The Morrison-Shearer Collection is an extensive group of dance films that are preserved by and housed at Chicago Film Archives. The collection represents one of the most significant dance film archives in the Midwest, documenting a remarkable artistic partnership between photographer-filmmaker Helen Balfour Morrison and pioneering modern dancer-choreographer Sybil Shearer.
The collection contains nearly 600 films and audio reels, primarily shot at Shearer’s Northbrook, Illinois dance studio and surrounding areas. Most films were created by Morrison, with some contributions from Shearer and company dancer Jerry Lev. The footage includes solo performances, company works, rehearsals, and rare interviews with Shearer.
After Helen Morrison met Sybil Shearer in 1942, she gradually shifted her focus from her acclaimed “Great Americans” portrait series to concentrate on Shearer as her primary subject. Their four-decade collaboration produced dance films that transcended simple documentation, creating an artistic synthesis of each woman’s creative vision.
Originally held at Morrison’s Northbrook home adjacent to Shearer’s studio, the films were transferred to Chicago Film Archives in 2008 for proper preservation. In 2019, the Morrison-Shearer Foundation formally gifted the collection to the archive, ensuring these unique recordings of a largely unknown but profoundly influential artistic partnership will be preserved for future generations.
To view a selection of films from the collection, visit Chicago Film Archives online at www.chicagofilmarchives.org
Pictured Above: Chicago Film Archives Executive Director, Nancy Watrous, with film canisters from the Morrison-Shearer Collection.
