archives and museums

Given the ephemeral nature of dance, archives and libraries are extremely important to students, historians, and lovers of the artform. Some of these are in private collections and difficult to access, but in the larger institutions, digitalization of material (i.e. the transfer of images and text to machine-readable format) is making some collections accessible via the Internet.

The first major specialist archive, Les Archives Internationales de la Danse, was set up by Rolf de Maré in 1931 in Paris. This not only housed a comprehensive library of books, magazines, programmes, models, designs, and scores but also presented lectures, demonstrations, and exhibitions. Between 1932 and 1936 it published a magazine and in 1932 it held its first choreographic competition which was won by Jooss with The Green Table. In 1950 the AID was dissolved. Its books and engravings went to the Musée de l'Opéra in Paris and the rest to Stockholm's newly opened Dance Museum. This was the world's first dance museum with individual collections dealing in SE Asian dance, Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, Les Ballets Suédois, Jooss, and European modern dance.

The world's most inclusive archive is the Dance Collection in the Performing Arts Library at New York's Lincoln Center, which was formed in 1944. This contains millions of books, prints, photographs, programmes, manuscripts, and films and has special collections devoted to Isadora Duncan, Diaghilev, Denishawn, and Robbins. On receipt of Robbins's personal archive in 1998 the collection was re-named in his honour. More Diaghilev material is contained in the Lifar collection at the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut, and in the Stravinsky-Diaghilev Foundation which includes designs, posters, scores, and memorabilia. America also has important dance libraries in the Harvard University Theatre Collection and in the Universities of Florida and California.

In Paris the Musée de l'Opéra has extensive material relating to its dance history which dates back to the 17th century, including designs, paintings, and musical scores. It possesses Pavlova memorabilia and also Kochno's collection which includes many Diaghilev photographs. The Theatre Collections at the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal contain ballet material from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Milan's Museo Teatrale alla Scala and the Livia Sioni library contain extensive material on Italian ballet and in particular manuscripts by Blasis and Manzotti. The Dance Documentation Centre in Genzano, founded 1985, has a large collection of videos and books.

Germany's biggest research resource is the Dance Archive, based in Cologne, which is renowned for its 20th-century material, while the Dance Archive of the Academy of Arts in Leipzig, founded 1957, covers folk as well as stage dance.

In London, the Archives of the Dance are now part of the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden, and contain many press cuttings, scores, prints, and photographs as well as important Diaghilev material. The Video Place at London's Place Theatre is developing an extensive video collection of new modern works, and the National Resource Centre for Dance at the University of Surrey is one of the leading centres for dance information. The Royal Opera House Library and Museum has a large collection of photographs and books relating to the history of the Royal Ballet companies. The Royal Academy of Dancing and the Laban Centre also both have extensive collections.

Copenhagen's Theatre Museum houses much Bournonville material and extensive photographs and costumes.

In St Petersburg, major holdings of dance material include the State Institute of Theatre, Music, and Cinematography, the Maryinsky Theatre Museum, and the Vaganova School museum. In Moscow, the State Central Archive of Literature and Arts, founded 1941, holds considerable ballet material while the A. A. Bakhrushin State Central Theatrical Museum is the oldest Russian theatrical museum.

In India, most of the richest collections are in private libraries, one of the most noted palace collections being the Maharajah Serfoji Sarasvathi in Madras. Many schools are also home to collections including the Darpena Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmadabad.

In Japan, important collections include the Eiryo Ashihara collection at the National Diet Library in Tokyo, the Shochiku-Otani Library in Tokyo, and the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum at Waseda University.

Around the world, most opera houses and large dance companies have archives relating to their own work.