Ann HUTCHINSON GUEST (1918-2022, nee Hutchinson).

Labanotation by Ann Hutchinson President of the Dance Notation Bureau, Inc. Illustrated by Doug Anderson. 

[New York:] A New Directions book, [1954]. Octavo (9 x 6 inches). Illustrations and diagrams throughout. Original red cloth, dust-jacket (tears to the upper cover).

[with:] a small collection of related ephemera [see images], including

2.a flyer advertising the book, printed on brown paper (actually a cut-down version of the dust-jacket). (9 ¼ x 10 inches)

3.’Dance Notation Conversation’  - a 12pp booklet printed on green paper

4. ‘Courses Offered in Laban Notation by the Dance Notation Bureau’ – 1p. folded printed on yellow paper

5. ‘You are Invited to become a member of the Dance Notation Bureau’ – an 8pp booklet printed on brown paper

6. ‘News from New Directions’ a publicity announcement about ‘Labanotation’ – 1p. printed in red and black.

7. a sample sheet featuring examples of the dance notation

8. a related large envelope addressed to ‘Mrs. Eugene Polinsky’ from the ‘Dance Notation Bureau’.

A beautifully designed book explaining a fascinating theory which allowed for dance to be described through symbols and charts, together with some very rare related ephemera – also beautifully designed.

‘Ann Hutchinson Guest MBE (née Hutchinson; 3 November 1918 – 9 April 2022) was an American authority on dance notation and movement analysis, long based in the United Kingdom. She studied more than 80 dance notation systems and translated 20 to Labanotation. This gave her access to a number of dance works in their original version – such as Vaslav Nijinsky's L'Après-midi d'un Faune. Her extensive research, performing and teaching career led her to establish the Language of Dance approach to movement understanding.

Hutchinson Guest studied labanotation with Sigurd Leeder at Dartington Hall in England in the 1930s and trained in modern dance and ballet. In New York, she co-founded and directed the Dance Notation Bureau, danced on Broadway and taught at the Juilliard School.’ (wikipedia)