229:. The two formed an instant and lasting friendship. Later that year, Bird was invited to become principal lecturer at the institution charged with developing a "dance theatre department" at the Laban Centre. In 1977 and '78, the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) validated the dance theater Bachelor of Arts degree developed under the leadership of Bird and North. It was the first such degree in the United Kingdom. This was followed in 1981 by a pioneering MA degree in dance and in 1984 with doctorate degrees. Advances led by Bird and North in the academic realm were augmented by moves in dance performance. In 1982, a Dance Performance Course was set in motion to act as a bridge between dance school and the dance profession and to encourage young choreographers, with a performing entity at its heart,
116:, among others. She and another favorite of Graham's, Dorothy Bird—who, though sharing a surname, a home in the Pacific Northwest, and a Cornish School pedigree, was no relation—moved into rooms in Martha Graham's house in New York. Bird continued working as Graham's assistant, especially in putting together costumes for the Group. More importantly for her later career, She also began teaching under Graham. Bird danced with the Group until 1937.
154:. Cage made use of the creative energies of the department and its students to found a percussion orchestra and compose his first work for prepared piano. The situation at Cornish had become toxic, however, and led to the resignation of the school's founder, Nellie Cornish. In the aftermath of this, Bird was eased out of her leadership role. She left Cornish in the spring of 1940.
142:. Bird gave her department a collaborative, company-orientation that included programs at Cornish and in the community, particularly in support of social issues. She encouraged her students to choreograph. In 1938, Bird was in need of a new accompanist and composer. In California, she was introduced to
86:
In 1927, when Bird was 13, Leslie became the head of the dance department at The
Cornish School, bringing his students with him. Leslie left after only a short time, but many of his students remained. In 1928, Nellie Cornish changed focus of the curriculum of the dance department to modern dance. Two
129:
In the fall of 1937, Bird returned to
Cornish as head of the dance department. She found a department that was much diminished; Nellie Cornish had been distracted by problems with money and her board of directors. Among the five dance majors, Bird found some good dancers, including Dorothy Herrmann
260:
Bird married Ralph
Gundlach in Seattle Washington on May 19, 1938. Bird was 41 years of age when she gave birth to her first child, Heidi Gundlach in 1955. Scott Gundlach followed in 1957. The family later adopted Michael, the son of Gundlach's daughter from an earlier marriage, Joan. Bonnie Bird
189:. At the YM-YWHA, she founded the children's company The Merry-Go-Rounders, which went on to great success and enticed a who's-who of the New York dance community to produce works for it. She was with the program until 1966. During her years in New York, Bird became involved in the running of the
91:
to teach a summer intensive course. Although Bird was too young to go at the time, Graham invited her to join her in New York when she finished high school. Graham also secured a scholarship for Bird to study at the
Neighborhood Playhouse, which was required of her dancers preparing to join the
54:
Born in 1914 in
Portland Oregon, the eldest child of Scott Elliot Bird and the former Josephine Powers, Bird grew up in and around Seattle in Washington State, mostly on a farm in what is now Bothell, Washington. She attended public school in the city, commuting every day.
146:, the two found they shared an experimentalist bent, and he was hired. Cage, who also joined the faculty teaching composition, thrived in the company-oriented department, and the group produced a number of memorable works, such as
173:. Although Gundlach was not a Communist, he was one of three professors at University of Washington to be stripped of tenure and dismissed. The couple moved across the country where it was more likely they could find work.
138:
and become an influential teacher in New York. As it turned out, theater majors were required to take dance, and she was able to recruit from their ranks. Chief among these actor/dancers was
482:
Cornish, Nellie C. Miss Aunt Nellie: The
Autobiography of Nellie C. Cornish, Ellen Van Volkenburg Browne and Edward Nordhoff Beck, eds. Seattle, University of Washington, 1964; 252ff.
244:
In 2002 at the opening of the Laban Dance Centre in London's
Creekside—seven years after her death—Bird was honored by the naming of the 300-seat main performance venue as the
249:
31:
237:, whose awards are known, after 2015, as "The Bonnies." Bird retired from Laban in 1989. A year later, in 1990, the CNAA awarded Bird a Doctor of Arts degree,
26:
in the 1930s and went on to a career as a dance educator in the United States and also in the United
Kingdom, where she was awarded a Doctor of Arts degree,
755:
460:
Cornish, Nellie C. Letter to John Cage, August 25, 1938. Special
Collections Div. University of Washington Libraries, Accession 2654-8, box/folder 2/21.
294:. London, unpublished, Bonnie Bird Collection, archives of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, 1990. Reference number: D5/2007/35/1b/1.
63:
At the age of seven, at a time her family was living in
Seattle, Bird was introduced to a neighbor who happened to be a ballet dancer and teacher,
325:
Bonnie Bird Interview. Transcription. London, unpublished, archive of the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, 1981. 2-3. Unpublished
775:
750:
347:
Bonnie Bird Interview. Transcription. London, unpublished, archive of the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, 1981. 9. Unpublished.
