Last revised: July 2007

Dance

Scope: This is a guide to the important print and electronic reference sources for research in the field of Dance. While most of the materials you will need are in the Performing Arts Library, dance videos are also held in the Non-Print Media Services Collection (Hornbake Library, ground floor), and materials on the business of dance, or dance therapy may also be in McKeldin Library. Materials on scene design may also be in the Art Library.
Email Judy Markowitz, the subject area specialist at judym@umd.edu or call 301-314-1316 for more information.

UM Libraries Catalog: Books and Nonprint Materials

Other Catalogs to Use

• New York Public Library Dance Catalog.
  This is the library catalog from the New York Public Library's collection of materials on dance. This collection is the world's leading repository for materials on dance. The collection includes monographs, periodical articles, films, and other archival materials. Provides references to materials from 1972, with earlier titles being continuously added.

• LOCIS, the Library of Congress catalogs.

• Libweb, Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE's meta-index to hundreds of library online catalogs and library web servers in the United States and overseas.

• WORLDCAT
  This database contains 37 million records of all types of material (books, serials, nonprint media, dissertations, masters theses, archival materials, etc.) cataloged by OCLC member libraries.

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Guide to the Literature

• Bopp, Mary S. Research in Dance: A Guide to Resources. New York: G. K. Hall, 1994.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: Z7514.D2B6 1994
  The guide includes sections on national and international dance collections and archives; dance publishers, dealers, and bookstores; dance associations and organizations; reference sources in dance; serial publications; indexes and abstracts; and sources for book and performance reviews.

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Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Biographies

Listed in alphabetical order, but be sure to consult Cohen's, International Encyclopedia of Dance, the most comprehensive encyclopedia of dance.

• Benbow-Pfalzgraf, Taryn, ed. International Dictionary of Modern Dance. Detroit: St. James Press, 1998.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1585.B46 1998
  Provides over 400 entries on all aspects of modern dance. Biographies, essays on major movements and styles and overviews of the development of modern dance around the world.

• Bremser, Martha. Fifty Contemporary Choreographers. New York: Routledge, 1999.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1785.A1B74 1999
  Provides biographies of choreographers who are working in a variety of dance genres. References are included.

• Bremser, Martha, et al., eds. International Dictionary of Ballet. 2 vols. Detroit: St. James Press, 1993.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1585.I57 1993 vols. 1-2
  This extensive source contains some 750 entries arranged in a single alphabetical sequence. The selection is historical and international in scope, tracing the development of classical ballet. There are three types of entries: individual artists, individual ballets, and ballet companies. All entries have a publications list including other relevant, written sources.

• Cohen, Selma Jeanne, ed. International Encyclopedia of Dance. 6 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1585.I586 1998 vols. 1-6
  Comprehensive encyclopedia of dance, with widespread, international coverage. Includes signed articles and bibliographies.

• Chujoy, Anatole, and P. W. Manchester. The Dance Encyclopedia. Rev. and enlarged ed. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1585.C5 1967
  A one-volume encyclopedia. Includes terminology, as well as biographical information.

• Cohen-Stratyner, Barbara. Biographical Dictionary of Dance. New York: Schirmer, 1982.
  LOCATION: PA LIB
  CALL NUMBER: GV1785.A1C58 1982
  Includes information on performers, choreographers, composers, designers, and teachers. A list of works performed or choreographed, and a brief bibliography is included with many sketches.

• Craine, Debra. The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1585.C73 2000
  Includes information on all aspects of dance, including people, specific dances, places and genres.

• Fletcher, Beverly. Tapworks: a tap dictionary and reference manual. 2nd edition. Hightstown, N.J.: Princeton Book Co., c2002.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1794.F555 2002

• Giordano, Ralph. Social Dancing in America: a history and reference. Westport, CT.: Greenwood Press, 2007
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GVGV1623.G56 2007
  Comprehensive work on the history of dance in the United States from 1607 to 2000.

