Betty Meredith-Jones

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Betty Meredith-Jones
A smiling white woman with dark hair
Betty Meredith-Jones, from a 1955 newspaper
Born
Betty Marguerita Meredith Jones

19 May 1908
Aberdare, Wales, U.K.
Died12 May 1996
Swansea, Wales, U.K.
Occupation(s)Dancer, dance educator, rehabilitation specialist

Betty Marguerita Meredith-Jones (19 May 1908 – 12 May 1996) was a Welsh dancer, dance educator, and rehabilitation specialist, a student and proponent of the work of Rudolf von Laban.

Early life and education[edit]

Meredith-Jones was born in Aberdare, the daughter of William Meredith Jones and Ellen Ada Jones.[1] Her father was a surgeon-dentist for the Aberdare Education Authority.[2] She was presented to Princess Elizabeth in 1939, during the future queen's tour of Wales.[3][4]

Meredith-Jones trained in dance with Rudolf von Laban, and with the Chartered Society of Massage and Medical Gymnastics.[5] She was a graduate of the Chelsea College of Physical Education.[6] She earned a master's degree at Columbia University.[7] In the 1960s she studied Laban movement analysis with Warren Lamb.[8]

Career[edit]

Meredith-Jones taught dance and physical education courses,[2] and choreographed shows for the Salisbury Arts Centre,[5] before 1952, when she moved to the United States to teach movement classes.[9][10] She created a rehabilitation program at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, promoting movement training for addressing Parkinson's disease.[11] She taught at Teachers College, Columbia University,[7] Oregon State University,[12] Stanford University,[13] the University of California, Berkeley,[14] Skidmore College,[15][16] Duke University,[17] and the New School for Social Research.[18] She also consulted on symbolic movement in liturgical contexts,[19] and taught movement classes for older women.[20][21]

Publications[edit]

  • "Understanding Movement" (1955)[22]

Personal life[edit]

Meredith-Jones lived in Rhossili in her later years.[7] She died in 1996, at the age of 87, at Singleton Hospital in Swansea.[23] There is a collection of her papers in the National Resource Centre for Dance at the University of Surrey.[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Betty Marguerita Meredith Jones, in the Glamorganshire, Wales, Anglican Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1570-1994, via Ancestry
  2. ^ a b "'P. T.' Expert's Drama Lecture to Teachers". Aberdare Leader. 24 March 1951. p. 2. Retrieved September 5, 2023 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Work by Men's and Women's Clubs". Western Mail. 1939-06-12. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-09-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Visit to Museum". Western Mail. 12 June 1939. p. 8. Retrieved September 5, 2023 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ a b "Englishwoman to Give Dance Lecture Monday". The Eugene Guard. 1953-02-09. p. 9. Retrieved 2023-09-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Consultant Service". Journal of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. 24 (3): 35. March 1953.
  7. ^ a b c "B. Meredith-Jones, Dance Therapist, 87". The New York Times. 1996-05-19. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  8. ^ Davies, Eden (2007-05-07). Beyond Dance: Laban's Legacy of Movement Analysis. Routledge. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-135-51224-8.
  9. ^ Stough, Ada Barnett (1965). Brighter Vistas: The Story of Four Church Programs for Older Adults : Case Study No. 18. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Human Development, Administration on Aging. p. 26.
  10. ^ "Basic Movement Teacher to be Shown in Demonstrations Here on March 30". The Burlington Free Press. 1957-03-21. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-09-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Bradley, Karen K. (2018-08-06). Rudolf Laban. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-11704-3.
  12. ^ "West Coast Dance Workshop". Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. 24 (2): 44. February 1953.
  13. ^ "Modern Dance at Stanford". Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. 24 (12): 47. December 1953.
  14. ^ "Women's Workshop Staff Completed". Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. 24 (5): 63. May 1953.
  15. ^ "Workshop Features 28 Pupils". The Times Record. 1959-02-10. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-09-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Skidmore Dance Teacher Will Present Program". The Post-Star. 1959-04-13. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-09-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Physical Education Specialist to Visit Duke for 2 Weeks". The Herald-Sun. 1955-11-27. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-09-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Meredith-Jones, Betty". Finding Aids, New School Faculty Vertical Files Collection, The New School Archives & Special Collections. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  19. ^ Taylor, Margaret Fisk (2009-11-01). A Time to Dance: Symbolic Movement in Worship. Wipf and Stock Publishers. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-1-60899-131-0.
  20. ^ "Workshop in Art of Movement and Relaxation Held at Riverside Church". Aging (127): 14. May 1965.
  21. ^ Donnelly, Antoinette (1959-10-11). "Oldsters Off on Right Foot". Daily News. p. 98. Retrieved 2023-09-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Meredith-Jones, Betty (June 1955). "Understanding Movement". Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation. 26 (5): 14–59. doi:10.1080/00221473.1955.10628952. ISSN 0022-1473.
  23. ^ "Betty Meredith Jones (death notice)". The Daily Telegraph. 1996-05-14. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-09-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "The Laban Archives and Special Collections". The Labanarium. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
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