External Resources

Italian Dance Research Association (Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sulla Danza AIRDanza) seeks to promote, coordinate and support dance studies and to identify and preserve Italian documentary heritage, promote and coordinating cataloguing projects, and work towards the establishment of a national public dance archive, virtual, paper and audiovisual. 

Founded in 1902, the AAA is the world's largest professional organization of people interested in anthropology. It comprises some thirty distinct sections and interest groups. Its Web site will provide access to all of them, including the American Ethnological Society, the Society for Cultural Anthropology, and the Ritual Studies Interest Group.

American Dance Guild is a nonprofit membership organization concerned with promoting the art of dance. Since 1956 it has been serving the needs of performers, choreographers, teachers, and students through all stages of their development and careers.

American Dance Therapy Association promotes the use of dance and movement as powerful tools for mental and emotional health. ADTA maintains high standards for education, training, and professional practice for dance/movement therapists.

The ASA was founded in 1942 to promote study, research, discussion, and publication in aesthetics, which is understood to include all studies of the visual arts, literature, music, and theater arts. This Web site offers the opportunity to join the society's discussion group, Aesthetics-L.

Contains many links and articles organized to help people "live meaningfully through the arts." The site contains a valuable array of essays and articles by longtime SDHS member Daly, as well as a "what's new" section.

This splendid Web site, mounted by the Savoy Style Swing Shop, provides a history of the Lindy, biographies of dancers, a filmography, photos, and a library of Lindy links.

"Developing, sustaining, and promoting the arts in England" are the purposes of the Arts Council. Its beautifully designed Web site provides news and information pertinent to dance in England. An entire section gives details of funding available to all the arts, from the national lottery as well as from the Arts Council. Instructions for applying for funds are also provided.

Compiled and edited by Richard Finkelstein, this gargantuan library of dance links may be difficult to wade through, although visitors to this site will be rewarded with connections to valuable Web sites, especially in the categories of Master Sites, Organizations, and Research & Scholarship.

Since its founding in 1956, the programming of the Asia Society has encompassed the public affairs, arts, and cultures of all the countries of Asia and, in response to changing demographics in the United States, has expanded to include programs relating to Asian-American issues. The Cultural Programs division works to promote an understanding of Asia through the performing arts, lectures, interviews, symposia, films, and conferences. The Asian Educational Resource Center, composed of three integrated technology-based components, AskAsia, Asiainteractive, and TeachAsia, is complemented by an publications program of videos and print materials. Books published on arts and culture are focused mainly on the visual arts.

AMIA is a professional association of people and organizations concerned with the collection, preservation, exhibition, and use of moving- image materials. More than six hundred members work with film, television, video, and interactive media. Besides classic and contemporary Hollywood productions and entertainment programs for television, archives include independently produced film and video art, amateur footage, and film and television programs reflecting ethnic and minority experiences.

With over forty years as an active arts service organization, Arts Presenters is a vital component of the international performing arts community. Its mission is to define the roles, responsibilities, and opportunities for presenters, artist managers, and performing artists and to clarify the relationships among them, thus enhancing the ability of the presenting field to serve the public.

The role of the ARC is to advise the government on research funding and policy and, through its management of the National Competitive Grants Programme, to promote research for the benefit of the nation. Although five of the six categories in which it grants funds are in the sciences, the humanities and creative arts are not neglected. The ARC Web site give complete details of its activities.

An interesting site devoted to folk dance and other folk arts in the Balkan States, including Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, Romania, and Turkey in Europe. The site includes a Catalogue (a directory of folklore artists and performers), a Forum (a message board), an online shop, and news of events.

A library of links to more than seventeen hundred ballet and dance companies around the world, compiled and maintained by Dick Heuff, former head of the audio-visual department of the Netherlands Dance Theater.

The BDF aims to foster the spirit of good fellowship and sportsmanship and to protect the interests, both nationally and internationally, of competitors, demonstrators, adjudicators, teachers, and coaches.

A British group, directed by David Parsons, that organizes historical dance workshops and social events in and around Bedford, in central England.

An attractive online catalog offering instructional videos, tango music on compact discs, films and documentaries, books on tango history, books of tango music and lyrics, and memorabilia.

Maintained by Georgi Dimitrov, this site provides links to a number of folk dance groups as well as information on folklore festivals and folk dance and music workshops in Bulgaria.

Gateway to a world of music and dance whose motto is "Laissez les bons temps rouler." This informative Web site offers a survey of the Cajun and Creole cultures of southern Louisiana and provides news of related events and information on related activities in the United States and abroad. The good times are apparently rolling in many places far from home.

