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.”

See time elapsed video of ADF interns as they paint the graffiti tunnel on Duke University East Campus, where Sarah Hartley performs a dance of the day.

Above, an excerpt from a silent film of dance classes at Bennington College in 1934, taken from the American Dance Festival Archives.

The ADF Archives preserves historical records for use by students, researchers, and the dance community. In addition to the records of the festival itself, the archives collects film, video, photos, audiotapes, and personal papers created by other individuals and institutions, including the papers of choreographers Pearl Primus and Laura Dean, and the records of the ADF’s documentary Free to Dance: The African-American Presence in Modern Dance, which aired on PBS’ Great Performances: Dance in America in 2001. Descriptions of the ADF’s collections can be found on the Archives Collections webpage.

A large part of the ADF Archives consists of film and videotape documenting the festival. There is film going all the way back to the festival’s beginnings in 1934, and there is even one film, of a Martha Hill class in 1930, that pre-dates the festival. Each summer, the Archives continues to document the festival, primarily by videotaping performances, showings, classes, panel discussions, and other special events. Many of these videos are available to the public in Duke University’s Lilly Library.

Below, an excerpt from a 1972 reconstruction of Doris Humphrey’s With My Red Fires, also taken from the ADF Archives.

Audience members give their thoughts on Emanuel Gat Dance’s performance of Winter Variations at the Reynolds Industries Theater last night.

Matt Foley performs a dance of the day on Duke University East Campus.

Mark Dendy talks to ADF Co-Director Jodee Nimerichter about choreographer Emanuel Gat.

Lilly Nguyen performs her dance of the day. A line drawing effect has been added to the video. Music by Max Tundra.