Blunden, Jeraldyne

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.

• 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

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.

From the guide to the Jeraldyne Blunden Collection, 1960-2000, (Wright State University, Special Collections and Archives)