Geraldine Stephenson Archive

The archive consists of material created and collected by Geraldine Stephenson relating to her education and career as a dancer, choreographer and movement director, with some documents relating to her personal and family life.

The material in the archive comprises:

• records of Stephenson's education, at and later teaching for, the Art of Movement Studio in both its Manchester and Addlestone locations, and as a member of the Laban Guild alongside Rudolf Laban, Lisa Ullmann, Valerie Preston-Dunlop, Mary Wigman and Sylvia Bodmer;
• working papers and outputs of Stephenson's career as a movement director and choreographer for pageant events, theatre and later television and film. These include audio visual recordings, Stephenson's handwritten choreography sequences, annotated music scores, programmes and publicity material;
• Stephenson's research into period and social dance, also including research into social etiquette, costume and socio-historical context of dances;
• personal and family papers including photographs, correspondence, legal documents and related papers;
• financial documents issued to and by Stephenson's agency, Talent Artists Ltd.;
• records of Stephenson's work with the wider dance and choreography community including lectures, demonstrations and other roles.;
• published and unpublished material written by, and relating to, Stephenson.

The archive contains records of Stephenson's long-term artistic relationships and collaborations with individuals such as composer and musician John Dalby and actor Edward Pethebridge. There are also records of long-term recurring choreography work with companies such as the Johann Strauss dancers and orchestra and Raymond Gubbay Ltd for the Johann Strauss galas between 1976 and 2004, and the York Cycle of Mystery Plays, 1951 and the 1954-1957 revivals. The material in the collection covers the wide range of projects Stephenson worked on as a choreographer and movement director, such as crowd choreography, pageants and festivals as well as theatre, television series and films of varying genres.

Geraldine Stephenson (1925-2017) was a dancer, choreographer and movement director. A student of the Art of Movement Studio in Manchester, Stephenson was brought into contact with the teaching of the movement theorist Rudolf Laban, and worked as an apprentice and assistant to Laban for a period in the late 1940s and early 1950s. During this period Stephenson established her credentials as an educator in the fields of dance and drama, developing a particular interest in Movement for Actors.

Stephenson is perhaps best known for her work as a choreographer for the television and film industries, and as an expert in period dance and movement. She also choreographed theatrical and dance projects for the stage throughout her career, and was additionally a performer in her own right.

In her professional life, Stephenson was also an active member of the wider choreographic community arising from the work of Laban and his legacy. Among her professional associations she was a member of the Laban Art of Movement Guild, having joined the organisation in 1947, and also a member of Motus Humanus, teaching seminars alongside the movement theorist Warren Lamb. She additionally served as chair of the Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund from its foundation in 1987 until her death.

Further details of Stephenson's life and career are given in her authority record on the University of Surrey Archives & Special Collections online catalogue: http://calmarchivecat.surrey.ac.uk/calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Persons&id=DS%2fUK%2fP614

Geraldine Stephenson's archive has been arranged primarily by function, into the following series:

• Personal and family records, late 19th century-2003 (reference number GS/1);
• Education and work at the Art of Movement Studio and early work with the Laban Guild, 1946-2001 (reference number GS/2);
• Research material for dance and choreography, 19th century-2002 (reference number GS/3);
• Working papers and working material for recital performances and choreography projects for pageants, theatre, television and film, 1950s-2008 (reference number GS/4);
• Promotional and publicity material for self choreographed dance, teaching and movement direction and choreography projects for pageants, theatre, television and film, early 1950s-2003 (reference number GS/5);
• Financial and management papers relating to choreography career, 1987-2006 (reference number GS/6);
• Outreach, charity and other roles in the wider dance and choreography community, 1973-2001 (reference number GS/7);
• Memoirs, late 1930s-2006 (reference number GS/8);
• Periodicals, 1951-2006 (reference number GS/9).

Material is available to view in the University of Surrey Archives and Special Collections Research Room.

Access to some collection items may be restricted, for instance where sensitive personal or commercial information has been identified during cataloguing, or to protect very fragile items. The Archives team will advise of any restrictions that may be in place.

All records are open to public access under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 unless subject to specific exemption. Records containing personal information on individuals are subject to the terms of UK Data Protection legislation.

Deposited by Geraldine Stephenson between 2007 and 2012. Additional material transferred from the University of Leeds in 2015.

A catalogue for the collection is available to view on the University of Surrey Archives and Special Collections online catalogue.

Collection level description compiled by Kelly Burchmore in 2019, and revised by Melanie Peart, 2021, and Simon Mackley, 2023.

This Archives Hub description prepared by Simon Mackley in November 2023. Please see the University of Surrey Archives and Special Collections online catalogue for any subsequent amendments.

All requests to publish or otherwise reproduce material from the archive should be directed to archives@surrey.ac.uk in the first instance. Unauthorised copying or reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Material not selected for long term preservation comprised: duplicates and unannotated third party publications unrelated to Geraldine Stephenson or her work. This material was routinely disposed of.

Material also not selected for long term preservation included books of Geraldine Stephenson which were a) not related to her life and work, or b) unannotated duplicates of existing book collections. A full list of all volumes has been retained by Archives and Special Collections, University of Surrey and is available on request.

The greater proportion of the archive (assigned accession reference Acc22-2015) was deposited by Geraldine Stephenson with the National Resource Centre for Dance, University of Surrey, in stages between 2007 and 2012.

An additional set of material (assigned accession reference Acc44-2015) was previously deposited by Dick McCaw at the Brotherton, University of Leeds in 2014. This material was later transferred, upon agreement with University of Leeds, to the National Resource Centre for Dance, Archives and Special Collections, University of Surrey in 2015.

No further accruals expected.

See also the following archives held by Archives and Special Collections, University of Surrey:

• Archive of Rudolf Laban, teacher, mentor and later colleague of Geraldine Stephenson [collection reference: L];
• Archive of Lisa Ullmann, teacher and later colleague of Geraldine Stephenson [collection reference: LU];
• Archive of Audrey Wethered, fellow Laban Guild member and peer at the Art of Movement Studio, within the Audrey Wethered and Chloë Gardner Collection [collection reference: AW];
• Archive of the Laban Guild [collection reference: LG]. See specifically reference number LG/E/10/6 for the Guild's papers relating to the Kaleidoscopia Viva performance, produced and choreographed by Geraldine Stephenson.

Further material relating to the Art of Movement Studio, attended by Geraldine Stephenson, is held by the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Further material relating to the York Cycle of Mystery Plays, choreographed by Geraldine Stephenson 1951-1957, is held by the York Mystery Plays Archive, National Centre for Early Music, York.