Library: Dance: Research Strategies

Browsing the Shelves

To find additional titles, search the Library Catalog at left or browse call numbers GV (Dance).

GV 1585 - Dictionaries, encyclopedias
GV 1588 - Philosophy (and theory)
GV 1589- Study and teaching
GV 1590-GV 1594 - General works
GV 1595 - Special aspects of the subject as a whole
GV 1597 - Dancing as a profession
GV 1600 - Dance criticism, appreciation
GV 1645-GV 1728 - Dance history (and historical dance)
GV 1743 - National dances. Folk dances and dancing (General)
GV 1746-GV 1771 - Social dancing. Ballroom dancing
GV 1781-GV 1795 - Theatrical dancing (Biography: GV 1785)
GV 1796 - Special dances

Dance-related call numbers include:

M 1450 - Dance music
M 1520 - Ballet music
M 1627-M1853 - Folk, national, and ethnic music
MT 950 - Music to accompany instruction in ballet, folk dancing, gymnastics
ML 3400-ML 3465 - History of dance music
N 8217 - Dance in art
NX 456.5 - Performance art
PN 2085 - PN 2091 - Stagecraft, lighting, scenery design
QP 310 - Dance (physiological aspects)
RC 483 - Kinesiology (applied to dance)
RC 1220 - Dance medicine, injuries, nutrition
RD 97 - Sports injuries
TT 507 - Costume and fashion design

General Resources

Dance Encyclopedia by Anatole Chujoy
Call Number: MAIN GV1585 .C5 1967
ISBN: 0671225863
Publication Date: 1967-11-27
The History of Western Dance by Trenton Hamilton; Kathy Campbell (Editor) From soaring ballet leaps to the simple swaying at a high school prom, dance is the wedding of movement to music. It is a means of recreation, of communication--for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy, or simply taking delight in the movement itself. This engaging narrative, with biographical profiles, discusses Western dance as an art form, a folk tradition, and an entertainment spectacle. It examines the wide ranging dance types, including some of ancient rituals, Christian dance ecstasies, court and folk dances, ballet, social dances, the waltz, ballroom, tap, modern dance, and break and hip-hop dancing.
Call Number: AVAILABLE ONLINE
ISBN: 1680480804
Publication Date: 2015-07-15
The Harvard Dictionary of Music by Don Michael Randel
Call Number: READ ONLINE (CREDO)
ISBN: 0674011635
Publication Date: 2003-12-01
Dance by Jack Anderson Presents the history of dance, the birth of ballet, a wealth of information on performers and ballets, and material on the modern offshoots of ballet. Includes a chronology of dance from 1851. Contents Bodies in motion -- The dancing kings -- The birth of ballet -- Moonbeams and Gossamer -- Russia's Imperial Ballet -- Rebels and Revolutionaries -- The melting pot -- Dance in ferment -- Contemporary kaleidoscope -- Dancers and the dance -- Chronology of dance.
Call Number: MAIN GV1617 .A52
ISBN: 0882251112
Publication Date: 1974-01-01

Dance Organizations

Dance/USA Dance/USA is the national service organization for professional dance, serving a broad cross-section of the dance field. Established in 1982, Dance/USA champions an inclusive and equitable dance field by leading, convening, advocating, and supporting individuals and organizations.
National Dance Education Organization The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) is a non-profit organization that supports dance educators in every setting and genre. We are dedicated to advancing dance education centered in the arts for people of all backgrounds. Since 1998, the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) has had a direct impact on dance education centered in the arts. We have developed partnerships with the leading dance, arts education, and education policy organizations in the country, affording us a “seat at the table” in national discussions that affect our field. We have developed innovative professional development programs and disseminated vital research that have influenced the way that dance is taught in every sector of the field. Perhaps most importantly, thousands of dance educators have turned to our organization for the resources and support they need to advance their careers and benefit their students.
International Association for Dance Medicine & Science IADMS is an inclusive organization for professionals who care for those who dance by evolving best practices in dance science, education, research, and medical care to support optimal health, well-being, training, and performance.

