Lincoln Kirstein first became involved in dance as a spectator and then moved to writing about dance, an occupation that he has continued throughout his life.
Kirstein is considered by many to be the American authority on dance. He contributed more than any other contemporary American toward the development of theatrical dance in the United States. He is also credited with bringing Japanese theater to the United States.
During the 1930s and 1940s, Kirstein founded and directed numerous ballet schools and companies, including the School of American Ballet, New York (1934), the American Ballet (1935), the Ballet Caravan (1936), and the Ballet Society (1946). He was also the founding director of The Dance Index.
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