The American Dance Legacy Institute was established to provide all Americans with the opportunity to practice, enjoy, and participate in the art of dance.
The ultimate objective of the Institute is to inform and empower every child, adult, and aspiring artist in this country, regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, or geographical location, through on-going access to an evolving and enduring canon of dance masterworks and the process through which they are created.
The American Dance Legacy Institute
or in New York City at:
The Harlem Dance Foundation Educational Services Division
Box 1897
Providence, RI 02912
Phone: 401-863-7596
Fax: 401-863-7529
E-mail: Dance_Leg@Brown.edu
144 West 121st Street
New York, NY 10027
(212) 662-2057
I - PROGRAMS
1. The Repertory Etudes Collection
2. American Dance Legacy Volumes
3. The National Feeders Initiative
4. Dancing Through The Curriculum
II - PERSONNEL AND STAFF
III - THE CHAT PAGES
I - PROGRAMS
The Institute is committed to commissioning and making available to serious dance students, teachers, and professional dancers, an ongoing series of short pieces containing quintessential elements of specific dance masterpieces created by the artists who are the focus of its Dance Legacy Volumes. These study and perfor- mance Etudes provide a resource taken for granted in the other arts; ongoing access to the works of the masters for purposes of reflection, study, and performance.
Prior to this ground-breaking initiative, the dance field had not actively addressed the importance of kinesthetic knowledge as an essential aspect of dance preser- vation, nor did there exist a mechanism through which our great American dance artists could shape their own legacy by presenting to the next generation, a jewel-like distillation of kinesthetic and emotional information. Most importantly, the Repertory Etudes connect the dancers of the 21st century to the roots of American dance.
Each Etude is based on a signature work by an American dance master and contains the essential elements of the larger work from which it was derived. Each Etude package, available to the public, contains video tape of a performance of the Etude and includes footage of the choreographer explaining both the steps and their meaning. The package also includes the music and labanotation score along with costume patterns and suggestions for lighting. Updated information about the teaching and performing schedule of the artist is available through The Institute's Web Site. The Repertory Etude Package, though available separately, is included in the appropriate American Dance Legacy Volume.
THE DONALD MCKAYLE RAINBOW ETUDE PACKAGE
This package is the first in a series by The American Dance Legacy Institute created to provide gifted and pre-professional young dancers with access to works by American dance masters. "The Rainbow Etude" is a four-minute solo created by choreographer Donald McKayle, based on his 1959 classic, "Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder." The solo contains quintessential elements of the larger work and includes specific gestures, steps, and images from the dance. The solo is appropriate for a male or a female. "The Rainbow Etude" Package includes a video of the solo in performance, rehearsal footage with the choreographer, an audio cassette, music score, a labanotation score, costume sketches, lighting suggestions and a schedule of Repertory Etudes Workshops where students can be coached in the Etude. Mr. McKayle is frequently available to coach the Etude.
Donald McKayle's distinguished career began in 1948 and has spanned choreography, direction, writing, education, and performance in dance, theater, film, recordings, and television. He has choreographed over fifty works for companies in the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America. Some of his now-classic works include "Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder," "Games," "District Storyville," and "Songs of the Disinherited." Most recently he choreographed "When I Grow Up...When I Was A Child," an intergenerational work for the University of California at Irvine, and "Sombre Y Sol,(Images of Frida Kahlo)."He was artistic director of Donald McKayle and Company in New York City. While Mr. McKayle no longer has his own dance company, several serve as repositories for his works, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, the Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and, most recently, the Jose Limon Dance Company. He has received numerous nominations and awards for his work on Broadway in "Raisin," and "Sophisticated Ladies." He choreographed for the Emmy Award-winning children's special, "Free To Be Me and You." Mr McKayle is a full professor of dance at the University of California at Irvine, but maintains a full touring schedule as a guest teacher and is frequently available to coach the "Rainbow Etude." For more information about the Etude Package and Mr. McKayle's schedule, contact The American Dance Legacy Institute at the address below.
The package includes a video of two dancers performing the work, rehearsal footage with Mr. McKayle, an audio cassette of the music, the music score, and the Labanotation score which includes anecdotal information and suggested costume sketches.