Recommended Databases

Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This is a large, multi-disciplinary collection of mostly full-text magazine, newspaper, and journal articles on a wide array of subjects. It's a great place to start for almost any topic.
Academic Video Online (AVON) Streaming videos including documentaries, interviews, feature films, performances, news programs and newsreels, demonstrations, and raw footage.
Google Scholar Search for articles, theses, books, abstracts, and court opinions from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities, and other websites. Note: Go to Settings / LibraryLinks to connect Google Scholar to the Library's databases.
If you can't find a free version of an article, ask a librarian to help you get it.
PQDT Open PQDT Open provides the full text of open access dissertations and theses free of charge. You can quickly and easily locate dissertations and theses relevant to your discipline, and view the complete text in PDF format.

American Archive of Public Broadcasting (Dance and Ballet) Online archive of public television, which includes thousands of videos of dance and ballet, created by Library of Congress and WGBH in Boston.
Dance Channel TV Dance Channel TV (www.dancechanneltv.com) is an online media network dedicated to promoting, preserving and supporting all forms of dance around the world. Our mission is to educate our viewers about the art form and to inspire, engage and connect them through the universal language of dance. To this end, we develop and produce original video programming, covering numerous styles of dance through unique series, news content, interviews, performances, classes, documentaries and much more.
Dance Films Association Dance Films Association, a non profit founded in 1956 by Susan Braun, is dedicated to furthering the art of dance film. Connecting artists and organizations, fostering new works for new audiences, and sharing essential resources, DFA seeks to be a catalyst for innovation in and preservation of dance on camera. Dance on Camera was initiated in 1971 by Dance Films Association and moved to the Film at Lincoln Center in 1996 where DFA co-present an annual dance film festival.
Folk Streams The films on Folkstreams were produced by independent filmmakers. These documentaries focus on the culture, struggles, and arts of unnoticed Americans from many different kinds of communities. The filmmakers were driven more by sheer engagement with the people and their traditions than by commercial hopes. Their films have unusual subjects, odd lengths, and talkers who do not speak "broadcast English."
Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive Rare footage filmed at Jacob's Pillow, America's longest running dance festival, dating as far back as the 1930s.
Diamond Head Theater Play Archive Contains a list of plays performed at DHT from 1915-2021. Recent entries have synopsis of performance and actors.
New York Public Library Digital Collections Contains photograph, slide, and video collections featuring dancers and performances. Searching tip: search general terms such as 'dance,' and dancers, 'Balanchine.'
Library of Congress: An American Ballroom Companion: Dance Instruction Manuals, ca. 1490 to 1920 The following list describes the 75 video clips that illustrate portions of the Dance Instruction Manuals. These clips were selected from two different videotaping sessions. The first was a public event, "Society Dances and Parlor Amusements in The Great Hall," which took place at the Library of Congress on October 15, 1997. The event, which marked the 100th anniversary of the Library's Jefferson Building, featured late 19th-century dances performed in costume against the backdrop of the Great Hall, with music provided by a wind band using period instruments. The second videotaping session took place in the Library's Coolidge Auditorium on April 14, 1998. The videos from this session feature a pair of dancers demonstrating specific dances or movements from selected manuals in the collection. All time periods are represented in these videos.

Dance News and Reviews

CriticalDance CriticalDance was founded in December 1999 by a volunteer community of dance professionals, teachers, writers, presenters and enthusiasts, to fulfill a commitment to support all aspects of dance, including sponsorships, promotions and coverage. CriticalDance is continually renewing itself as many of the original volunteers have graduated to bigger projects and roles in the larger community — magazine editors, TV personalities, full-time journalists, acclaimed dance artists, artistic directors, theater presenters, even an award-winning data center designer as well as a U.S. ambassador — to be replaced by new emerging talent in the management and review of dance. CriticalDance is always seeking enthusiastic helpers.
DanceTabs DanceTabs is now closed, but remains on the net as a free resource for the foreseeable future. Between 2012 and January 2022 DanceTabs covered the dance world in 3,500 reviews/ interviews/ features and presented over 11,000 original dance pictures. We dearly thank all involved. Here are details about the closure and the reaction to it. What follows are the original About Us words that explain what we looked to do.
Dance View Times
The Guardian - Dance Reviews