Summary

Creator:

American Dance Festival

Abstract:

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 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. Contains correspondence, lists, administrative materials, memoranda, contracts, legal documents, financial records, class schedules, teaching materials, student records, clippings, press releases, publicity materials, brochures, tickets, posters, and other printed materials created by or related to the American Dance Festival.

Extent:

89.05 Linear Feet

Language:

Material in English

Collection ID:

ADF.015

Background

Scope and Content:

Contains correspondence, lists, administrative materials, memoranda, contracts, legal documents, financial records, class schedules, teaching materials, student records, clippings, press releases, publicity materials, brochures, tickets, posters, and other printed materials created by or related to the American Dance Festival before the decision to move to Durham, North Carolina, in the fall of 1977.

Biographical / Historical:

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 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 American Dance Festival traces its origins to the Bennington School of Dance, founded in 1934 in Bennington, Vermont by several notable figures in the emerging art of modern dance: Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman. The school, led by Martha Hill, allowed choreographers to experiment and teach dance techniques. A performance series, held in conjunction with the school, provided the choreographers with opportunities to present their newly created works. For one season, in 1939, the festival was held at Mills College in Oakland, California, but returned to Bennington the following year. Beginning in 1948, the festival was held at Connecticut College, and in 1977, the decision was made to move it to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Processing information:

Processed by ADF Archives Staff, Oct. 2004

Encoded by Dean Jeffrey, Nov. 2008

Accessions were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.

Physical Location:

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the ADF Archives.

Rules or Conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Subjects

Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.

Subjects:

Choreography -- United States.
Dance -- United States.
Modern Dance -- United States.

Names:

American Dance Festival.
Bennington School of the Dance.
Connecticut College American Dance Festival.