New York Adventures: Small World

The junior chapter of Wilson College's Orchesis performs "Prelude... To a Party"; 1961.

JM: Just before I left New York City (after living there 54 years) I ran into someone moving into my building which was a converted ribbon factory with 16 lofts. It was Margaret Beals. She had been at the American Dance Festival back in 1962 when Mary and I were there. Perhaps you know her? She is an improvisational dancer, and we certainly remembered each other from 50 plus years ago! Small world!

PN: In 1962 a group of us formed a Choreographers’ Co-op and rented a loft on East 9th Street. We called it Studio 9 because there were nine of us sharing the rent (and each other as dancers). There was a pillar, so the dance space was essentially L shaped. Elina Mooney’s husband laid down a maple floor. Margret was one of the nine! She was an amazing performer—working with improvisation back when nobody else was. Her dances using Edna St Vincent Millay’s poetry were extraordinary. She had a loft in the same building as Meredith Monk and taught an improvisation class for years. Sadly, her work fit no fashion, so she never really got the recognition she deserved, although she had a devoted following.

JM: I was fortunate during the few years that Margaret and I overlapped in our building to be included in several film screenings she was having of her work. I had always remembered her as an extraordinary dancer and knew that she was devoted to improvisation which, as you say, never had a strong following. Her films were quite amazing; I think she was working on archiving them somehow.