FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2018
CONTACT: Johanna Tschebull
202.833.1717
Washington, DC – Dance/USA is pleased to announce that Dance Heritage Coalition’s (DHC) rich digital collection of more than 1,200 dance performances will move to the USC Libraries and the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Dance/USA assisted with this move as part of the integration of DHC’s preservation, archives, and education programs into Dance/USA. Support for the collection’s new home is made possible by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation under its Arts and Cultural Heritage program area.
The collection spans dance genres from Bharatanatyam to butoh, hip hop, postmodern, tap, and movement traditions from cultures around the world. Featuring artists such as Camille A. Brown, Ze’eva Cohen, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Joe Goode Performance Group, Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, Glen Tetley, and Urban Bush Women as well as performances for the New England Folk Festival Association and the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, the digital resource captures many facets of U.S. and global dance heritage.
“We are thrilled that this digital dance collection, originally created by Dance Heritage Coalition, will be preserved and expanded in the years to come,” commented Dance/USA Executive Director Amy Fitterer. “The USC Libraries and the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance are well positioned to maintain this impressive collection, ensuring the preservation of numerous artistic works.”
“Dance Heritage Coalition is deeply grateful to the Mellon Foundation, whose support enabled the development of this unique resource,” said Dance/USA Director of Archiving and Preservation Imogen Smith. “We are thrilled that the collection will find a home at USC, which can provide outstanding stewardship and, most importantly, will ensure that the collection is widely visible and extensively used to enrich the dance community.”
At its new home, the collection will be a living resource that grows to include new recordings of important dance performances and will be integrated into classroom teaching and student and faculty-led performances at the USC Kaufman School of Dance and other leading dance schools. It will continue to address significant needs faced by the dance heritage and preservation community and open exciting possibilities for dance education and digital humanities projects that explore global movement traditions.
About Dance/USA
We believe that dance is essential to a healthy society, demonstrating the infinite possibilities for human expression and potential, and facilitating communication within and across cultures. We are committed to honoring, nurturing and advancing dance through the lens of diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity in all aspects of our programming, services and organization.
Dance/USA is the national service organization for the professional dance field. Established in 1982, Dance/USA sustains and advances professional dance by addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of artists, administrators, and organizations. By providing national leadership and services, Dance/USA enhances the infrastructure for dance creation and distribution, education, and dissemination of information. Learn more about Dance/USA by visiting our website, danceusa.org.
