INTRODUCTION. Materials within the collection donated over a period of time by Tance Johnson, artistic director, and Katherine Kahrs, photographer.

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Abigayle Bridges
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1 INTRODUCTION Provenance Materials within the collection donated over a period of time by Tance Johnson, artistic director, and Katherine Kahrs, photographer. Restrictions Entire collection is open for research use. Publication Rights Vary with material. Katherine Kahrs owns copyright for all photographic materials. Accession Number Size 1 carton 1 linear ft. Processed by Marianne Carden Date Completed June 7, 1994 Related Collections Biographical files on Tance Johnson

2 SCOPE AND CONTENTS This is an artificial collection assembled by Tance Johnson Russell Hartley, and Katherine Kahrs to document the activities of Dance Action. Portions of the materials, such as programs, administrative records, and correspondence, were mailed to Hartley's Archives for Performing Arts and filed in biographical files on Johnson. Most of the photographic materials arrived in binders prepared by Katherine Kahrs, who served as photographer for Dance Action. Since the arrangement of the negatives, positives, and prints in the binders did not provide very easy subject access, these items were re-housed in labelled envelopes. This rearrangement was also carried out to insure that the materials were stored in a more archivally sound manner. All Dance Action records filed in Tance Johnson's biographical files were removed and reassembled with the photographic materials to provide a coherent collection on the history of the company. Types of records within the collection include minutes, correspondence, newsletters, press releases, histories and chronologies, programs, and negatives, positives, and 8 x 10 in. prints. These materials thoroughly document the goals and history of Dance Action, as well as many of the company's performances and performers. The collection features documentation on the company's educational activities, highlighting the collective concerts produced by youth and professional dancers involved in the company's summer workshops. In-school series, such as California Dancing, a special project to teach youth about California history and culture, are also well-documented. The performing arm of Dance Action, Tance Dance (formerly known as Chamber Dance Theatre), is also covered by photographic and paper records. Most of the materials relate to the 1980s, although a few items document the late sixties and seventies.

3 ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY Founded in 1968 and originally known as the San Francisco Dancer's Forum, Dance Action is a community service organization devoted to the dual purpose of providing underprivileged and minority youth with opportunities to study dance and local dance professionals with opportunities to teach and perform. Its founder and artistic director, Tance Johnson (Frances J. Sitton), obtained support from the Dance Division of San Francisco State College to inaugurate the forum with a series of master classes for Bay Area Dancers and Teachers. Projects initiated soon after this included choreographers' workshop performances, summer dance scholarships for low-income high school students, and master classes on modern and ethnic dance techniques. During the past twenty years, Dance Action has continued to offer the community a wide range of benefits. The Youths-in-Dance summer workshops offer dance courses for low income and minority youth at studios throughout the Bay Area. For those students exhibiting talent, winter youth workshops provide additional training, as well as opportunities to participate in performances. An in-school series introduced students to improvisation, ethnic, and jazz dance as part of physical education programs. Field trips for youth to dance and art events were also incorporated into the program. Through the teaching and performing opportunities provided by the forum, local dance professionals received major publicity and national dance magazine recognition, as well as additional training in master classes. At the same time, the community gained greater exposure to modern and ethnic dance. A typical season included performances at studios, schools, and community centers. The performing arm of Dance Action, Tance Dance (formerly known as Chamber Dance Theatre), debuted in 1980 under the sponsorship of the Museum of Modern Art. Its goal is to present performances integrating dance with other art forms. Multimedia programs featuring slide imagery, sculptures, painters and actors have been performed at numerous San Francisco art galleries. Dance Action programs have received funding from a wide variety of sources, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, the San Francisco Foundation, the Zellerbach Family Fund, Hewlett Packard, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, and Bay View Federal Savings.

4 SERIES DESCRIPTION SERIES I. ADMINISTRATIVE 2 folders Includes minutes from annual planning meetings and correspondence. Arranged by record type and thereunder by date. SERIES II. PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS 3 folders Consists of promotional materials, such as histories, newsletters, and press releases, which outline goals and activities of company. Arranged by record type and thereunder by date. SERIES III. PROGRAMS 1 folder Contains programs from various performances, as well as promotional flyers for events, such as the City Celebration. Arranged by date. SERIES IV. PHOTOS 39 folders Includes 8 x 11 and 5 x 6 in. color and black and white photos of individual dancers and performances. Arranged by subject and thereunder by date. SERIES V. NEGATIVES AND POSITIVES 35 folders Consists of negative strips and positive proof sheets documenting performances and rehearsals. Arranged by subject and thereunder by date.

5 CONTAINER LIST SERIES I. Administrative Records Box Folder Contents Dates 1 1 Minutes ; Correspondence 1967; SERIES II. Promotional Materials 1 1 Histories/chronologies ; Newsletters 1970; ;1987; Articles/Press releases SERIES III. Programs 1 1 Programs/flyers/brochures SERIES IV. Photos 1 1 Apple, Ava; Andre Washington Bach, Melinda 3/84 3 Backside May 198-? 4 Bain, Bruce; Janet Mekowski June Bain, Bruce; Peggy Davis 3/89 Nixon; Tance Johnson 6 Bright Light and Shadows 8/86 7 California Dancing 8 California Living 10/16/82 9 City Celebration 8/7/86 10 Dance Action at the Zephyr Jan.198-? 11 Dance "High" Nov.5-6, Dance "High" Mar.22-23, Egghead & Cookie 14 Ferrago 3/84 15 Flams & Paradiddles 10/15/ Gate of Heaven Junglewalk 3/84 18 Mahagian, Peggy 3/84

6 Box Folder Contents Dates 1 19 Misa Criolla 3/84 20 Mixmasters ? 21 Noah and the Flood Presage Jul.8-9, 198-? 23 Realm of Ritual 24 Sakellariou, Marika 10/11/82 25 Sakellariou, Marika & William Randell 26 Pas de Six 10/84 27 Sawyer, Shanda 3/27/84 28 Spring Concert at Vorpal Song for a Far Country Stark Night & Dawn Mist Jul.19-21, Studio 101 Classes 1985;1988; Tance Dance & Guests 1992? 33 Trisagion 34 Two into One 35 Unknown 1/28/87 36 Unknown n.d. 37 Watkins, Susan Winterlude 3/84 39 Youth-in-Dance Summer 1980 SERIES V. Negatives and Positives 1 1 Apple, Ava; Andre Washington City Celebration City Celebration Dance "High" 10/ Dance "High" 10/27/ Dance "High" 11/5/ Dance "High" 3/22/86 15 Galaxy of Motion 6/28/87 16 Gate of Heaven 8/11/84 17 Johnson, Tance with Peggy Davis Nixon & Bruce Bain 3/5/88 18 Mixmasters 7/25/86 19 Preis 7/8/90 20 Spiritual Flights & Earthly Delights 3/27/84 21 Spring Program 6/9/84 22 Studio

7 23 Studio ; 1985 Box Folder Contents Dates 1 24 Studio 101 4/11/87 25 Studio 101 7/23/87 26 Studio 101 7/20/88 27 Studio 101 7/9/89 28 Studio 101 7/18/90 29 Studio 101 7/18/90 30 Studio 101 7/8/91 31 Summer Flights 8/16/85 32 Unknown Performance 7/24/86 33 Unknown Performance 3/29/87 34 Unknown Performance 4/3/87 35 Unknown Performance 3/8/89

SCHOLARSHIPS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

SCHOLARSHIPS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS GENERAL QUESTIONS What is the NYC Dance Alliance (NYCDA)? NYC Dance Alliance (NYCDA) was incorporated in 1993 as a for-profit dance educational organization. For