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Philadelphia Dance Projects Records
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Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Philadelphia Dance Projects (PDP) was established in 1993 as a three-year mentoring project under the aegis of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival (Becket, MA), and incorporated in 1999 to support contemporary dance in Philadelphia through projects that encourage artists and audiences to participate and engage in dance. PDP's Local Dance History Project was first conceptualized in 2009 to create and share a digital collection on Philadelphia dance heritage with a focus on independent artists active from the 1960s to the 1980s. Support for the project was provided by the William Penn Foundation, Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, Dolfinger McMahon Foundation, and PA Humanities Council with Temple University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center and the Dance Heritage Coalition serving as advisors. A portion of the digital collection has been posted on Philadelphia Dance Projects' website, primarily as part of an interactive timeline launched in 2015 entitled, "Dancing Through Time."
The collection consists of materials assembled as part of Philadelphia Dance Projects' Local Dance History Project (LDHP) and includes "artist collections" from ten individual dancers, choreographers, and movement-based performance artists. Each artist collection contains digitized photographs, programs, newspaper clippings, personal writings, and video recordings of dance performances as well as an inventory that provides some description of the digitized items including date and location of the performance. The collection also includes a 9-minute video featuring dancer interviews which was shown at the February-March 2010 Local Dance History Project performances at the Performance Garage; oral history interviews conducted by Terry Fox, Director of Philadelphia Dance Projects; and preserved versions of the Philadelphia Dance Projects' website, available through Archive-It.
The collection is arranged in 2 series as follows:
Series 1: Local Dance History Project, 2010-2018
Subseries 1.1: Artist collections, 2010-2016
Subseries 1.2: Oral histories, 2016-2018
Series 2: Website versions in Archive-It, 2004-2021
Additions to this collection are expected. Websites are captured using Archive-It periodically, and the latest additions may not yet be included in this finding aid. For information on material–physical and digital, including captured websites–that may have been added since the last finding aid update, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.
Donated by Philadelphia Dance Projects between December 2016 and December 2020.
Collection processed and finding aid prepared in May 2022 by Jessica M. Lydon, Associate Archivist. Original folder structure, folder names, and filenames retained. Hidden system files and duplicate files deleted.
- Publisher
- Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Jessica M. Lydon, Associate Archivist
- Finding Aid Date
- May 2022
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research. All records in Series 1 have been migrated to a library server, and digital use copies can only be accessed onsite in the SCRC reading room. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
- Use Restrictions
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The Philadelphia Dance Projects Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. The creator/donor has not assigned their rights to Temple University Libraries. Other creators' intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to them or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Series 1 consists of materials assembled as part of Philadelphia Dance Projects' Local Dance History Project (LDHP) and has been divided into 2 subseries.
Physical Description4.97 Gigabytes341 digital files
Subseries 1.1 consists of "artist collections" from ten individual dancers, choreographers, and movement-based performance artists, originally gathered for the "Dancing Through Time" interactive timeline. Each artist collection contains digitized photographs, programs, newspaper clippings, personal writings, and video recordings of dance performances as well as an inventory that provides some description of the digitized items including date and location of the performance. This series also includes the "Dance History Preshow," a 9-minute video featuring dancer interviews which was shown at the February-March 2010 Local Dance History Project performances at the Performance Garage. Dates are based on when the files were last modified. This subseries is arranged by name of artist or dancer.
- Michael Biello and Dan Martin
- Jac Carley
- Jano Cohen
- Terry Beck
- Tonio Guerra
- Wendy Hammarstrom
- Ishmael Houston-Jones
- Steve Kreickhaus
- Melanie Stewart
Subseries 1.2 consists of oral history interviews conducted by Terry Fox, Director of Philadelphia Dance Projects. Lester Horton's dance technique, Joan Kerr of Joan Kerr Dance Company, and Faye Snow of Juba Contemporary Dance Theatre are discussed during the interviews. Dates are based on when the files were last modified. This subseries is arranged by name of artist or dancer.
- Wayne David
- Richard Moten
- Paulette Poole
- Randolph Swartz
Series 2 contains preserved versions of the Philadelphia Dance Projects' website. To access these sites, see the Temple University Special Collections Philadelphia Dance Collection Archive-It web page.
Physical Description1 Archived Websites