Jean Battey Lewis papers

Jean Battey Lewis (1924–2016) was a prolific arts journalist and leading dance critic in Washington, D.C. Born in New Rochelle, NY, she moved to Washington as a young person to attend the private Sidwell Friends School, where she graduated in 1942. Battey Lewis went on to attend American University, graduating in 1949. She studied with several significant artists, including ballerina Alicia Markova and modern dancer Charles Weidman. In the 1950s, Battey Lewis accompanied her husband to Japan for his assignment with the U.S. Information Agency. There, she wrote for the Japan Times and taught dance at Tokyo’s American Cultural Center. Upon returning to Washington, D.C. in 1958, Battey Lewis began writing dance criticism for the Washington Post. She hosted “Invitation to the Dance,” a program on local radio station WGMS-FM that featured music, commentary, and interviews with major figures in dance. In the late 1970s, she was named editor in chief and associate publisher of the Washington Guide to the Arts. She began working for National Public Radio, where she produced stories on subjects ranging from renowned ballerina Martha Graham to whirling dervishes in Turkey. Battey Lewis wrote criticism for the Washington Times from 1989 to 2008, reporting on subjects local, national, and international. Battey Lewis kept all of her published works—written and recorded—along with her corresponding research in this collection. Her research materials include field recordings, interviews, typed and handwritten notes, and secondary source materials such as concert programs, press releases, photographs, and newspaper clippings. The collection contains information on the careers of well-known dancers and choreographers, such as Edward Villella, George Balanchine, and Robert Joffrey, but also on local dance history in Washington, D.C.