Research Portal: Dance Research Guide: Find DVDs & Videos: Library Catalog & Websites

Dance 100 and Dance Composition Courses—Fall 2023

Uprooted: the Journey of Jazz Dance
This film celebrates the African roots, history, lineage, and future progressions of jazz dance through a social and political lens.
No Maps on My Taps
The golden age of tap dancing spanned the first half of the twentieth century, but by the 1950s, the form fell to the likes of rock 'n' roll and modern dance. In 1979, No Maps on My Taps aired on television outlets across the world, inspiring a new generation of dancers to slip on their shoes and tap away. Featuring performances by Lionel Hampton, Bunny Briggs, Chuck Green, and Howard "Sandman" Sims, director Nierenberg's love for the dancers and their art elevated his film above your run-of-the-mill documentary and into the ranks of dance canon.

Dance Performances

In Dance research, finding videos or DVDs of dance performances and performers is often just as important as finding scholarly articles and books. Instead of relying solely on Google -- though we do recommend a general search of the web via Google or some other search engine -- also be sure to check out what we have in the library and ask your professors if they have any videos in their personal collection.

Dance Resources in Myrin Library

Use the Library Catalog/OneSearch to search for DVDs and streaming videos in the Library's collection.

DVDs are stored at the Library and IT Services Desk (the "Learning Curve") on the first floor and may be checked out there.
Streaming videos in our collection will be accessible anywhere in the world you have an Internet connection. If you are off-campus, you will be asked to sign-in before watching most videos.

You can begin your search for videos by selecting the "DVDs/Videos" tab for OneSearch on the Library's homepage:

Online Film Resources

Dance Online: Dance in Video (Alexander Street) This link opens in a new window
This database contains dance productions and documentaries by performers and companies of the 20th Century. Dance genres include: ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, experimental and improvisational dance, as well as leading choreographers of the forms and the pioneers of modern concert dance.
Academic Video Online (Alexander Street) This link opens in a new window
Academic Video Online is the premier streaming video collection from Alexander Street Press. It features over 68,000 videos spanning all disciplines and in many formats, including documentaries, newsreels, interviews, and more.

Jazz - a documentary series by Ken Burns
Jazz by Ken Burns is a 10 episode documentary series that covers the history of Jazz from its beginnings through the 1990's.

Web Resources for Images and Videos

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself
Search YouTube for different forms of dance, including: Ballet, Modern Dance, Tap Dance, and Scottish Highland Dancing. Also search for specific dancers and choreographies, and you can even try the names of performances, too.
Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive
A free video resource curated by America's longest running dance festival. Dance clips spanning from the 1930s to present are included.

Citing Your Sources!

Citing your sources properly -- yes, even the images you use and the performances you watch, as well as any interviews you might conduct -- is important and required.

Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) citation resources are the best ones out there on the web. Generally, Dance courses require that you use either MLA or Chicago style. Detailed information on both styles is available here.

Librarians can help with citations, too!

Dance Research Guide

Subject Guide