Hamon Arts Library is excited to make the Division of Dance Concert Programs and Materials available online in the SMU Digital Collections. The library worked closely with the Division of Dance in the Meadows School of the Arts and the Digital Collections to bring this collection to a global audience. The programs illuminate the Division’s history dating back to the late 1960s. I interviewed Patty Harrington Delaney, Chair of the Division of Dance, about the importance of making the collection available online.
Sara Outhier: Why are the dance concert programs important to the Division of Dance?
Patty Delaney: Programs are the primary written record of a performance series. They provide the critical information of: the names of choreographic works and their creators, composers of the accompaniment, the dancers in each work, the designers (costumes, lighting, media, sets) who created the visual landscape that supported the artistic vision of the choreographer, biographical information on creative contributors and program notes that provide contextual information. In terms of broader historical value, they also document who was on the dance faculty during the time of each production. This information will allow us to have an accurate record of our history.
Outhier: Why is it important to make the collection freely available online?
Delaney: As the Dance Division archives are the repository for performances of some of the dance world’s most valued masterworks, as well as new choreography by guest choreographers and faculty, this written archive is essential to allowing a researcher to have informed access to the Division’s visual archive.
Outhier: Who do you think will use the online dance concert program collection?
Delaney: Faculty, current students, alumni, professional dance companies, historians.
Sara Outhier, Digital Media Librarian, Hamon Arts Library | southier@smu.edu
To attend a Division of Dance performance, see the Dance events calendar.
See more online content from the Hamon Arts Library and Bywaters Special Collections.
Learn more about the Division of Dance from the Meadows School blog:
10 GIFs from the Fall 2015 Brown Bag Dance Series
10 Can’t-Miss Photos from SMU Dance’s Interactive Performance During Metropolis