The American Dance Festival is a non-profit organization committed to serving the needs of dance, dancers, choreographers, and professionals in dance-related fields. It presents a six and a half week summer festival of modern dance performances and educational programs, hosts community outreach activities, and sponsors numerous projects in the humanities. Its mission is to create and present new dance works, preserve the modern dance heritage, build wider national and international audiences and enhance public understanding and appreciation for modern dance, and provide training and education for dancers and choreographers. The collection includes photographic materials created and collected by the American Dance Festival, including negatives, contact sheets, prints, and transparencies.

The collection includes photographic materials created and collected by the American Dance Festival, including negatives, contact sheets, prints, and transparencies.

Ethel Tison Chaffin was born on January 13, 1921 in Natchitoches, LA. From childhood on, she took dance classes with a variety of instructors and, as a college student, studied dance at Louisiana State University, New York University, the University of Maryland, and Bennington College. Instructors included John Martin (former dance critic at the New York Times), Charles Weidman (Humphrey-Weidman Technique), Ethel Butler (Martha Graham Technique), and Nina Fornoff (Hanya Holm Technique). Ms. Chaffin also participated in master classes with Martha Graham and Katherine Manning. The collection contains the personal papers and dance-related memorabilia (circa 1930-1993) of Ethel Tison Chaffin. Materials include photographic prints, newspaper clippings, programs, and correspondence, which are housed within a scrapbook and one Hollinger box. Many of the materials are annotated by Ms. Chaffin.

The collection contains the personal papers and dance-related memorabilia (circa 1930-1993) of Ethel Tison Chaffin. Materials include photographic prints, newspaper clippings, programs, and correspondence, which are housed within a scrapbook and one Hollinger box. Many of the materials are annotated by Ms. Chaffin.

Included in the scrapbook are Ms. Chaffin's personal photographs documenting her involvement in dance and theater. These photographs depict several of her earliest dance recitals, university dance performances, and her 1948 performance as Laura in Tennessee William's The Glass Menagerie. In addition, she has incorporated photos of colleagues in the dance world. Also included within the scrapbook is correspondence between Ms. Chaffin and various educational institutions regarding admission to advanced dance programs at New York University and Bennington College, as well as job enquiries. Ms. Chaffin documented her career as an instructor by incorporating programs, clippings, and advertisements from her private studio, as well as those relevant to her tenure at Louisiana State University, the University of Alabama, and the Georgia State College for Women (now Georgia College) into the pages of her scrapbook. Memorabilia, including programs from festivals and performances that she attended, is also included within her scrapbook.

Records created after the compilation of the scrapbook are housed separately in a Hollinger box. Materials incorporated into this record set include correspondence with Elizabeth Andrews, educator and dance/drama critic, as well as newspaper clippings for a variety of well-known dancers and choreographers, including George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Charles Weidman, Merce Cunningham, and José Limón.