included are scrapbook photos taken for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Tour from 1962-1972.
Statement of Arrangement
The collection is arranged into four series:
- Series I: Personal Information
- Series II: Jeraldyne's School of the Dance
- Series III: Dayton Contemporary Dance Company
- Series IV: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Tour
Acquisition Information
The Jeraldyne Blunden Collection was donated to the Wright State University Special Collection and Archives as part of a 2002 addition to the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company Records.
Processing Information
Processed by: Rebekkah Mulholland, Summer 2013
Subject
- Blunden, Jeraldyne, 1941-1999 (Person)
- Blunden, Charles, 1939- (Person)
- Blunden-Diggs, Debra Lynne, 1960- (Person)
- Blunden, Derek, 1965- (Person)
- Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (Organization)
- Jeraldyne's School of the Dance (Organization)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Occupation
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Jeraldyne Blunden Collection (MS-337)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Rebekkah Mulholland, Summer 2013
- Date
- 2015
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
Wright State University Libraries
Special Collections and Archives
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton OH 45435-0001 USA
937-775-2092
library-archives@wright.edu
