About

Margot Fonteyn's Vision
Fonteyn Academy vs A Dance School
Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias
Kenneth Ludden, Director
News Press
Background
Facilities
Boniello Library
Vreeland Costume Shop
Almaden Bank
Hookham Hall
Nob Hill Video Lab
Computer Workstations
Film Theater
Art Closet
Administrative Offices

The Boniello Library has over 3000 titles. Portions of the library have been donated by legendary ballerinas Joy Williams Brown and Eleanor D'Antuono, as well as the private library collection of Ken Ludden, Hilda Hookham, and Joseph Stuhl.

MFAB Library in jpg format

The library is divided into three main sections: Scholastic Texts, Popular Literature, and Required Reading. The first two sections are available to students, parents and the general public while visiting. But the primary focus of the library is to supply students with the literature they need to do research for their assignments, and provide general knowledge.

Anyone can get a library card, and then borrow books from the library. Books may be borrowed for two-week intervals, and fines are applied to late returns.

The Required Reading section has multiple copies of each of the books that are required reading ad different levels of education in the Academy. Students are given assignments in these books throughout their Academy career, and any graduate must have read all of them, even if they were not in attendance at the time the text was given.

The Library is named in honor of the John Boniello Family of Peekskill, New York. John and his sons (Joshua, Jason and Jeremy) gave generously of their time and expertise in building the original, and current, facility. In a time when funds were often in doubt, John showed up daily, worked hard, and helped bring the Academy facility to life.

The Boniello Library also includes DVDs, VHS tapes, perodicals, films, play bills, opera scores, ballet scores, original recordings of music and other things. We also have one of the largest collections of sheet music, donated by Jose Sarria of San Francisco. This collection includes more than 5000 song scores in their original publications from the 1870s to the present.

Donations to the Boniello Library are welcome, and are tax-deductible. Of particular interest are historic Play Bills, Collector Books from theatrical productions, Program Notes, and obscure and performance-related publications. Please contact the MFAB main number, or send an email to the main information contact on this website if you wish to make a contribution of library materials.

To contribute to any of the current MFAB programs or future projects, send your contribution check with the specific program clearly indicated in the memo line. Otherwise, contributions will be accepted for general operating expenses. All contributions are fully tax-deductible. Please send contribution checks to:

MFAB

925 South Street

Peekskill, NY 10566

Make checks payable to:

MFAB

Educational Branch of the National Arts Group,

formerly Summergate Dance Theater, Inc.