Paul Draper Papers 1909-1991 (S) *MGZMD 250 Compiled By .

The New York Public Library - New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy andLewis B. Cullman CenterJerome Robbins Dance DivisionGuide to thePaul Draper papers1909-1991(S) *MGZMD 250Compiled by Lea Jordan, May 2011SummaryCreator: Draper, Paul, 1909-1996Title: Paul Draper papers, 1909-1991Size: 2.94 linear feet (7 boxes)Source: Donated by Katie and Susan Draper, 2009Abstract: Paul Draper (1909-1996) was a dancer, choreographer, writer, and educator best known forhis innovative combination of ballet and tap. The Paul Draper papers (1909-1991) containcorrespondence, memorabilia, and clippings spanning both his youth and his 60 year career.Access: To request materials, please contact the Jerome Robbins Dance Division (dance@nypl.org) inadvance.Copyright information: Donor retains copyright of materials. Library policy on photocopying will apply.For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Jerome Robbins Dance Division.Preferred citation: Paul Draper papers, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public LibraryProcessing noteUsers should note that in some instances, original letters or documents were removed by the family andreplaced with facsimiles.Collection rehoused into archival boxes, original order and folders maintained.Creator historyPaul Draper (1909-1996) was a dancer and choreographer, best known for his innovative combination ofballet and tap. Draper was born to a prominent New York family and was encouraged as a student tobecome an engineer. After only 6 tap dance lessons in the 1930s, he set off for London to find work as adancer, where he spent a year perfecting his tap routines. When he returned to the United States, heenrolled in the School of American Ballet – and from that experience developed his “Ballet-Tap” routinesin 1932. This trademark style integrated ballet technique and vocabulary into tap dance routines. Draperoften performed tap to classical music.Draper not only toured the country in a very popular routine with harmonicist Larry Adler, but alsoichoreographed for Broadway, the American Dance Festival, and Goodspeed Opera House. In 1941 hemarried Balanchine dancer Heidi Vossler.

enrolled in the School of American Ballet – and from that experience developed his “Ballet-Tap” routinesin 1932. This trademark style integrated ballet technique and vocabulary into tap dance routines. DraperGuide to theoften performed tap to classical music.Paul Draper papersDraper not only toured the country in a very popular routine with harmonicist Larry Adler, but alsochoreographed for Broadway, the American Dance Festival, and Goodspeed Opera House. In 1941 hemarried Balanchine dancer Heidi Vossler.Draper’s act with Adler ended in 1949 when they were blacklisted as Communist sympathizers. Hefought the accusations, filing a libel lawsuit against the Connecticut housewife who had accused him ofcommunist leanings, but still had to leave the country briefly. Draper did not resume performing until1955. Upon returning to the stage, Draper worked on several Broadway shows and also appeared at theNew York City Center. He also wrote articles for Dance Magazine during the years 1954-1963. In 1967he became a professor at Carnagie Mellon University, where he taught in the theater department until1978. He retired in Woodstock, NY.Scope and content noteThe Paul Draper papers (1909-1991) contain correspondence, memorabilia, and clippings spanning bothhis youth and his 60 year career. His papers include personal and business correspondence, clippingsregarding Draper’s dance engagements, photographs, programs, certificates, and invitations. Thesegeneral files are arranged by year, however specific items can be located by looking both in the subjectfiles as well as under the files by year. For example, looking under the year a specific Broadwayproduction occurred would yield that material if any existed – but the clippings section of the subject filesshould also be consulted. Even though there is a trial and blacklist section within the subject files,additional materials relating to Draper’s blacklist and its subsequent effect on his career can be seen bylooking under the years 1950-1954. Most materials focus on his performance career, but there are alsoteaching materials from Carnegie Mellon, personal birthday cards, and notes.Draper’s subject files contain clippings not integrated into the yearly files, his writings for DanceMagazine, a transcript of an interview he gave in the 1940s discussing his childhood and early career,and materials relating to his blacklist and trial in the 1950s. The interview material is roughly 120 pagesof an extremely detailed discussion about Draper’s childhood, training, and early work.The much smaller family papers section consists of of documents relating to various members ofDraper’s immediate family. Files may contain letters, certificates, and photographs – with the exceptionof Muriel Draper, his mother. These files contain bound reproductions of some of her familycorrespondence and her obituary.ArrangementAlphabetical by subjectKey termsSubjectsBlacklisting of entertainers -- United StatesCommunism -- United StatesDance -- History -- 20th centuryTap dancersTap dancingNamesDraper, Paul, 1909-1996Special formatsii

Blacklisting of entertainers -- United StatesCommunism -- United StatesDance -- History -- 20th centuryTap dancersTap dancingGuide to thePaul Draper papersNamesDraper, Paul, 1909-1996Special formatsClippingsCorrespondencePhotographsiii

Container listDraper, PaulGeneral Filesb.1 f.11909-1932b.1 f.21933-1935b.1 f.31936-1937b.1 f.41938b.1 f.51939b.1 f.61940b.1 f.71941b.1 f.81942b.1 f.91943b.1 f.101944b.1 f.111945b.1 f.121946b.1 f.131947b.1 f.141948b.1 f.151949b.1 f.161950b.1 f.171951b.1 f.181952b.1 f.191953b.1 f.201954b.2 f.11955b.2 f.21956b.2 f.31957b.2 f.41958b.2 f.51959b.2 f.61960b.2 f.71961b.2 f.81962b.2 f.91963b.2 f.101964b.2 f.111965b.3 f.11966b.3 f.21967b.3 f.31968b.3 f.41969b.3 f.51970b.3 f.61971b.3 f.71972b.3 f.81973b.3 f.919741

Paul Draper papersSeries descriptions and container listDraper, Paul (cont.)General Files (cont.)b.4 f.11975b.4 f.21975-1976b.4 f.31976b.4 f.41977b.4 f.51978b.4 f.61979b.4 f.71980b.4 f.81981b.4 f.91982b.4 f.101983b.4 f.111984b.5 f.11985b.5 f.21986b.5 f.31987b.5 f.41988b.5 f.51989b.5 f.61990b.5 f.71991Subject FilesClippingsb.5 f.81943-1948b.5 f.91954-1978b.5 f.10Dance Magazine, 1954-1963b.5 f.11Interview, undatedLed by Greg Tuck, concerns Draper’s early training and career.Trial and Blacklistingb.6 f.1-2Clippings, 1950b.6 f.3-4General, 1950b.6 f.5Larry Adler’s Deposition, 1950Family Papersb.7 f.1Carter, Alice Draper (Aunt)b.7 f.2Dana, Charles Anderson (Great-grandfather)b.7 f.3Draper, Anne (Neice)b.7 f.4Draper, Charles (Uncle)b.7 f.5Draper, George (Uncle)b.7 f.6Draper, Heidi (Wife)b.7 f.7Draper, Martha (Half-sister)b.7 f.8-9b.7 f.10Draper, Muriel (Mother)Draper, Paul Sr. (Father)2

Paul Draper papersSeries descriptions and container listFamily Papers (cont.)b.7 f.11Draper, Raymond Sanders (Brother)b.7 f.12Draper, Ruth (Aunt)b.7 f.13Draper, William (Grandfather)b.7 f.14James, Dorothea Draper (Aunt)3

fought the accusations, filing a libel lawsuit against the Connecticut housewife who had accused him of communist leanings, but still had to leave the country briefly. Draper did not resume performing until 1955. Upon returning to the stage, Draper worked on several Broa