Dancing by Numbers: Dance\u27s Expanding Presence in Library Classifications of the Progressive Era

Library classifications are artificial systems that use numbers, letters, and symbols to map knowledge as the basis for organizing the contents of libraries. Inevitably influenced by social forces and cultural values, the Dewey Decimal, Cutter Expansive, and Library of Congress classification systems offer a unique perspective to study the status and identity of dance between 1876 and 1930. From the standpoint of library taxonomies, dance evolves during this period from an indoor amusement with moral implications to a recognized art form and discipline

Dancing in the Stacks: Dance Works and the Concept of Authorship in Libraries

It is self-evident to choreographers, dancers and dance scholars that dances are works in their own right as much as literary and musical works are. However, from an American library perspective, this fact was not fully acknowledged until 20 years ago. Indeed, the historical mistreatment of dance works has evolved from their once total absence from subject taxonomies, to their being classified with works about recreation instead of among the “serious” arts, to their being subordinated to music. The situation greatly improved in 1994 with the publication by the Library of Congress (LC) of special cataloging rules that finally treat “choreographic works” as autonomous entities, which led to the creation of 18,000 uniform dance titles. Nevertheless, to some extent, LC’s instructions can seem Anglo-centric and dismissive of the choreographer’s creative role. Since 2012, libraries and other cataloging agencies involved in developing the first international cataloging standards (“Resource Description and Access”) have been reevaluating the descriptive treatment of “choreographic works” in order to take into account the relationships between choreographers and their works, while still acknowledging the collaborative aspect of dance. The latest developments in cataloging practices might have a drastic—and beneficial—impact on the way dance works are described and thereby discovered by library patrons in the near future. They offer the potential of transforming the dance library catalog into a danced library catalog

Unpacking Eugène Giraudet’s Library: Dance, Books, and International Relations in Fin-de-Siècle Paris

Eugène Giraudet (1861-19?) was an exceptionally prolific and influential Parisian dance teacher, choreographer, author, and bibliophile. His library catalog, published in his 1900 Traité de la danse, Tome II, Grammaire de la danse et du bon ton, is more than a simple record of the books he owned. It also serves as a wish list and a directory of prominent dance personalities. As a whole, it presents an unparalleled conspectus of dance teaching, book collecting, business, and international networks radiating from a major metropolis—the historical urban center of the dance world—in the late-nineteenth century

Du jeu des identités à la transformation de réalités partagées : un programme d’ateliers d’expression théâtrale pour adolescents immigrants et réfugiés