Career Transition for Dancers is a nonprofit organization that enables dancers to define their career possibilities and develop the skills necessary to excel in a variety of disciplines. 

The CIES administers the Fulbright Scholar Program, which makes grants to U.S. faculty and professionals to go abroad to study and to scholars from other counties to come to the United States to study. Both grant programs include a category for theater and dance. The Web site gives details.

The CDSS is a nonprofit organization with members in the United States, Canada, and overseas. It promotes English country dancing, contra and square dancing, Morris dancing, and folk singing, Morris bells, longswords, rapper swords, and a wide selection of books, records, cassettes, compact discs, and videos on English and American dance and music is available by mail order and at the CDSS store in Haydenville, Massachusetts. Online orders are not yet possible, but a mail-order form can be printed and faxed.

Located in New Bern, North Carolina, and directed by Paige Whitley-Bauguess, this company specializes in eighteenth-century dance.

Dance Collection Danse is Canada's national dance archives and publisher dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of Canadian theatrical dance history.

Dance Critics Association was created in 1973, when a group of dance critics attending a Philadelphia arts conference saw a need for an organization that represented working dance critics. The groups primary focus, then and now, was an annual meeting to serve dance writers.

This monthly magazine, published in London since 1995, claims to be "going places other dance magazines don't go." Its Web site presents the contents of the current issue (posted in PDF), job listings, a message board, and an index of back issues.

Dance Films Association 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 Heritage Coalition is a national alliance of institutions holding significant collections of materials documenting the history of dance. Its mission is to preserve, make accessible, enhance and augment the materials that document the artistic accomplishments in dance of the past, present, and future.

The only online or print source for overnight reviews of dance performances from around the world, most of them written by dancers. A daily e-mail notice of the latest reviews is available by subscription. Founded by a group of dancers and journalists in 1998 as a print publication, The Dance Insider is now on the leading edge of electronic journalism. It is edited by Paul Ben-Itzak.

The granddaddy of all American dance magazines. Its Web site provides a table of contents of the current issue, a few highlights from it, performance schedules, and reviews.

Dance Notation Bureau's mission is to advance the art of dance through the use of a system of notation.

A weekly newsletter focused on contemporary dance, "new dance from around the world," this site provides news and commentary, reviews, features, and photographs.

A promotional site aimed at studio owners and dance teachers at the amateur level.

Dance/USA sustains and advances professional dance by addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of artists, administrators and organizations. By providing services and national leadership, Dance/USA enhances the infrastructure for dance creation, education and dissemination.

Directed by Michael Böhm and based in Landshut/Germany, Danserey specializes in historical performances of "lots of dances," as its name implies. Its Web site is available in German and in English.

An acronym for Dance Aotearoa New Zealand, the national umbrella organization designed to meet the needs of New Zealand's dance community. The Web site reprints articles from current issues of its official magazine.

DAAD is a private, publicly funded, self-governing organization of the institutions of higher education in Germany. The DAAD, with its head office in Bonn, promotes international academic relations through the exchange of students and faculty. Information on grants and scholarship programs, conferences, workshops, and DAAD sponsored faculty and German and European Studies Centers can be found on this website, as well links to a host of related organizations.

DHDS is a British society of scholars of historical dance. It was founded in 1970 in memory of Mabel Dolmetsch. The site allows visitors to download articles from Historical Dance, the society's journal.

The EFDSS aims to encourage, document, and develop folk music, dance, and song traditions within England. Its Web site gives information on events at Cecil Sharp House, its headquarters in London, and on its library, publications, educational resources, aims and mission, artistic policy, and history. Links to related sites are provided.

European Dance Research Information Directory is the first English-language Directory of European institutions and individuals engaged in dance research, history, theory, documentation, i.e. collecting information to restore the past for the present and to record the present for the future in the field of dancing.

Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing is the world’s leading dance examinations board. Founded in 1904, it is now a registered educational charity providing training and qualifications for dance teachers and covering the full spectrum of genres from Ballet to Ballroom.

International Association for Dance Medicine and Science was formed to foster several related goals in the dance medicine and science field; the purposes and objectives of the organization are summarized in its Mission Statement:  IADMS enhances the health, well-being, training, and performance of dancers by cultivating educational, medical, and scientific excellence.

The IAGSDC is the umbrella organization for gay square dance clubs in the United States, Canada, and Australia, formed by and for lesbians and gay men in their community and for their friends. Membership is open to all square dancers, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, ethnic background, or sexual orientation.