Mr. McKayle is often available to coach the Etude and authorized coaches are located throughout the country. Once you have learned the Etude, we would be happy to let you know of coaches in your area. The Institute hosts a Repertory Etudes Forum.
The Rainbow Etude Package costs $75.00 + $10.00 shipping and handling.
The package can be purchased through the Institute. Send a check or money order to:
The American Dance Legacy Institute Brown University Box 1897 Providence, RI 02912
Make checks payable to The American Dance Legacy Institute/Brown University
Allow 2-4 weeks for delivery.
The Institute is currently working with other choreographers on developing Repertory Etudes. These include, Sophie Maslow, Katherine Dunham, Pauline Koner, Danny Grossman, and David Parsons.
Contact: Rebecca Perry, for more information about The Repertory Etudes Collection: Box 1897, Providence, RI 02912, (401) 863-7596, fax: (401) 863-7529, e-mail, Dance_Leg@Brown.edu
The Institute is creating an initial twelve volume series on living American Dance Masters. The volumes will be available through libraries, and archival institutions and for sale through the Institute. Each volume will focus on a single work created by the artist and will include historical and anecdotal information. Each volume will feature an especially commissioned "Etude" based on the chosen work complete with music and Labanotation scores. By agreement with the choreographers, these short solo pieces will immediately come into the public domain and will made accessible to dancers, teachers and audiences for on-going exposure, training and performance.
Unlike ordinary book format, the volume will contain materials in three formats, hard copy, 1/2 inch video tape and cd/rom.
While the compilation of materials is essential to the richness and value of the volumes, it is, in fact, the process through which the materials are identified and assembled that gives the American Dance Legacy Series its unique educational value.
The artist is at the center of a process which engages K-12 teachers and students, dancers, dance educators, the public, archival institutions, special populations and underserved audiences, in workshops, residencies, and research projects, providing opportunities for performing, viewing and creating dance, using the artist's chosen work as a focal point of study.
Teachers are aided in the process by a series of teaching tools, including, "Dancing Through the Curriculum" a curated guide to dance video tapes organized by grade level and subject matter complete with student activity guides, work sheets and assessment tools based on the Goals 2000 national standards. "Dancing Through the Curriculum" is available for sale through the Institute.
THE AMERICAN DANCE LEGACY SERIES The ADL series first volume on Donald McKayle, with a focus on his classic, "Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder" available, April, 1998
The research team consists of dancers, dance historians, computer technicians, and archivists. The team works with the artist to design and coordinate the project in a holistic fashion maximizing the interaction of the various constituents through the use of the latest communication technologies. This includes electronic mail research projects connecting inner city and rural children directly to the artist for research and the development of the cd/rom. The team researches existing computer technology that can be adapted for dance. The team designs and creates new computer programs to meet the changing needs of dance for creation, teaching, learning, preservation and documentation.
The Institute is committed to helping communities develop effective partnerships among artists, educators, archivists and computer technicians,using multi-faceted Dance Legacy Volumes as the framework for meaningfulcollaborations.
Understanding that the most successful collaborations are those which allow all participants to bring their best skills to the achievement of a primary objective,the National Feeders team of artists and consultants works with the individuals and institutions in a one-two-year holistic dance legacy project based on unlimited access to the rich materials in the Dance Legacy Volumes.
In 1998, the Institute will complete its first American Dance Legacy Volume on Donald McKayle and his 1959 masterpiece, "Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder." Rich in content, fueled by the power and generosity of the artist, the McKayle Volume is further enhanced by the contribution of the young people and their teachers who participated in both the compilation and development of the materials. Their projects and activities over the period of a year were part of the Institute's Distance Learning Project in cooperation with the New York State Education Department.
The McKayle Volume will serve as both an archival document and a dynamic learning tool.
In the next two years, The National Feeders Initiative will take this model of interdisciplinary collaboration, distance learning, and community enhancement to 12 U.S. cities, each of which will become a home site for the development of future American Dance Legacy Volumes.
Have you been searching for extra-curricular material to support the
content of your curriculum?
Are you overwhelmed by the thought of complying with the mandate to include the arts as part of your curriculum?
Do you need materials which will allow some of your students to study independently in the classroom while you are working with others? Would you like those materials to be entertaining, related to the curriculum, and culturally enriching?
