Inventory of the Harper Theater Dance Festival Records,
1962-1982
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Descriptive Summary
Repository
American Dance Festival Archives
Box 90772
Durham, North Carolina, 27708-0772 USA
Phone: 919-684-6402
Fax: 919-684-5459
Email: adfarchives@americandancefestival.org
Creator
Harper Theater Dance Festival
Title
Harper Theater Dance Festival Records, 1962-1982
Language of Material
Material in English
Extent
4.76 linear feet
3 boxes
Abstract
The Harper Theater Dance Festival (1965-1975) presented Chicago audiences with a decade of annual performance seasons from a variety of celebrated touring dance companies. Favorite performers included Merce Cunningham, Alwin Nikolais, and Paul Taylor.
Collection includes photographic prints, negatives, slides, posters, press clippings, tickets, company publicity, and other printed materials.
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Collection is open for research.
In off-site storage; 24 hours advance notice is required for use.
Copyright Notice
Copyright for official American Dance Festival administrative records is held by the American Dance Festival; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Harper Theater Dance Festival Records, American Dance Festival Archives.
Acquisitions Information
The Harper Theater Dance Festival Records were received by the American Dance Festival as a gift in 1999.
Processing Information
Processed by Rachel Cotterman, July, 2009
Encoded by Dean Jeffrey, July, 2009
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Historical Note
The Harper Theater Dance Festival (1965-1975) presented Chicago audiences with a decade of annual performance seasons from a variety of celebrated touring dance companies. Judith and Bruce Sagan, local newspaper publishers and dance impresarios, founded the festival in 1965 at the Harper Theater in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. In 1970 the festival became part of the newly formed Harper Dance Foundation. In 1971 the festival was moved to the larger Civic Theater downtown because of increased audience demand. The final four seasons were hosted by the University of Chicago's Mandel Hall. The festival was sponsored by the Chicago Dance Foundation, a not-for-profit educational foundation, in cooperation with the Illinois Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. The early seasons featured a diverse array of dance performances, while later years focused more specifically on bringing the country's most contemporary and experimental modern dance to Chicago audiences. Favorite performers included Merce Cunningham, Alwin Nikolais, and Paul Taylor. The festival and foundation became dormant after 1975, although they were briefly revived in 1979 to stage a performance of the Paul Taylor Dancers at Civic Theater.
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Collection Overview
Collection includes photographic prints, negatives, slides, posters, press clippings, tickets, company publicity, and other printed materials.
Collection Arrangement
The Harper Theater Dance Festival Records are organized into two series: Photographic Materials and Printed Materials.
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Online Catalog Headings
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
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Detailed Description of the Collection
Photographic Materials, 1962-1979 and undated
32 Folders
Includes photographic prints, slides, and negatives. The majority of these images are publicity photos supplied by performance companies.
Box 1
Harper Dance Gram Promotion 1979
Unidentified Photographs
Performance Companies, 1962-1978 and undated
ACME Dance Company
Ailey, Alvin
Airaudo, Malou
Alba-Reyes Spanish Dance Company, 1965
Alum, Manuel
American Mime Theater
Boston Ballet
Chamber Ballet of Akron, OH
Cohen, Ze'eva
Cunningham, Merce, 1965-1975 and undated
Falco, Louis, 1969-1970 and undated
Farber, Viola, 1972 and undated
Glosar, Lotte, 1966 and undated
Hawkins, Erick
Janislawski, MiMi
Jaroslow & Perron
Lewitzsky, Bella, 1973 and undated
Jose Limon Company
Louis, Murray
Nikolais, Alwin
Nagrin, Daniel
Oved, Margalit
Pennsylvania Ballet Company, 1966 and undated
Ormiston, Gale
Pilobolus
Posin, Katherine
Redlich, Dan
Richardson, Larry
Taylor, Paul, 1962-1978 and undated
Tetley, Glen
Villella, Edward
Printed Materials, 1964-1982 and undated
17 Folders
Includes posters, press clippings, tickets, company publicity, and other printed materials.
Box OS1
Unidentified Printed Materials
Modern Dance Press Clippings
Dance Film Festival Poster
Harper Theater Dance Festival, 1965-1979 and undated
Blueprint, Harper Theater
Press Clippings, 1965-1979
Posters and Publicity, 1965-1973 and undated
Box OS2
Posters, 1968-1981 and undated
Box 1
Festival Chronology
Performance Companies, 1964-1982 and undated
James Cunningham and the ACME Dance Company Student Coupon
Merce Cunningham and Dance Company Poster, 1975 (2 copies)
Alwin Nikolais Dance Theatre Press Release
Alwin Nikolais Dance Theatre Ticket, 1971
Box OS1
Merce Cunningham Press Clippings, 1964-1982
Bella Lewitzsky Dance Company Posters
Murray Louis Publicity
Shanta Rao Press Clipping, 1968
Ririe-Woodbury Publicity
James Waring at Judson: A Chronology, 1978
