LibGuides: Dance: Research

Books

Research Books in the Library (selections)

Dance on Its Own Terms by Melanie Bales and Karen Eliot (Editors)
Call Number: GV1601 D353 B35
Publication Date: 2013
Covers dance history and core disciplinary knowledge in performance and reconstruction, pedagogy and choreographic process, and notational and other written forms that analyze and document dance.
The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet by Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel, Jill Nunes Jensen (Editors)
Call Number: GV1787 O935 2021 [Allen shelves]
Looks at the many ways ballet functions as a global practice in the 21st century, providing new perspectives on ballet's past, present, and future.
Undergraduate Research in Dance by Lynnette Young Overby; Gregory Young; Jenny Olin Shanahan
Call Number: GV1589 O93 U5 2019
Tools for scaffolding research skills, along with examples of undergraduate research in all areas of dance scholarship.

Find More Books

Search the catalog by subject...

Ballet
Ballet dancers
Ballet > History
Choreography
Dance
Dance > History
Dance notation
Dance therapy
Dancers
Modern dance

Or browse the shelves by call number:

Cal number	Topic
GV 1587	Dance notation
GV 1589	Dance education
GV 1600–1619	Dance by historical period
GV1620–1728	Dance by geographical region
GV 1785	Biographies
GV 1787	Ballet
M 1520–1526	Ballet music (scores)
ML 3400–3465	History/criticism of dance music
RC	Dance therapy

Reference

Reference resources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, and more. They often provide a short overview of a topic, then point to more resources for further research.

Websites

Ballet Dictionary (American Ballet Theatre)
Comprehensive dictionary of ballet terms. Includes pronunciation examples.
Dance Notation Bureau
An array of dance notation resources, including online notation tools, Labanotation tutorial, digitized books, and more.

Books in the Allen Library (selections)

International Dictionary of Modern Dance by Taryn Benbow-Pfalzgraf and Glynis Benbow-Niemier (Eds.)
Call Number: GV1585 I572 1998 [Allen dance reference]
A comprehensive examination of modern dance written and reviewed by expert contributors.
International Encyclopedia of Dance by Selma Jeanne Cohen (Ed.)
Call Number: GV1585 I58 v.1-6 [Allen dance reference]
Publication Date: 1998
Nearly 2,000 articles documenting all types of dance around the world and throughout history.
The Oxford Dictionary of Dance by Debra Craine; Judith Mackrell
Call Number: GV1585 C74 O93 [Allen dance reference]
Publication Date: 2000
Includes fact sand analyses on a wide range of subjects from dancers and choreographers to dance styles and technical terms.

Articles

Professional Journals (selections)

Professional journals are a great place to learn from experts about the most recent developments in your field.
Search articles online or browse the Allen Library current periodicals (near the Allen entrance). See especially:

Dance Magazine
Latest issues available online only.
Dance Research Journal by Dance Studies Association
Available online only.

Journal Article Databases

Library databases provide citations for articles, book chapters, and more. Most articles/chapters focus on a narrow and specific topic, so they are great for deeper research. To get started:

Choose a database.
Search for keywords such as genres, topics, names of people, etc.
Limit your results by date, language, and more with the the left-hand menu on the results page.

Need more help?

See our Article help page for step-by-step instructions and videos to help you search databases and find full-text articles. And you can always ask a librarian for individual help.

Research Databases

Dance Education Literature and Research Descriptive Index This link opens in a new window
Citations for thousands of journal articles, dissertations, and more. Focuses on dance education.
Music Index Online This link opens in a new window
Article citations from over 700 music and dance journals.
Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
Article citations from over 400 music journals. Includes some dance topics.
RILM This link opens in a new window
Citations for scholarly music and dance books, articles, dissertations, and more.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from almost 100 scholarly music, dance, and theatre journals, plus other subjects. Excludes recent years.
Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Article citations from all disciplines, including music, dance, and theatre.

Find Full Text Articles

Search eJournal Locator for the journal title:

Need help? See our article help page or ask a librarian.

Suggest a Resource

Know of a resource you think should be added to this guide? Let us know!

Want to suggest we purchase something new? Contact Tracey Rudnick (rudnick@hartford.edu).