Would you like to expose your students to the art of dance, but don't think you have the money, time or expertise?
Have you always loved dance but didn't know how to fit it into your life as a teacher or bring it into your classroom?
Did you take dance as a child only to be made to feel that you weren't "dance material?"
Is there a dancer inside of you, longing to emerge?
Would you like your students to discover the power of dance to express a world of feelings and ideas?
Are you tired of having the arts spoon-fed to you in small bits, pre-digested by "experts?"
Would you like to have easy access to as much information about dance as possible so that YOU can select what is best for YOUR students?
Would you like to find ways to make the arts socially relevant without compromising artists and the artistic process?
Would you like to find ways to make the arts socially relevant without having to do extensive, time consuming research?
If you answered yes to just one of the above questions. "Dancing Through the Curriculum" will bring the world of dance to you and your students. It is more than just a catalogue of dance videotapes. With its study guides and assessment tools it can help you enhance academic and arts activities.
It provides:
the opportunity for students and teachers to view and study dances at their discretion and leisure, for the same kind of in-depth analysis -- impossible with only one viewing -- that is readily available to students of literature, music, and the visual arts
students and teachers with the opportunity to study some of the major contemporary dances, choreographers, musicians, and performers prior to attending live performances
activities for students that explore dance and connect it to the existing curriculum
vehicles for assessment of students' understanding of dance
an introduction to dance for those communities that do not have active dance companies or visiting dance artists
the opportunity to experience masterworks by internationally acclaimed dancers who are either no longer performing or no longer living
access to archival tapes of dances that are no longer performed or works that are rarely performed in the United States or outside of the major cities in the U.S.
Each entry in "Dancing Through The Curriculum" includes, a brief history of the dance, biographical information about the major artists, suggestions on how to prepare the students to view the tape, suggestions of what students should watch for as they view the tapes, suggested post-viewing activities, and complete ordering information. The guide also contains sample student worksheets and assessment forms.
The tapes are all reasonably priced (ranging from $19.95-$49.95 - plus shipping and handling) and are readily available through established, reliable distributors and, in some cases, at video rental stores and libraries.
Created to assist teachers and schools without arts budgets or faculty to begin to incorporate dance in their curricula, "Dancing Through the Curriculum" has also been enthusiastically received by professional dancers and dance companies for outreach, educational programs, and audience development; by education students as they develop their skills in the classroom; and by educators in arts magnet and college dance programs.
What The Experts Say About "Dancing Through The Curriculum"
"Dancing Through The Curriculum is an invaluable guide, resource, and tool for teachers, parents, and education students who wish to bring the art of dance to youth in the schools.
"We've made a tremendous mistake in diminishing or eliminating art, music and dance as fluff or frills. The arts play a vital role in bringing students together and promoting teamwork. They allow children to develop creativity and imagination. It is almost impossible to overemphasize the significance of the creative arts in education."
Vartan Gregorian, president, the Carnegie Corporation; president, Brown University, 1989-1997; president, The New York Public Library, 1981-1989.
"Dancing Through the Curriculum is a great tool for all teachers. It allows you to start integrating dance into your classroom, through meaningful activities and lessons and will help your students begin to explore and understand the world of dance. This book helps the classroom teacher to embrace an interdisciplinary approach to dance, plus it provides information on what is out there on video and where to get it. Dance educators can use it to introduce aesthetics to their lessons furthering their students' comprehension and appreciation of dance."
Susan McGreevy-Nichols, director of dance, Roger Williams Middle School, Providence, RI, president-elect, The National Dance Association
"Each year, the Parsons Dance Company visits many communities across the country offering performances, classes, and demonstrations. My dancers and I relish the thought that you will have explored our work through this terrific guide, Dancing Through The Curriculum, and that you and your students will want to come and see us "LIVE" and perhaps participate in some of our workshops."
David Parsons, artistic director, The Parsons Dance Company
The American Dance Legacy Institute and The Educational Services Division of the Harlem Dance Foundation provide support services for users of "Dancing Through The Curriculum." For information about these services contact the Institute in Providence at 401-863-7596 or in New York City at 212-662-2057.