• Glasstone, Richard. Classical Ballet Terms: an illustrated dictionary. Alton: Dance Books, 2001.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1787.G53 2001
  Terms, definitions and illustrations of classical ballet.

• Guest, Ann Hutchinson. Dancer's Glancer: a quick guide to Labanotation (the method of recording all movement). Reading, UK: Gordon and Breach, c1992.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1587.G835 1972
  

• Matteo. The Language of Spanish Dance: a dictionary and reference manual. 2nd edition. Hightstown, NJ : Princeton Book Co., 2003.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1673 .M35 2003
  Terms and definitions of Spanish dance. Includes illustrations and Labanotation.

• Preston-Dunop, Valerie. Dance Words. Harwood Academic, 1995.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1585.P74 1995
  A classified compilation of terminology with definitions by eminent dancers, teachers, and choreographers. The entries were collected from "classes, rehearsals, workshops, and dance events" as well as published and unpublished sources: "In effect, from anywhere and everywhere that dance people communicate verbally."

• Raffe, W. G. Dictionary of the Dance. New York: A. S. Barnes, 1965.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1585.R3 1965
  Contains some 3,000 terms, covering the history of dance through 1950, with considerable emphasis on dance in world cultures. Included are geographical and topical indexes, and a bibliography.

• Robertson, Allen. The Dance Handbook. New York: G.K. Hall, 19990.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1601.R63 1990
  A concise guide to dance covering choreographers, companies, dancers and danceworks.

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Bibliographies

The following is a sample of the kinds of specialized subject bibliographies available. Many other bibliographies may be located through the Catalog, and the other library and union catalogs, by conducting a subject word/s search on the subject and adding the word bibliography, ex. danc* and bibliography = danc* = truncation and will retrieve all words with danc as the root = dance or dancing or dance or dances...
TRY THE SEARCH IN THE SEARCH BOX BELOW!

• Adamczyk, Alice J. Black Dance: An Annotated Bibliography. New York: Garland, 1989.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1595.A25 1989
  An annotated bibliography of published material documenting African-American dance in all its forms. International coverage; foreign language books and articles are included.

• Chaiklin, Sharon, ed. Dance/Movement Therapy Abstracts: Doctoral Dissertations, Masters' Theses, and Special Projects, 1991-1996. Columbia, MD: American Dance Therapy Association, 1998.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: RC489.D3D35 vol.2 1991/1996

• Fledderjohn, Heidi. An Annotated Bibliography of Dance/Movement Therapy:1940-1990. Columbia, MD: American Dance Therapy Association, 1993.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: RC489.D3F58 1993
  Includes clinical, theoretical and research material covering dance/movement therapy.

• Fleshman, Bob. Theatrical Movement: A Bibliographical Anthology. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1986.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: PN2071.G4T46 1986
  Bibliography and narrative on all aspects of movement including dance.

• Forbes, Fred R. Dance: An Annotated Bibliography, 1964-1982. New York: Garland, 1986.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1594.F67 1986.
  A classified, annotated bibliography. Includes 1,666 entries covering the history, physiology, psychology, literature, and aesthetics of dance. Includes indexes to authors and subjects.

• Getz, Leslie. Dancers and Choreographers: A Selected Bibliography. Wakefield, RI: Asphodel Press, 1995.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1785.G47 1995
  Bibliography of dancers and choreographers involved with ballet and modern dance.

• Hodgens, Pauline. Dance: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography of Philosophical Readings in Art, Aesthetics, and Criticism. Surrey, UK: National Resource Centre for Dance, 1985.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1588.H63 1985
  A bibliography of philosophical and aesthetic writings relating to dance.

• Solomon, Ruth. Dance Medicine & Science Bibliography. Second Edition. Andover, NJ: J. Michael Ryan Publishing, Inc., 2001.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: RC1220.D35S64 2001
  English language bibliography listing the last thirty years of published materials on dance medicine and dance science.

• Warner, Mary Jane. Laban Notation Scores: an annotated bibliography. International Council of Kinetography Laban]; New York, N.Y.: Distributor, Dance Notation Bureau, 1984-.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: GV1587.W37 1984 vols. 1-4
  Bibliography of scores in Labanotation.

