Marion North Collection

Files, correspondence, letters, research notes and photographs of Dr Marion North OBE, former Principal of Laban. Includes material concerning Transitions Dance Company, Bonnie Bird, Bonnie Bird Choreography Fund and administrative papers of the Laban Centre.

Marion North was a teaching assistant to Rudolf Laban at the Laban Art of Movement Studio, Addlestone, Surrey from 1950-1960 where she assisted in Laban's industrial research, dance education and dance in the community work. She became Head of Dance at Sidney Webb College, London 1962-72 and then Head of the Dance Department, Goldsmith's College 1972-80. She became Principal of Laban in 1973 and retired in 2003 having overseen Laban's move into its new building at Deptford, South East London. Under her leadership, Laban offered Britian's first BA (Hons) Dance Theatre (1976), the first MA in Dance Studies (1980), the first MA in Dance Movement Therapy in collaboration with Hahnemann University, Philadelphia (1995) and the first MA Scenography [Dance] (1999). Her own studies have included a longitudinal study of movement characteristics of babies to adolescence as well as the application of Rudolf Laban's principles in industry. Marion North was awarded an OBE in 2000 and Doctor of Letters honoris causa by the University of Salford in 2001.

The collection has not yet been sorted into series.

Temporarily closed to the public.

Acquired from Marion North.

Box lists for the majority of the collection are available to search on the Laban Archive catalogue.

Description compiled by Jane Fowler, Archivist, Laban

Photocopies can be made according to copyright law and depending on the condition of the documents. Please consult the Archivist.

Duplicates have been weeded.

Transferred to the Laban Library and Archive by Marion North.

Accruals are received on an irregular basis.

Material concerning Marion North can also be found in the Laban Centre Archive and the Bonnie Bird Collection, both held in the Laban Archive.