International Dance Council is the official umbrella organization for all forms of dance in all countries of the world.  It is a non-governmental organization founded in 1973 within the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, where it is based.  It is the worldwide forum bringing together international, national and local organizations, as well as select individuals active in dance.

IDSF comprises seventy-three national member federations on five continents. Its purpose is to promote dancesport internationally. Its activities are reported in the part of its Web site called The World Dance Plaza.

The IFTR exists to promote collaboration and exchange of information between persons and organizations concerned with theater research. Its new Web site offers information on conferences, working groups, publications, prizes, and membership. The New Scholars' Forum provides a platform for younger members and especially doctoral students to present their research.

IGMID aims to foster collaborative relationships between dancers and musicians, to establish standards of excellence and training programs for musicians in dance, and to document the history of musicians in dance. Its Web site gives information on membership, conferences, and publications.

Formed in 1968, the IPA is an educational organization that aims "to encourage and pursue the study of polka music, dancing, and traditional folklore." The Polka Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Chicago contains an extensive collection of artifacts, sheet music, recordings, and memorabilia associated with polka music.

The site of the "Lindy Week Review" provides news and reviews of events, a dancers' forum, a guide to establishments, a photo gallery, a listing of Lindy links, and information on travel, music, zoot suits, and accessories.

"A web magazine dedicated to Latin music and dance culture." It includes information and features on people, places, and events in the worlds of Latin American music and dance.

Language of Dance Centre's mission is to make creative movement and the dance experience available to all.  They offer dance clubs, professional development, certification courses and resources used in the Language of Dance approach to movement and dance.

A renowned ensemble specializing in Baroque opera, directed by William Christie. Performance style is carefully researched, for dancers as well as musicians and singers. The group tours worldwide and frequently offers master classes, lectures, and other public events. Most pages of the Web site are in French.

National Dance Council of America is the official governing council of dance and dancesport in the USA. With 17 Member Organizations encompassing more than 20,000 dance professionals and over 110 sanctioned competitions and championships, it is the leading authority of dance for Professionals, Amateurs and Pro/Am Competitors. 

National Dance Education Organization advances dance education centered in the arts as the voice of representation for the field in legislatures, schools of dance, PreK-12 schools, and institutions of higher education throughout the country. A non-profit organization, NDEO is dedicated to promoting standards of excellence in dance education through the development of quality education in the art of dance through professional development, service and leadership.

NESTA is Britain's first national endowment, set up in 1998 with £200 million of lottery money. It provides funds to talented people working on creative projects in science, technology, and the arts. Its delightfully interactive Web site gives full details.

The NEA is the single largest grantor of funds to the arts in the United States. Its Web site provides an overview of its grant programs and gives information on its publications.

Directed by Catherine Turocy, this company presents aesthetically innovative reconstructions of eighteenth-century theatrical dance. It maintains an active domestic and international touring schedule with the original instrument orchestra Concert Royal, conducted by James Richman. Videotapes of the company's productions are on view at the Jerome Robbins Archive of the Recorded Moving Image at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Two videos of the company's performances, Voltaire's Temple of Glory and The Pleasures of Dance, are available for purchase in retail shops.

This site provides "a self-service database of cultural resources in the Web." It was created as a public service for the online arts community to keep abreast of new arts sites and for users of the World Wide Web to promote their new or renovated sites to a targeted audience, one that is vitally interested in the arts.

This dual site claims to be "your essential guide to retro culture," covering "all that is swing on the Internet."

Two moderated discussion lists are accessible. H-PCAACA makes available diverse bibliographical, research, and teaching aids and regularly commissions reviews of books relevant to the field. H-HistBibl is for librarians, archivists, curators, and scholars interested in the practice and study of bibliographic and library services in support of historical study and teaching.

This site provides a bibliography, a discography, and a regional directory of listings of early dance organizations and programs, performing groups, upcoming performances, teachers, classes, conferences, and workshops.

A British society of Renaissance dance scholars and performers, based in Devonshire, in southwestern England.

The RSCDS was established in 1923 to protect and promote the standards of Scottish country dancing. Today it is an international organization catering to the needs of some twenty-five thousand members.

A site dedicated to performers and producers grappling with questions about Shakespeare and dance, and to readers who would like to think more deeply about the role of dance in Shakespeare's plays. 

