Laban, Juana de, 1910-1978

Laban was born in 1910 in Austria-Hungary; was the daughter of Rudolf von Laban, the inventor of the system of Labanotation; received her master's and doctoral degrees from Yale Univ.; became director of graduate studies in theater at Baylor Univ.; was a distinguished professor at the Univ. of Wisconsin, and served on the dance faculty at UCLA before retiring; she was active in many educational and professional organizations, including the Sacred Dance Guild of America; publications include Dance notation (c1946); moved to Temple, TX in 1972; she died on July 4, 1978.

From the description of Papers, 1912-1975. (University of California, Los Angeles). WorldCat record id: 41297677

Juana de Laban von Varalja was an internationally recognized teacher, performer, choreographer, director, author, critic, and theatre and dance history scholar. As a dance educator, Laban influenced the development of the pedagogy of dance history and research. Juana de Laban, the eldest daughter of Rudolf von Laban and Maya Lenares, was born on October 21, 1910. Laban's mother was a famous Italian opera singer and her father was a world-famous movement analyst, philosopher, writer, director, choreographer, and dancer who developed the Labanotation dance notation system. Laban's early years were dominated by the tutelage of her father. By 1934, she had earned a diploma from the Royal Hungarian Academy in Budapest where she specialized in the national dances of Hungary. During the mid-1930's, she toured Austria, Switzerland, and Germany as a solo danseuse and served as a critic for The Dancing Times and Der Tanz. Her understanding of the arts and fluency in five languages provided her with a world picture that was to guide her professional career.

At the onset of WWII in 1938, she immigrated to the United States. In 1939, Laban and dance partner, Frances Bartha, toured together and opened the Laban Dance Studio in New York City. In 1941, she began her American academic training at Yale University, completing a Master of Fine Arts in 1943 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in theatre arts in 1947.

After graduation, Laban shifted her focus away from performing to concentrate on her role as educator. She built her career in academia through a series of posts in American public institutions, teaching and speaking on modern educational dance, folk dancing, and the role of dance as part of a fine arts curriculum. In 1954, Paul Baker, chairman of the drama department at Baylor University, recruited Laban to head the graduate division for drama, where she taught stage movement and theatre history. The next eight years were exceptionally fruitful for Laban: developing new courses; spearheading a national trend to train actors in movement; directing and choreographing student productions; and teaching in South America on a Fulbright Lectureship.

In 1963, Laban accepted a position at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she returned to a position within a dance department. Here she concentrated on teaching, publishing, and speaking about the importance of scholarly research and the study of dance history. As an early member of the Committee on Research in Dance (CORD), Laban helped shape the development of this organization. By 1967, Laban became so committed to scholarly research that she founded a private business, the Dance Research Associates, to perform research assignments on a request basis.

Because of her distinguished reputation, Southern Methodist University in Dallas recruited Laban to head the burgeoning graduate dance program in 1971. Upon her return to Dallas, Laban renewed her association with the DTC and Paul Baker. Robyn Baker Flatt, a former student and Baker's daughter, appointed Laban to the DTC graduate program in 1973. Ill health forced her retirement to Temple, TX where she died of cancer in 1978, at the age of 68.

From the guide to the Juana de Laban Collection MA 91-9., 1924-1976, (Texas/Dallas History & Archives, Dallas Public Library)

Juana de Laban von Varalja was an internationally recognized teacher, performer, choreographer, director, author, critic, and theatre and dance history scholar. As a dance educator, Laban influenced the development of the pedagogy of dance history and research. Juana de Laban, the eldest daughter of Rudolf von Laban and Maya Lenares, was born on October 21, 1910. Laban's mother was a famous Italian opera singer and her father was a world-famous movement analyst, philosopher, writer, director, choreographer, and dancer who developed the Labanotation dance notation system. Laban's early years were dominated by the tutelage of her father. By 1934, she had earned a diploma from the Royal Hungarian Academy in Budapest where she specialized in the national dances of Hungary. During the mid-1930's, she toured Austria, Switzerland, and Germany as a solo danseuse and served as a critic for The Dancing Times and Der Tanz. Her understanding of the arts and fluency in five languages provided her with a world picture that was to guide her professional career.

At the onset of WWII in 1938, she immigrated to the United States. In 1939, Laban and dance partner, Frances Bartha, toured together and opened the Laban Dance Studio in New York City. In 1941, she began her American academic training at Yale University, completing a Master of Fine Arts in 1943 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in theatre arts in 1947.

After graduation, Laban shifted her focus away from performing to concentrate on her role as educator. She built her career in academia through a series of posts in American public institutions, teaching and speaking on modern educational dance, folk dancing, and the role of dance as part of a fine arts curriculum. In 1954, Paul Baker, chairman of the drama department at Baylor University, recruited Laban to head the graduate division for drama, where she taught stage movement and theatre history. The next eight years were exceptionally fruitful for Laban: developing new courses; spearheading a national trend to train actors in movement; directing and choreographing student productions; and teaching in South America on a Fulbright Lectureship.

In 1963, Laban accepted a position at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she returned to a position within a dance department. Here she concentrated on teaching, publishing, and speaking about the importance of scholarly research and the study of dance history. As an early member of the Committee on Research in Dance (CORD), Laban helped shape the development of this organization. By 1967, Laban became so committed to scholarly research that she founded a private business, the Dance Research Associates, to perform research assignments on a request basis.

Because of her distinguished reputation, Southern Methodist University in Dallas recruited Laban to head the burgeoning graduate dance program in 1971. Upon her return to Dallas, Laban renewed her association with the DTC and Paul Baker. Robyn Baker Flatt, a former student and Baker's daughter, appointed Laban to the DTC graduate program in 1973. Ill health forced her retirement to Temple, TX where she died of cancer in 1978, at the age of 68.

From the guide to the Juana de Laban Collection MA 91-9., 1924-1976, (Texas/Dallas History & Archives, Dallas Public Library)

Biography

Juana de Laban was a notable figure in the dance world, having participated in the field as a dancer, teacher, choreographer, director, critic and scholar. Of Hungarian descent, Juana de Laban von Varalja was born on October 21, 1910 en route from Austria to Switzerland. She was the daughter of Rudolf von Laban, the inventor of the system of Labanotation, a groundbreaking method of notating and interpreting human movement. De Laban studied with the Institute of Choreographics in Berlin and the Royal Hungarian Academy in Budapest. She spent time working for European film companies TERRA and URA and became known for her interpretation of native Hungarian dances. With the start of World War II, de Laban relocated to Texas and eventually received her master's and doctoral degrees in dramatic theory and criticism from Yale University. She is said to be the recipient of the first PhD ever granted in the U.S. for the study of dance criticism. De Laban became director of graduate studies in theater at Baylor University. She went on to serve on the dance faculty at UCLA for eight years, during which time she started a free lecture series, worked to build the library in the area of dance history and aesthetics, and helped Library Special Collections acquire the Ruth St. Denis papers. She was active in many educational and professional organizations, including the Committee on Research in Dance, Sacred Dance Guild of America and the Dallas Theater Center. In the fall of 1971, de Laban moved back to Texas as director of the graduate program in dance at Southern Methodist University. In 1973 she relocated to Temple, Texas where she later died on July 4, 1978. Her publications include Dance Notation (c. 1946).

From the guide to the Juana de Laban papers, 1830-1975, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.)