Movable Pillars: Organizing Dance, 1956–1978

The American College Dance Festival Association, 1973

The American College Dance Festival Association, 1973 Of the six organizations described in this book, the American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA) most overtly promotes the performance and practice of dance on college and university campuses. Its regional and national conferences, comprised of dance concerts and classes instead of scholarly papers, emphasize dance as a performing art. The ACDFA mission, found on the web site (www.acdfa.org, 2007), is to: support and affirm the role of dance in higher education primarily through the sponsorship of college/university regional conferences and national dance festivals. Central to the educational mission of the association is the fostering of creative potential and artistic excellence in choreography and/ or performance. The Association serves as a reflection of college/university dance programs and gives presence and value to diversity in dance through the planning of regional conferences and through the adjudication process. The Association acts as a national membership service organization to strengthen a network within the academic dance community. Through its regional and national college and university dance festivals, ACDFA primarily serves to foster excellence in dance through public visibility, performance , and by creating an opportunity for students and faculty from departments to interact with one another and gain exposure to the diverse world of college dance. ACDFA was formed and held its first festival at the University of Pittsburg , hosted by University of Pittsburg Director of Dance Jeanne Beaman in 1973. At the time of its founding, ACDFA consisted of 13 charter member colleges and universities (ACDFA 1998:2). During the first few years of existence, ACDFA sponsored one or two regional festivals each year. By 1979, the number of regional festivals had grown to approximately five per year, and by 1981, ten separate regions had been established by the board of directors. In 1981, ACDFA hosted its first national festival in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the Kennedy Center Education Program and George Washington University, culminating in a concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts. In 1982, ACDFA published the first edition of its conference handbook to assist in the planning of festivals . The goal was eventually to sponsor ten regional conferences annually and national festivals every two years (ACDFA 1998:2). As of 2007, ACDFA serves over three hundred institutions. Over three thousand students participate annually in ACDFA festivals over nine re132 gions. Membership is available to institutions and to individuals interested in the mission of the organization. ACDFA has facilitated support of college dance performance and practice through other programs. Between 1988 and1992, the organization focused effort on creating a peerreviewed faculty choreography series. This series created an opportunity for college and university faculty to present their work in a nationally recognized performance venue, professionally presented and adjudicated by written critique by a panel of nationally recognized dance professionals, akin to publishing a major journal article in other fields. Between 1985 and 1992, ACDFA administered a scholarship program to promote summer study for dance students. By 1993, the amount of funding granted during the summer was valued at $27,000 and supported 40 students. Both the faculty choreography series and the scholarship program were discontinued in 1993 due to a lack of administrative support. Nevertheless , at the time of this printing, ACDFA remains a vital component of many dance major programs in the United States. It remains a unique forum for the exchange of ideas through physical practice and performance for the academic dance community. ACDFA keeps a record of its festivals and activity. The web site includes an extensive history of the organization, lists its past and present organizers, adjudicators, and festivals, and provides information about its archives. In lieu of a newsletter, the web site also acts as a forum for the dissemination of information and news. The American College Dance Festival Association 133 First Regional American College Dance Festival: 1973, at the University of Pittsburgh. Pictured left to right: Jeanne Beaman, Festival Coordinator; Rod Rodgers, Marian Van Tuyl, and Hanya Holm, Adjudicators . Courtesy of the American College Dance Festival Association. Jeanne Hays Beaman The telephone interview with Jeanne Hays Beaman was conducted in her home in Rockport, Massachussetts, on February 24, 1999. Jeanne Hays Beaman (b. October 10, 1919, San Francisco) began her career in dance as a member of the San Francisco Ballet (1938–1940). She studied dance at the School of American Ballet and with Adolph Bolm, Willam Christensen...