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Dance Heritage Coalition Inc
New York, NY · EIN 943285953 · Form 990EZ · FY2020 · Micro (<$100K) · danceheritage.org
revenue
—
expenses
$395
net assets
$0
employees
—
mission · from form 990

To preserve past artistic dance heritage

profile · synthesized from sources

Dance Heritage Coalition Inc is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting America's dance heritage through documentation, preservation initiatives, and professional development. The organization supports the dance community by advancing archival practices, improving access to dance-related materials, and fostering education on preservation standards. It operates nationally with a focus on building capacity within the field of dance heritage.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

America’s Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: The First 100
A publication and touring exhibition identifying 100 significant American dance treasures, based on a national nomination and selection process, displayed at performing arts libraries and festivals.
Dance Preservation and Digitization Project (DPDP)
An initiative to digitize analog dance videos, develop a secure streaming website, and establish regional digitization hubs ("digi hubs") to preserve endangered dance documentation.
From Preservation to Access: Dance Heritage Coalition Fellowships
A three-year fellowship program that trained 22 library science students or recent graduates in dance archiving, providing mentorship and hands-on experience with multi-format dance collections.
Strengthening Living Archives
A collaborative initiative to understand challenges in documenting and preserving dance artists' work, involving regional focus groups, a national survey, and a forum to develop systemic strategies.
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Performing Arts Archival Preservation 5 activities
    • Advancing best practices in dance archiving and preservation
      Conducts research and convenes expert forums, focus groups, and technology summits to study challenges in preserving dance documentation and develop systemic strategies, including fair use guidelines and optimal analog-to-digital transfer methods.
    • Building archival capacity in dance institutions
      Provides fellowships and training programs for library science students and professionals in dance archiving practices, and partners with archives to process foundational dance collections, improving access to critical research materials.
    • Developing and maintaining registries for dance-related media preservation
      Establishes and manages the Moving Images Registry and a registry of analog videotapes to document and support the preservation of dance-related moving images and materials, including through digitization initiatives and a secure media network.
    • Preserving American dance heritage through documentation and public exhibitions
      Organizes national touring and online exhibitions of "America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures," including archival contributions of still images and video clips, and publishes booklets and online content to raise public awareness about significant dance legacies.
    • Providing archival and access services for dance materials
      Offers consulting services to dance companies with in-house archives, develops online finding aids, and improves access to dance collections in libraries and special collections through digital tools and infrastructure.
  • Dance Performance and Community Engagement 1 activity
    • Supporting public engagement with diverse dance forms and musical theater
      Provides educational resources and exploration tools for various dance styles including Irish, Folk, Hip Hop, Ballet, and Ballroom, and offers guidance on famous musicals, including those adapted from Shakespearean plays.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Advocating for the recognition of dance as a legitimate art form
      Challenges societal stigma around certain dance forms by promoting their artistic and cultural value, clarifying distinctions between performance art and commercial sexual exchange, and asserting the legitimacy of dance traditions such as striptease within broader cultural heritage.
    • Researching historical and cultural aspects of dance
      Documents the historical evolution of dance forms, including the origins of striptease in ancient and Roman times, the role of Parisian venues in popularizing performance styles, and the cultural significance of iconic performers such as Josephine Baker and Busby Berkeley.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2020
revenue
Total revenue—
Contributions & grants——
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$395
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$0
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$0
1 years on record · 2020–2020
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2020

Who runs it

board members · 2
  • Imogen Smith — Acting Executive Director
  • Norton Owen — Trustee
relationships · 37

