Library Dances with ADF

The American Dance Festival and Duke Libraries have been ‘Fred and Ginger’ since 1977 when the Festival moved from Vermont to Durham.  Every summer, dancers stretch on the lawns of East Campus, perform at DPAC and bring with them their scholars and speakers.  The campuses are a space in motion.  Duke Libraries is part of the fun, providing an ideal place to explore the ADF and its great tradition—casually or in depth.

Duke Libraries’ rich collection of material supporting dance begins at the Lilly Library–across the street from ADF headquarters on Broad Street.  Sit in the ambiance of the oak-lined Kendrick S. Few reading room and glance at DanceView, Dance Teacher, Dance Magazine, DDD (dancedancedance, from Japan) and many other dance magazine current issues.  Lilly’s historic and contemporary books on dance cluster at the call number GV1588 or there about.  Read about your favorite ADF dance company or relax with Bust a Move: Six Decades of Dance Crazes  (itbooks).

Have a favorite ADF performance or ensemble?  A number of recorded performances dating from the 1930s forward are available for viewing.  For example, nearly every ADF performance of Pilobolus or the Paul Taylor Dance Company may be found in the Festival film archives at the Lilly Library.

The David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library on west campus is the home for the ADF archives.  Scholars and enthusiasts can delight to American Dance Festival Photographic Materials Collection, photos created and collected by the American Dance Festival, between 1930 and 2000.  Co-administrated by the library and the ADF, contact Dean Jeffery to request viewing original material, using the many finding aids http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/findingaids/adfadfcob.pdf.  Browse the archives at http://www.americandancefestival.org/archives/.