Manuscripts
The papers consist of correspondence, manuscripts, documents, ephemera, audiovisual material, and printed material related to the First Negro Classical Ballet (FNCB), Negro Classic Ballet (NCB), and local San Gabriel Valley ballet companies; the papers also include sheet music and original music scores, ballet production files and photographs for the FNCB and NCB. The papers are especially strong as a visual record with a large number of photographs, publicity material, costume sketches, and printed posters. The collection also contains Joseph Rickard's working notes on the process of creating a ballet, including the elements of choreography, lighting, musical score, and costumes; within this material is also the talented work of the costume design of Nancy Coppola, the set design of Robert Usher and the original music scores by the African-American arranger and composer, Claudius Wilson. The collection is unsurpassed as a record of the first African- American classical ballet company. The papers consist of the following series: 1. Correspondence (Box 1) is arranged alphabetically by author. This series includes personal letters and letters related to the First Negro Classical Ballet, Negro Classic Ballet and other local ballet companies. This series also includes letters by Hal De Becker, Diana Levy, Bronislava Nijinska, Irina Nijinska, Claudius Wilson and letters to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Peter Jennings. 2. Manuscripts and Documents (Box 2) are arranged alphabetically by author and title. The manuscripts include short stories, film treatments, autograph notes and a memoir by Joseph Rickard as well as a "List of Ballets - First Performances" of Bronislava Nijinska; this series also includes financial documents for the NCB. 3. FNCB and NCB manuscript and printed material (Box 3) is arranged by subject and format. This series includes autograph notes, costume sketches by Nancy Coppola, fabric swatches, printed programs, articles and clippings. 4. FNCB and NCB Ballet Scores and Sheet Music (Boxes 4-6) is arranged alphabetically by title. This series includes printed sheet music used by Claudius Wilson for ballet classes, as well as original, autograph musical scores for some of his most famous compositions for FNCB, including: "Cinderella," and "Pas des Jitterbugs" from the ballet "Raisin' Cane." 5. FNCB and NCB Photographs (Box 7) are arranged chronologically and then sub arranged alphabetically by dancer or ballet. This series includes photographs of most of the more prominent members of the FNCB and NCB, including: Graham Johnson, Bernice Harrison, Claudius Wilson, Yvonne Miller, Theodore Crum, Diana Levy, Joseph Rickard, Sidney Hurston and Karen Hodges. Also included are publicity photos and scenes from various ballets and dance recitals. 6. NCB Scrapbook and Oversize FNCB and NCB Printed Material (Box 8) is arranged by subject and format. Included in this series is a scrapbook of material relating to the NCB, a FNCB publicity poster and ballet set designs by Robert Usher. 7. San Gabriel Valley Civic Ballet and Southern California Ballet Companies Manuscript and Printed Material (Box 9) is arranged by subject and format. This series includes autograph notes, printed programs, publicity material and clippings relating to the local companies where Rickard taught; also included is printed material relating to Maidie Du Fresne Dance Arts (Bakersfield, California). 8. Ballet Production Files (Boxes 10 - 14) are arranged alphabetically by subject and title. These files consist of Rickard's day-to-day notes on ballet ideas, choreography, performance possibilities, in addition to his files on specific ballets, such as: "A Christmas Carol," "La Mer," and "Pagliacci." 9. Articles and clippings about Ballet (Box 15) are arranged by subject. Included in this series is material on Bronislava and Irina Nijinska, Waslaw Nijinsky, and Joseph Rickard. 10. Southern California Ballet, San Gabriel Valley Civic Ballet and Misc. Ballet Photographs (Boxes 16 - 18) are arranged chronologically and then sub arranged by dancer or ballet. The photographs are divided into two groups: So. Calif. Ballet and San Gabriel V. C. Ballet; then followed by miscellaneous photos of other dancers and performers, including Marian Anderson, Bronislava and Irina Nijinska and Joseph Rickard. 11. Audiovisual materials (Boxes 19-32). Includes reel-to-reel tapes, super 8 mm films, cassette tapes, video tapes. Please note: the audiovisual material does not include any material relating to the First Negro Classical Ballet. 12. Printed materials and ephemera (Boxes 33-34). Includes printed programs, magazine, printed pamphlets and books.
