WAUFirstChamberDanceCompany3694.xmlGuide to the First Chamber Dance Company Records 1961-1979First Chamber Dance Company RecordsSpecial Collections, University of Washington Libraries©2007 (Last modified: 4/14/2021)
Seattle, WA 98195
Finding aid written in English.Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard).University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections3694 (Accession No. 3694-001)First Chamber Dance CompanyFirst Chamber Dance Company records1961-197912 cubic feet plus 4 oversize packages (12 boxes)Collection materials are in English.Administrative records of a dance company established in New York in 1961

Dance company established in New York, 1961, as First Chamber Dance Quartet. In 1969 the Quartet added more dancers and expanded into First Chamber Dance Company, under the direction of original Quartet member Charles Bennett. Until the summer of 1974, the Company was based in New York but was spending increasing time in the Northwest, especially at the Summer Dance Laboratory (at Fort Worden near Port Townsend) which Charles Bennett developed about 1972. In July 1974, the First Chamber Dance Company formally relocated in Seattle and created the Performing Dance foundation to act as the parent Corporation of the Company and of its school, the Professional Dance Center. Apprentices from this training program formed the Chamber Dance Junior Company, considered by many to be Charles Bennett's finest accomplishment. The First Chamber Dance Company experienced increasing financial problems which ultimately caused it to disband at the end of 1979.

Historical features, correspondence, financial records, programs, photos, clippings, and other materials relating to the company documenting its operations, including performances, summer workshops, Professional Dance Center, which trained young dancers, and a junior company.

Open to all users.

Request at UW

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Donated by Charles Bennett, 8/12/1985.

Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)Bennett, CharlesFirst Chamber Dance Company--ArchivesPerforming Dance FoundationDance Alliance of the Northwest StatesPerforming ArtsBusinesses and Corporations

 

1Historical Features1Organizational Features1Correspondence1-2Financial Records2Contracts2Brochures2-3Programs3Publicity3Press Releases3Dancers' Biographies4Itineraries4Grants and Grant Proposals including correspondence5Fundraising5Project and Planning Files5Address File5Unsorted files

approximately 1 foot of unsorted folders; includes material from many record series

6-7Photographs15Oversized Photographs13Oversized Posters7-9Clippings14Scrapbook of Clippings9, 16Audio Tapes9, 16Ephemera10"Nutcracker"10"Salute to Cole Porter"10"Mercer's Girls"10Opera House1979 June 0210-11Tours including correspondence11First Chamber Dance Quartet (Predecessor Organization)11-12Performing Dance Foundation12First Chamber Dance Company, Professional Dance Center12First Chamber Dance Company, Chamber Dance Junior Company12First Chamber Dance Company, Summer Dance Laboratory12Dance Alliance of the Northwest States (DANS)