Ruth Beckford 1959

Description:
Ruth Beckford (left), teacher of Haitian Primitive dance, and one of her students rehearse outdoors in the Oakland Hills, Oakland, Calif.

Date of Document:
Jul-59

Document Author:
Ted Streshinsky

Geographic Location:
365 45th Street, Oakland, Calif.

Context:
In a long career as dancer, teacher, author and actor, Ruth Beckford (a graduate of Oakland Technical High School) in 1947 founded a modern dance department within the Oakland Department of Recreation (merged in 1971 with the Parks Department), the first program of this kind in the U.S. This was a time when Oakland Rec was expanding its neighborhood-serving programs throughout the city, and creating recreation opportunities for adults as well as children. Moving the fledgling Studio One Arts Center in 1948 into the newly opened North Oakland Recreation Center on 45th Street in Temescal was an example of the department s new philosophy and approach. Beckford taught at Studio One.