Sonia Serova Explained

Sonia Serova
Other Names:Eileen West, Maizie Stone, Aileen Swepstone, Eileen Kiefer, Alena Vestoff
Birth Name:Eileen Mary Swepstone
Birth Date:April 15, 1888
Birth Place:London
Death Date:May 9, 1943 (aged 55)
Death Place:High Bridge, New Jersey
Occupation:Dancer, choreographer, dance educator

Sonia Serova (April 15, 1888 – May 9, 1943), born Eileen Mary Swepstone, was a British-born American modern dancer, also known as Eileen West and Eileen Kiefer. She taught dance in New York City, and published several dance education manuals, including three manuals for the dance education of very young children.

Early life and education

Eileen M. Swepstone was born in London, the daughter of Harry Albemarle Swepstone and Emma Hough Swepstone.[1] She attended Mrs. Wordsworth's School in London,[2] [3] and studied dance with Veronine Vestoff at the University of California in 1916.[4] [5]

Career

As Eileen Swepstone, she acted and danced in local theatre productions in British Columbia in 1912,[6] 1913,[7] [8] 1914,[9] [10] and 1916.[11] She danced with partner Bernard Tweedale[12] in theatres in the Pacific Northwest, including in Alaska,[13] and wrote an instructional pamphlet on the tango.[14] She began teaching children ballet and performing in San Francisco by 1916.[15] [16]

Using the Russian-sounding name "Sonia Serova", she and her first husband founded the Vestoff-Serova Russian School of Dancing in New York City in 1917.[17] Serova was noted especially for teaching very young children in her classes, "as early as four years, but never younger".[18] [19] "The only way to get anything out of a baby is to be a baby oneself, and so I just play I'm about four years old when teaching the Tinies," she explained in her book, Baby Work.

Serova did a series of performances with Michio Itō in 1921.[20] Her dance company was the subject of an experimental sound film in 1924, Sonia Serova Dancers, made by Lee de Forest.[21] She also directed and choreographed programs at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden[22] and the Skating Club of New York. She taught from a studio at Steinway Hall, and in New Jersey, in her later years.[23]

Publications

Personal life and legacy

Swepstone married fellow dancer Charles West, also known as Veronine Vestoff, in 1917. They had a daughter, Cynthia, born in 1918. She died in 1943, in High Bridge, New Jersey. The Serova School of Dance in Somerville, New Jersey, was opened by her daughter in 1954.[27] [28]

Notes and References

  1. News: 1943-05-10 . Sonia Serova; Ex-Ballet Mistress Directed the Skating Club Carnivals . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-03-29 . 0362-4331.
  2. Web site: Soren . David . Sonia Serova: Greek Dance Come to Life . 2023-03-29 . The American Vaudeville Museum.
  3. Book: Barzel, Ann . European Dance Teachers in the United States . 1944 . Ballet Society . 81 . Internet Archive.
  4. Book: Zeller, Jessica . Shapes of American Ballet: Teachers and Training before Balanchine . 2016-06-01 . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-029671-1 . en.
  5. News: 1916-07-09 . Many from Oregon Attending Summer Session at Berkeley . 13 . The Oregon Daily Journal . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  6. News: 1912-04-09 . Superb Performance by Society People . 12 . Vancouver Daily World . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  7. News: 1913-06-16 . For the Cadets . 8 . The Vancouver Sun . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  8. News: 1913-09-05 . 'Cafe Chantant' is Great Success . 7 . The Vancouver Sun . 2023-03-30 . Newspapers.com.
  9. News: 1914-12-26 . Local Play Presented at the Imperial . 13 . The Province . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  10. News: 1914-03-13 . Local Actors Will Be Seen in Play . 18 . The Victoria Daily Times . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  11. News: 1915-05-15 . Lady Madcap . 3 . The Vancouver Sun . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  12. News: 1914-05-12 . Plan Notable Concert . 2 . Vancouver Daily World . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  13. News: 1914-07-02 . At Orpheum Tonight . 1 . Juneau Empire . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  14. Book: Miss Swepstone and Mr. Bernard Tweedale. . The tango, as standardized and taught by the representative dancing masters of the North American continent; tango two-step, hesitation waltz, Boston glide, one-step, described by Miss Eileen Swepstone ... illustrated . 1914.
  15. News: 1916-03-22 . Benefit Ballet . 11 . The San Francisco Examiner . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  16. News: 1916-04-16 . 30 Dancers Ready for Benefit; Charming Girl to Lead Ballet . 40 . The San Francisco Examiner . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  17. March 1917 . Dancing as a Fine Art . Arts & Decoration . 282–283.
  18. News: 1933-12-20 . Music in Song and Dance . 5 . The Ridgewood Herald . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  19. News: Jackson . Stewart . 1926-09-26 . How Choruses are Trained . 101 . The Brooklyn Daily Eagle . 2023-04-11 . Newspapers.com.
  20. January 1921 . Michio Itow . Shadowland . 3 . 35 . Internet Archive.
  21. Web site: Dr. Lee de Forest: Radios and Research . 2023-03-30 . DeForest Radio.
  22. News: 1943-05-11 . Sonia Serova; Rites for Ballet Teacher . 71 . Daily News . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  23. News: 1933-09-15 . New Dance School; Mme Sonia Serova Will Open Studio in Ridgewood . 5 . The Ridgewood Herald . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  24. Web site: Swepstone . Eileen . Tweedale . Bernard . 1914 . The tango as standardized and taught by the representative dancing masters of the North American continent; tango two-step, hesitation waltz, Boston glide, one-step . 2023-03-30 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
  25. Book: Serova, Sonia . Nature dancing; the poetry of motion. . 1916 . New York.
  26. Book: Serova, Sonia . Baby work . 1917 . New York : Vestoff-Serova Russian Acad. of Dancing, Inc. . Harold B. Lee Library.
  27. News: 2001-06-24 . Serova School of Dance (advertisement) . 81 . The Courier-News . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.
  28. News: 1943-05-10 . Sonia Serova Dies, Famed Dancing Teacher . 5 . The Courier-News . 2023-03-29 . Newspapers.com.

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