La migration à l’adolescence est particulièrement délicate à cause du fardeau conjugué que représente à ce stade de la vie l’intégration des multiples pertes associées à la migration et l’adaptation au statut de jeune adulte. Le programme d’ateliers d’expression théâtrale vise à faciliter l’adaptation des adolescents immigrants et réfugiés à leur nouvel environnement à partir d’un travail créatif autour des enjeux identitaires liés à la migration et à un statut de minorité. Ces ateliers conjuguent une approche inspirée du théâtre playback qui permet une mise en scène du vécu personnel et le théâtre forum de Boal qui met l’accent sur la transformation collective de l’expérience. Les résultats d’une évaluation qualitative des ateliers d’expression théâtrale suggèrent que ceux-ci constituent un lieu d’expression ou les participants se sentent en sécurité et soutenus par l’équipe ainsi que par le caractère rituel du jeu théâtral. Les ateliers permettent de représenter la multiplicité des valeurs et des références internes et externes de l’adolescent et de les renégocier sans dichotomiser le « eux » et le « nous », en s’adressant aux questions de justice sociale qui se posent à la collectivité. Ils favorisent aussi l’élaboration des transitions de l’adolescence en permettant l’évocation des pertes de la migration et le passage vers une identité hybride.Migration during adolescence represents a challenge for the youth who need to simultaneously work through the multiple losses associated with the migratory journey and adapt to a young adult status. The drama workshop program described here was designed to facilitate the adjustment of newly arrived immigrant teens. The aim of the program is to make it easier for adolescents to adjust to their new environment through creative group work around identity issues. The program also seeks to improve intergroup relations in multiethnic schools. The workshops are inspired both from playback theater and from Boal’s form theater which emphasizes the collective transformation of the singular experience. The qualitative assessment of the program effects on the adolescents suggests that the workshops constitute a safe space of expression, in which the team and the ritual nature of the play hold the participants. The workshops facilitate the representation of the multiplicity of values in the adolescent world and invite them to reconsider the way in which they interact, with their environment, without splitting between “us” and “them,” but rather creating solidarities around issues of social justice. The workshops also address the life transformation associated both with adolescence and migration and help the elaboration of the losses linked to the migratory journey and the construction of a hybrid identity.La migración en la adolescencia es particularmente delicada a causa de la carga conjunta que representa en esta etapa de la vida la integración de las múltiples pérdidas asociadas a la migración y la adaptación a un estatus de joven adulto. El programa de talleres de expresión teatral busca facilitar la adaptación de los adolescentes inmigrantes y refugiados a su nuevo entorno, a partir de un trabajo creativo relacionado con las cuestiones de identidad ligadas a la migración y a un estatus de minoría. Estos talleres conjugan un enfoque inspirado del teatro playback, que permite una puesta en escena de una experiencia personal, y el teatro forum de Boal, que pone el acento en la transformación colectiva de la experiencia. Los resultados de una evaluación cualitativa de los talleres de expresión teatral sugieren que éstos constituyen un lugar de expresión en el que los participantes se sienten seguros y apoyados por el equipo, así como por el carácter ritual de la representación teatral. Los talleres permiten representar la multiplicidad de los valores y referencias internas y externas del adolescente, y renegociarlos sin crear una dicotomía entre el “ellos” y “nosotros” al tratar cuestiones de justicia social que se plantean a la colectividad. Favorecen también la elaboración de las transiciones de la adolescencia al permitir la evocación de las pérdidas de la migración y el paso hacia una identidad híbrida.A imigração na adolescência é especialmente delicada, por causa do fardo conjugado que representa, neste ponto da vida, a integração das múltiplas perdas associadas à imigração e à adaptação ao estatuto de jovem adulto. O programa de ateliês de expressão teatral visa facilitar a adaptação dos adolescentes imigrantes e refugiados ao seu novo ambiente, a partir de um trabalho criativo a respeito das preocupações identitárias relacionadas à imigração e a um estatuto de minoria. Estes ateliês conjugam uma abordagem inspirada no teatro playback, que permite uma representação da vivência pessoal, e no teatro fórum de Boal, que ressalta a transformação coletiva da experiência. Os resultados de uma avaliação qualitativa dos ateliês de expressão teatral sugerem que estes continuam sendo um lugar de expressão onde os participantes sentem-se em segurança e apoiados pela equipe e pelo caráter ritual da representação teatral. Os ateliês permitem representar a multiplicidade dos valores e das referências internas e externas do adolescente e renegociá-los sem dicotomizar o “eles” e o “nós”, falando sobre questões de justiça social que são colocadas à coletividade. Os ateliês favorecem também a elaboração das transições da adolescência permitindo a evocação das perdas da imigração e a passagem para uma identidade híbrida

Jean-Étienne Despréaux, Bibliophile

This paper delves into the life and career of Jean-Étienne Despréaux (1748-1820), as read through a catalogue of his library. The catalogue, the earliest known detailed record of books owned by a dancing master, was printed after Despréaux’s death to announce the sale of his library in a 3-day auction. It reveals Despréaux’s wide-ranging reading interests and his desire to build a comprehensive collection of books about dance—a collection that would anticipate the modern notion of a canon of historical dance monuments. The most interesting book in the collection is a copy of the 1589 edition of Thoineau Arbeau’s Orchésographie. This book, which was annotated by Despréaux, tells a fascinating tale of its journey from Despréaux’s library to its current resting place in the library of Nederlands Muziek Instituut in the Hague