Flora Elizabeth Burchenal (October 1875 – November 21, 1959) was an American educator and the first president of the American Folk Dance Society when it was founded in 1916. Journalist

Ida Tarbell Ida Minerva Tarbell (November 5, 1857January 6, 1944) was an American writer, Investigative journalism, investigative journalist, List of biographers, biographer, and lecturer. She was one of the leading muckrakers and reformers of the Progre ...

described Burchenal as "one of the 50 living women who have done the most for the welfare of the United States."

Early life and education

Burchenal was born in

Richmond, Indiana Richmond () is a city in eastern Wayne County, Indiana, United States. Bordering the state of Ohio, it is the county seat of Wayne County. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 35,720. It is the principal c ...

, the daughter of Charles H. Burchenal and Mary Elizabeth Day Burchenal. Her father was a lawyer and a judge. She graduated from

Earlham College Earlham College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quake ...

in 1896, and pursued further studies at the Sargent School of Physical Education in Boston.

Career

Burchenal taught physical education classes at Teachers College, Columbia University from 1903 to 1905. She was executive secretary of the Girls' Branch of the Public School Athletic League of New York from 1906 to 1916. In 1909, she was appointed by the

New York City Department of Education The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The City School District of the City of New York (more commonly known as New York City Publ ...

as inspector of athletics, promoting and overseeing dance instruction in the city schools. She organized large folk dance festivals for the city's schoolchildren and adults, arranged dance music for recordings, and researched European folk dances with her sister, Emma Howells Burchenal. From 1916 to 1922, she was a "special national representative" of the War Workers Community Service. In 1916, Burchenal was a founder and first president of the American Folk Dance Society. When the society became part of the National Committee of Folk Arts of the United States in 1929, she was its director and national chairman. With another sister, Ruth, she founded the Folk Arts Center of New York, an exhibit, library, and archive space. She was described as "easily the foremost exponent of the folk dance movement in the world" when she gave a silver cup for a trophy in a youth folk dance competition in 1927. Burchenal was an American delegate to the International Commission of Popular Arts when it met in Prague in 1928, and in Belgium in 1930. From 1933 to 1934, she traveled in Germany studying folk dances.

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

presented Burchenal with an

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

in 1943. She received the Gulick Award in 1950.

Publications

* "Does Training in Dancing Contribute to General Grace of Carriage and Posture?" (1905) * ''Folk Dance Music'' (1908, with C. Ward Crampton) * ''Folk Dances and Singing Games'' (3 vol., 1909, 1922) * "Athletics for Girls" (1909, with Jennie Bradley Roessing) * ''Dances of the People'' (1913) * ''Folk Dances of Denmark'' (1915) * ''American Country Dances'' (1917) * "A Constructive Program of Athletics for School Girls: Policy, Method and Activities" (1919) * ''Folk Dances from Old Homelands'' (1922) * ''Folk-dancing as a Popular Recreation: A Handbook'' (1922) * ''National Dances of Ireland'' (1925) * ''Three Old American Quadrilles'' (1926) * ''Four Folk Games from Sweden, Finland, Czechoslovakia'' (1928) * ''Five Folk Dances'' (1929) * ''Folk Dances of Germany'' (1938) * "Folk Dances of the United States: Regional Types and Origins" (1951)

Personal life

Burchenal died in 1959, probably in her eighties, in Brooklyn.

References

External links

Silent footage of Elizabeth Burchenal
leading a large group adults in folk dancing at Coney Island, posted on YouTube by the Square Dance History Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Burchenal, Elizabeth 1876 births 1959 deaths People from Richmond, Indiana Earlham College alumni Teachers College, Columbia University faculty American folklorists American educators