170:
780:
83:. When Pavlova toured through Seattle, Leslie introduced Bird to her. Captivated, Bird decided on a career as a dancer at that early age.
504:
Bocek, Maximilian. "Bonnie Bird & Company". Cornish Magazine. Seattle, Cornish College of the Arts, February 2016. 14-15. Print, web.
303:
Bocek, Maximilian. "Bonnie Bird & Company". Cornish Magazine. Seattle, Cornish College of the Arts, February 2016. 12-15. Print, web.
765:
760:
198:
181:
In New York, she opened her Dance Drama School, which, though an artistic success, was not a financial one. Moving to the
770:
35:
218:
230:
162:
190:
745:
740:
226:
194:
158:
539:
Scruby, Mr.s Wilbur W. letter to Bonnie Bird, March 27, 1940. UW Accession 2654-8, box 5 folder 22.
245:
68:
214:
165:. Gundlach had been a notable leftist before the war, and after, he found himself a target of the
64:
530:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 108-13. Print.
495:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 99-100. Print.
222:
166:
724:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 153-4. Print.
643:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 175-6. Print.
604:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 164-5. Print.
565:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 142-4. Print.
552:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 141-2. Print.
281:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 66–68. Print.
233:. Furthering this work, friends of Bird celebrated her 70th birthday in 1984 by instituting the
711:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 105. Print.
698:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 179. Print.
669:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 177. Print.
656:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 178. Print.
630:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 172. Print.
617:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 164. Print.
578:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 149. Print.
517:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 103. Print.
316:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 6-7. Print.
473:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 99. Print.
451:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 41. Print.
438:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 46. Print.
425:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 39. Print.
399:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 23. Print.
386:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 19. Print.
373:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 19. Print.
360:. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Harwood Academic Publishers (Taylor & Francis), 1998. 10. Print.
139:
135:
39:
30:, for her work pioneering degree programs in dance in the 1970s through the '90s at the
186:
76:
100:
Bird formally joined the Graham Group in 1933, and went on to perform in Graham works
734:
182:
88:
23:
210:
131:
80:
19:(April 30, 1914 – April 9, 1995) was an American modern dancer and dance educator.
72:
248:. In 2005, the Laban Centre merged with Trinity College of Music to become the
143:
43:
683:
67:. She began to take classes from him. Leslie had been dancing in the
591:: Oral History Transcript. Scholar Select, 1994. 142. Web and Print.
92:
Graham Group. Bird left Seattle for New York in the summer of 1931.
338:: Oral History Transcript. Scholar Select, 1994. 13. Web and Print.
261:
died in Tiburon, California, near San Francisco, on April 9, 1995.
412:. Obituaries, The New York Times, April 13, 1995. Web and print.
185:, Bird worked developing a dance program for young people with
241:, for her work pioneering degree programs in dance in the UK.
161:
during her time at Cornish, a professor of psychology at the
234:
169:, a local manifestation in Seattle of the Communist-purging
213:
at the Dance Notation Bureau led her to request a visit by
410:
Bonnie Bird, Graham Protegee And Noted Dance Teacher, 80
292:
Bonnie Bird: Citation for the Award of Honorary Doctor
46:
upon her return to Cornish as head of dance in 1937.
38:, she is most popularly known for bringing together
587:Riess William and Heidi Gundlach-Smith, editors.
334:Riess William and Heidi Gundlach-Smith, editors.
183:Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association
589:Bonnie Bird Gunlach, Dancer and Dance Educator
336:Bonnie Bird Gunlach, Dancer and Dance Educator
250:Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
34:. Educated at The Cornish School 1927–30, now
32:Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
8:
722:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
709:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
696:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
667:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
654:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
641:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
628:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
615:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
602:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
576:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
563:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
550:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
528:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
515:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
493:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
471:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
449:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
436:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
423:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
397:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
384:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
371:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
358:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
314:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
279:Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird
71:in New York, the company of Russian dancer
270:
684:http://www.bonniebird.org/history.html
290:Council for National Academic Awards.
171:House Un-American Activities Committee
7:
756:Cornish College of the Arts alumni
14:
134:, who would go on to dance with
87:years later, Cornish brought in
205:In England at the Laban Centre
1:
776:20th-century American dancers
751:Artists from Portland, Oregon
680:Bonnie Bird Choreography Fund
235:Bonnie Bird Choreography Fund
221:, which was then attached to
199:Congress on Research in Dance
219:Laban Art of Movement Studio
152:3 Inventories of Casey Jones
781:20th-century American women
36:Cornish College of the Arts
797:
209:In 1973, Bird's work with
75:, who, as a member of the
231:Transitions Dance Company
96:Professional dance career
163:University of Washington
766:American female dancers
761:American modern dancers
191:Dance Notation Bureau
157:Bird had married Dr.
125:At The Cornish School
720:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
707:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
694:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
665:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
652:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
639:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
626:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
613:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
600:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
574:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
561:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
548:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
526:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
513:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
491:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
469:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
447:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
434:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
421:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
395:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
382:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
369:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
356:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
312:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
277:Bell-Kanner, Karen.