Who they work with

  • American Dance Festival Partner — Member institution of the Dance Heritage Coalition collaborating on dance preservation initiatives.
  • Arizona State University Partner — Partnered with DHC to process dance collections foundational to dance research.
  • Broadway Shows Partner — References Broadway shows as a key format for integrating dance and music in cultural education and storytelling
  • Dance Bridge Partner — Sponsored the exhibition in Boulder, Colorado.
  • Dance Notation Bureau Partner — Member institution of the Dance Heritage Coalition collaborating on dance preservation initiatives.
  • Dance Notation Bureau Partner — Partnered with DHC to process dance collections foundational to dance research.
  • Denver Public Library Partner — Sponsored the exhibition in association with the Carson-Brierly Dance Collection at the University of Denver.
  • Harvard Theatre Collection Partner — Member institution of the Dance Heritage Coalition collaborating on dance preservation initiatives.
  • Herberger Institute School of Dance (Arizona State) Partner — Member institution of the Dance Heritage Coalition collaborating on dance preservation initiatives.
  • Hofstra University Museum Partner — Hosted the final installation of the traveling exhibition in Hempstead, New York.
  • Independent Media Arts Preservation Partner — Collaborated on the "Strengthening Living Archives" initiative.
  • Institute for Museum and Library Services Funder — Funded the "Strengthening Living Archives" project and the Dance Heritage Coalition Fellowship program.
  • International Guild of Musicians in Dance Partner — Collaborated on the "Strengthening Living Archives" initiative.
  • Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Partner — Partnered with DHC to process dance collections foundational to dance research.
  • Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Partner — Hosted the national touring exhibition of Irreplaceable Dance Treasures.
  • Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Partner — Member institution of the Dance Heritage Coalition collaborating on dance preservation initiatives.
  • Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute (Ohio State) Partner — Member institution of the Dance Heritage Coalition collaborating on dance preservation initiatives.
  • Jerome Robbins Dance Collection (New York Public Library for the Performing Arts) Partner — Member institution of the Dance Heritage Coalition collaborating on dance preservation initiatives.
  • Library of Congress Partner — Member institution of the Dance Heritage Coalition collaborating on dance preservation initiatives.
  • Library of Congress Partner — Partnered with DHC to process dance collections foundational to dance research.
  • Moulin Rouge Partner — Highlighted as a key historical venue that brought attention to striptease through artistic performances.
  • Museum of Performance & Design Partner — Hosted the national touring exhibition of Irreplaceable Dance Treasures in San Francisco.
  • Museum of Performance & Design Partner — Member institution of the Dance Heritage Coalition collaborating on dance preservation initiatives.
  • Museum of Performance & Design Partner — Partnered with DHC to process dance collections foundational to dance research.
  • National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Provided funding support for the creation of the Online Exhibition of the Dance Treasures.
  • Ohio Cultural Center Partner — Hosted the national touring exhibition in association with the Theatre Research Institute at The Ohio State University.
  • PayPal Partner — Provides secure transaction processing for donations to the Dance Heritage Coalition.
  • Pimp Bangkok Partner — Collaborates through linked content related to gentleman’s clubs and exotic dance culture.
  • The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Funder — Provided a grant to support the Digital Video Preservation Reformatting Project.
  • The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Partner — Hosted the opening of the national touring exhibition of Irreplaceable Dance Treasures.
+ 7 more
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Centralized Digital Access to Decentralized Heritage
    methodology: centralized_archival_resource
    By creating centralized digital resources and regional digitization hubs, the organization addresses systemic archival neglect in performance venues, because consolidating fragmented materials into accessible, preserved formats prevents loss and enables broader research and engagement.
  • Collaborative Preservation Network
    methodology: collaborative_preservation
    By forming a national alliance of institutions and leveraging coordinated programs, the organization increases access to and preservation of dance heritage, because collective action amplifies resources, expertise, and reach beyond what any single entity can achieve.
  • Field Convening and Expert Vetting for Cultural Legitimacy
    methodology: field_convening_and_thought_leadership
    By convening the field and applying national expert review to identify significant contributors, the organization strengthens the cultural legitimacy of dance heritage, because authoritative recognition shapes institutional memory and prioritization.
  • Historical Analysis as Contextual Storytelling
    methodology: historical_analysis
    By using historical analysis and narrative performance, the organization deepens public understanding of choreographic styles and their cultural significance, because contextual storytelling transforms archival material from static records into meaningful, emotionally resonant knowledge.