Erwin Auditorium, August 1975
(Courtesy Old West Durham Neighborhood Association)

Many of us at ADF are big fans of Gary Kueber’s Endangered Durham blog. Yesterday’s post about the rise and fall of Erwin Auditorium mentions ADF and reveals a little known fact related to our history:

“Jean Anderson tells the story of Erwin Auditorium’s connection to the eventual arrival of the American Dance Festival in Durham; when a group of local dance enthusiasts sponsored “A Day for Dancing” at Erwin Auditorium in the early 1970s, they expected 50-75 participants – they got 600. The level of support gave them a substantive base to build upon, establishing summer programs that eventually led to ADF’s migration from Connecticut.”