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Databases and E-journals

Research Port is the Libraries gateway to the databases and electronic journals and off campus access. Use these sources (listed in alphabetical order) to locate journal articles, book chapters, music (audio) and other types of publications on all aspects of dance, including reviews of dance performances.
When using a database or E-journal, be sure to follow the link. This will direct you to the available online fulltext, the available print copy listed in the catalog, or Interlibrary Loan if online fulltext is not available and if the Libraries do not subscribe to the journal or needed vol/issue/s.

• Academic Search Premier (Ebsco)
  Multidiscipilinary database covering popular and scholarly journals. Very useful for locating reviews of dance performances. Use the following strategies:
  giselle and (ballet or dance) and review
  giselle and royal danish ballet

• America: History and Life
  Major database for journal articles dealing with the history of North America. The history of dance is included. Books, book reviews and dissertations are also included. For articles on history concerning the rest of the world, see the entry for Historical Abstracts.

• Classical Music Library
  Classical Music Library is a large multi-label database of Classical music recordings with a particular focus on content that meets the needs of educators and students.

• DRAM (Database of Recorded American Music)
  Database of Recorded American Music( DRAM) is a scholarly resource of recordings by American composers and performers.

• ERIC
  One of the major sources for locating journal articles and research reports on education. This database is especially useful for materials on dance education. All available research reports (RIE ERIC microfiche documents) are located in the McKeldin Library Periodicals Room. Many ERIC documents are available fulltext.

• Education Research Complete
  One of the major resources for education, includes dance education.

• Historical Abstracts
  Major abstracting source for journal articles dealing with the history of the world, excluding North America. The history of dance is included. Books, book reviews and dissertations are also included. For articles on the history of North America, see the entry for America: History & Life.

• Humanities International Complete
  Humanities International Complete is an essential collection for comprehensive coverage of the humanities with full text content.

• International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance
  Comprehensive index for researching all aspects of dance in journal articles, books, book articles, dissertations and newspapers published worldwide.

• JSTOR
  Electronic archive of core journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Includes complete runs of journals with full-text of all articles published prior to the most current five years. Includes several dance journals.

• LEXIS-NEXIS Academic
  Fulltext news service very useful for locating reviews of dance productions.
  

  

  For additional help, please consult with the reference librarian.

• Naxos Music Library
  Naxos classical, jazz, world-music and historical releases, and Marco Polo and Da Capo catalogues.

• New York Public Library Dance Catalog.
  Library catalog from the New York Public Library's collection of materials on dance. This collection is the world's leading repository for materials on dance. The collection includes monographs, periodical articles, films, and other archival materials. Provides references to materials from 1972, with earlier titles being continuously added.

• New York Times Historical
  Coverage from the New York Times, 1851 - 2001. Use Lexis/Nexis above for articles from 2002 on.

• Smithsonian Global Sound
  Smithsonian Global Sound includes published recordings of the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings label and archival audio collections of Folkways Records, and of Cook, Dyer-Bennet, Fast Folk Musical Magazine, Monitor, Paredon and other labels. Also included are field recordings collected on the South Asian subcontinent and music recorded around the African continent in the mid-20th century. In addition, nature sounds, spoken stories, and memoirs are included.

• Sport Discus
  Provides coverage of sport, fitness and dance. Journal coverage is from 1975 and includes some fulltext. References to books, books chapters, and conference proceedings are included.

• Washington Post Historical
  Coverage from the Washington Post, 1877 - 1988. Use Lexis/Nexis above for articles from 1988 on.

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INTERNET SITES

• Artslynx International Dance Resources (http://www.artslynx.org/dance/)

• Critical Dance (http://www.ballet-dance.com/)

• Dance Notation Bureau (http://dancenotation.org/DNB/)

• Voice of Dance (http://www.voiceofdance.org/)

• Yahoo! Dance (http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Performing_Arts/Dance/)

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