Formerly known as the Sonneck Society, SAM seeks to stimulate the appreciation, performance, creation, and study of American music in all its historical and contemporary styles and contexts. These include art music ("classical music"), popular music, musical theater, folk music, music for dance, church music, the musics of ethnic groups and minorities, and the full range of activities associated with music. "America" is understood to embrace North America, Mesoamerica, and the Caribbean region. SAM's Web site includes a valuable directory of research centers of American music.

The Internet edition of India's premier music and dance magazine is a delight to view and use. It reproduces only "News and Notes" and "Brief Notes" from the current print edition; features and articles are drawn from the archives, and some material is created especially for the online edition. Its coverage is international, although heavily weighed toward dance on the subcontinent.

The Editorial Board welcomes the submission of proposals and manuscripts for our book series Studies in Dance History. Guidelines for submissions can be accessed here.

The purpose of the SDRHA is to gather information pertaining to all forms of swing dancing. The site is maintained by the association's founder and president, H. Leon Raper, a swing dancer, teacher, and historian as well as an Internet entrepreneur.

A directory of links to Web sites on the tango in more than forty countries, from Argentina to Vietnam, compiled and maintained by Christian Mensing. Also includes many names, mailing addresses, and telephone and fax numbers.

The domain of early dance. This Web site includes much information of interest to historical dancers, including an impressive list of links to sites for festivals, conferences, organizations, and performing groups in many European countries.

The mission of The George Balanchine Foundation is to utilize the Balanchine legacy to advance the development of dance and its allied arts in the United States and throughout the world on behalf of the dance community at large. This goal is pursued through a broad range of activities and programs, including concentrated research, ballet reconstructions, publications, lectures and videos, and other innovative projects.

An "Internet magazine for Middle Eastern Music and Dance," published since 1994. This sumptuous site includes articles, columns, reviews, a calendar of events, news, letters to the editor, an ad guide, a bazaar, and a photographic section of the large staff, advisers, and contributors.

The stated goal of this directory is "to provide links to the best dance resources available on the Web." Visitors may suspect that the listings of links, ranging from Balkan dance to Zydeco, are not so carefully selected as that statement implies.

TDF is committed to providing programs that build audiences and support the arts in New York City. Besides its most visible activity, the distribution of discount tickets (TKTS), it administers a range of marketing programs that encourage production of new plays and musicals. Its Web site gives information on its arts education programs, its national and international services, and its costume collection.

Accurately named, this comprehensive Web site includes biographies of tango dancers, singers, poets, and musicians; information on lyrics, sheet music, books, and recordings; and a selective list of links to recommended sites in many countries. Acknowledged as a site of national interest by the Argentine government, it is a prime resource for all aspects of tango. It is available in Spanish or English.

Formed in 1981, the USDA is the world's largest square dance organization, representing more than three hundred thousand dancers. Its mission is to promote and perpetuate the "total Square Dance Movement," which includes square, round, contra, clogging, line, and heritage dancing. This Web site gives information on sources for and links to everything anyone ever wanted to know about square dancing in the United States.

USABDA is the national organization of competitive ballroom dancing, also known as dancesport.

This site provides an overview of the collection of the dance manuals in the Library of Congress, including those dealing with Burgundian dance in the late Middle Ages and those dealing with Renaissance dance. Links to the manuals themselves are also provided.

This site provides an overview of the collection of the dance manuals in the Library of Congress, including those dealing with Baroque dance. Links to the manuals themselves are also provided.

With the announcement of Duke University’s new MFA in Dance, there looms a sense of excitement and possibility for what the inaugural class (Fall of 2019) will bring to the growth and development of the program. We took a moment to sit with the director of the MFA in Dance, Michael Klien, to gain some deeper insight into what to expect from this new offering and who should apply.

At the heart of Duke's MFA in Dance is the theme of Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis. What does that mean, and how is it unique compared to other dance MFA programs?

Duke's MFA program presents a new approach to graduate education in dance. “Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis” captures well what want to achieve -- namely, ideas around embodiment that can “go to work” into the world. We don’t want to educate specifically for the dance or arts world, and as such the program is highly interdisciplinary by necessity. Duke’s variety of graduate course offerings paired with a wealth of research resources will equip students to pursue deep study across the intersection of dance and other fields. We are seeking to develop artist-scholars who can use dance as a means to address the issues our societies face.

Based in Munich, the WRRC has constituents in thirty-one nations. It is devoted to rock-and-roll dance, boogie-woogie, and the Lindy Hop as high-performance, competitive sport.

Organized in 1993, the WSDC is a service organization designed to further communication and to profile informational services and record keeping for the international swing dance community. This site provides numerous links to local clubs and swing dance resources.