"Dancing Through the Curriculum" is a JayEssPress Book. $35.00 plus $4.95 shipping and handling. ISBN 0-9659256-2-5. Mail orders: JayEssPress, 125 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence, RI 02906. We accept American Express cards.
1. The American Dance Legacy Institute, will design and implement recruitment strategies to identify needy, gifted young dancers. These efforts will involve actively seeking students outside and beyond the traditional recruitment sources such as arts magnet schools and dance studios.
2. Each year, The Institute will award at least one, and no more than three prizes in one or all of the following areas:
a) A need-based scholarship for a deserving and talented student (12-18) preferably from New York State. The Institute will track this young artist and guide him/her toward additional scholarship and incentive award opportunities in collaboration with the Harlem Dance Foundation Educational Services Division, located at 144 West 121st Street in New York City.
b) An incentive prize based on dedication, achievement or potential; aimed at recognizing a young person's talent, and thereby encouraging long-term family support. Many families with moderate resources choose to support other activities over arts training. Often, when parents see evidence of their child's achievement or recognition in the arts, they add arts training to their financial priorities.
c) A stipend for a mentorship with a dance master or for attendance at workshops, seminars, and retreats dealing with: a) career options and transitions, b) injury prevention and health issues, or, c) teacher training.
The Institute is currently working with the Harkness Foundation For Injury Prevention, The American Dance Festival, and The Educators Peer Council of Dance/USA, developing on-going programs, workshops, and networks dealing with holistic dance training. These institutions will be rich resources.
Provided by The American Dance Legacy Institute of Brown University and the Educational Services Division of the Harlem Dance Foundation.
1. Teacher workshops demonstrating the use of "Dancing Through The Curriculum" and introducing participants to the support services.
These workshops are given by two presenters, are designed for large groups, and include hand-outs.
2. Performances by the American Dance Legacy Institute's Repertory Company. Each performance can include a pre-performance session and a follow-up session. The sessions can provide audiences with actual dance experiences that prepare them for the performance and when appropriate, participants can learn excerpts from the repertory being performed. Many of the dances and choreographers in in the repertory of the Company can be found in "Dancing Through The Curriculum."
These performances feature 10 dancers and an artistic director/educator. Some of the dancers participate in the pre- and post- session activities.
3. Repertory Etudes Workshops. These workshops teach and coach young dancers in solo and small group works that have been commissioned by The American Dance Legacy Institute. Students who have learned the Etudes may use them for auditions and performances.
Most Etudes can be learned in two or three sessions.
4. Distance Learning Projects. The Institute works with schools to develop interdisciplinary projects focusing on American dance masters. These projects utilize the latest technology and include uses of the internet for communication and research.
5. Extended residencies are carefully designed with each school. In general they include all of the above services plus individually designed projects tailored to the specific school. Master classes, available only in extended residencies, are selected with the school to meet its needs. Master classes can include classes in all of the major dance techniques, dance improvisation, dance composition, multi-cultural and folkloric dance forms, music for dance, dance for those with special needs, and dance as a healing art.
6. Talent Searches. The American Dance Legacy Institute administers The Susan Benenson Fund For Young Dancers.The Susan Benenson Fund For Young Dancers and is always seeking young gifted dancers to support. This support includes fellowships, mentoring, and other services. In all of its programs, the Institute enlists the assistance of schools to identify young dancers to support. These students need not have had prior dance training, but should exhibit a love and gift for dance.
7. The American Dance Legacy Institute hosts a chat page at its Web site for teachers and students to share their experiences with "Dancing Through The Curriculum" and other dance related activities.
For information about these services and fees, contact:
The American Dance Legacy Institute
at Brown University:
Box 1897
Providence, RI 02912
(401) 863-7596, Fax. (401) 863-7529
e-mail: Dance_Leg@Brown.edu
in New York City:
The Harlem Dance Foundation
144 W. 121st Street
New York, NY 10027
(212)-662-2057
BOARD OF ADVISERS
Ronald Bakarian
Karen Prager Balliett
Ina Sorens Clark
Spencer Crew
Elaine Finsilver
Leslie Hansen-Kopp
Samuel Hope
Mark Jones
Niani Kilkenny
David Manion
Rosann McLaughlin-Cox
Susan McGreevy-Nichols
Sara Schwabacher
Jessie Sinclair
Alice Teirstein