227:University of London
195:American Dance Guild
771:Dancers from Oregon
408:Dunning, Jennifer.
246:Bonnie Bird Theatre
193:and co-founded the
148:Imaginary Landscape
106:American Provincial
682:. 24 August 2016,
223:Goldsmiths College
167:Canwell Commission
22:Bird danced with
788:
725:
718:
712:
705:
699:
692:
686:
676:
670:
663:
657:
650:
644:
637:
631:
624:
618:
611:
605:
598:
592:
585:
579:
572:
566:
559:
553:
546:
540:
537:
531:
524:
518:
511:
505:
502:
496:
489:
483:
480:
474:
467:
461:
458:
452:
445:
439:
432:
426:
419:
413:
406:
400:
393:
387:
380:
374:
367:
361:
354:
348:
345:
339:
332:
326:
323:
317:
310:
304:
301:
295:
288:
282:
275:
140:Merce Cunningham
136:Katherine Dunham
79:, had partnered
40:Merce Cunningham
796:
795:
791:
790:
789:
787:
786:
785:
731:
730:
729:
728:
719:
715:
706:
702:
693:
689:
677:
673:
664:
660:
651:
647:
638:
634:
625:
621:
612:
608:
599:
595:
586:
582:
573:
569:
560:
556:
547:
543:
538:
534:
525:
521:
512:
508:
503:
499:
490:
486:
481:
477:
468:
464:
459:
455:
446:
442:
433:
429:
420:
416:
407:
403:
394:
390:
381:
377:
368:
364:
355:
351:
346:
342:
333:
329:
324:
320:
311:
307:
302:
298:
289:
285:
276:
272:
267:
258:
130:and especially
122:
120:Academic career
98:
61:
59:Dance education
52:
12:
11:
5:
794:
792:
784:
783:
778:
773:
768:
763:
758:
753:
748:
743:
733:
732:
727:
726:
713:
700:
687:
671:
658:
645:
632:
619:
606:
593:
580:
567:
554:
541:
532:
519:
506:
497:
484:
475:
462:
453:
440:
427:
414:
401:
388:
375:
362:
349:
340:
327:
318:
305:
296:
283:
269:
268:
266:
263:
257:
254:
187:Doris Humphrey
159:Ralph Gundlach
121:
118:
97:
94:
77:Ballets Russes
60:
57:
51:
48:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
793:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
767:
764:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
747:
744:
742:
739:
738:
736:
723:
717:
714:
710:
704:
701:
697:
691:
688:
685:
681:
675:
672:
668:
662:
659:
655:
649:
646:
642:
636:
633:
629:
623:
620:
616:
610:
607:
603:
597:
594:
590:
584:
581:
577:
571:
568:
564:
558:
555:
551:
545:
542:
536:
533:
529:
523:
520:
516:
510:
507:
501:
498:
494:
488:
485:
479:
476:
472:
466:
463:
457:
454:
450:
444:
441:
437:
431:
428:
424:
418:
415:
411:
405:
402:
398:
392:
389:
385:
379:
376:
372:
366:
363:
359:
353:
350:
344:
341:
337:
331:
328:
322:
319:
315:
309:
306:
300:
297:
293:
287:
284:
280:
274:
271:
264:
262:
256:Personal life
255:
253:
251:
247:
242:
240:
239:honoris causa
236:
232:
228:
224:
220:
216:
212:
207:
206:
202:
200:
196:
192:
188:
184:
179:
178:
174:
172:
168:
164:
160:
155:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
127:
126:
119:
117:
115:
111:
107:
103:
95:
93:
90:
89:Martha Graham
84:
82:
78:
74:
70:
69:Ballet Intime
66:
58:
56:
49:
47:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
28:honoris causa
25:
24:Martha Graham
20:
18:
721:
716:
708:
703:
695:
690:
679:
674:
666:
661:
653:
648:
640:
635:
627:
622:
614:
609:
601:
596:
588:
583:
575:
570:
562:
557:
549:
544:
535:
527:
522:
514:
509:
500:
492:
487:
478:
470:
465:
456:
448:
443:
435:
430:
422:
417:
409:
404:
396:
391:
383:
378:
370:
365:
357:
352:
343:
335:
330:
321:
313:
308:
299:
291:
286:
278:
273:
259:
243:
238:
215:Marion North
211:Labanotation
208:
204:
203:
180:
176:
175:
156:
151:
147:
132:Syvilla Fort
128:
124:
123:
113:
109:
105:
101:
99:
85:
81:Anna Pavlova
65:Caird Leslie
62:
53:
27:
21:
16:
15:
746:1995 deaths
741:1914 births
678:"History."
177:In New York
102:Celebration
73:Adolph Bolm
17:Bonnie Bird
735:Categories
265:References
50:Early life
144:John Cage
114:Chronicle
44:John Cage
201:(CORD).
197:and the
110:Panorama
225:of the
217:of the
112:, and
150:and
42:and
737::
252:.
108:,
104:,
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.