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Guidelines for Dance/Choreography

1. Purpose
2. General Collection Guidelines
    A. Language
    B. Chronology
    C. Geography
    D. Publication Date
    E. Treatment of Subject
    F. Types of Materials and Formats
3. Area Resources
4. Subjects and Collecting Levels
5. Methodology

1. Purpose.

To support teaching and research through the undergraduate level. The mission of the Department of Dance and Choreography is to create an educational environment where the student experiences the demands and challenges of a professional career as an artist in the field. Careers would include but not be limited to teaching, choreography, performance, dance management, dance history, body-mind science fields and other dance-related fields.

VCU Dance offers a single degree program: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Choreography. The curriculum is composed of a balance of creative work, technique, performance and theoretical studies, along with the general education requirements. Students are challenged to become informed creative problem solvers while gaining a multifaceted view of the field of dance and other related fields. Courses in the curriculum include modern technique, ballet technique, improvisation, dance composition, choreography, music appreciation, music for dancers, dance history, dance in world cultures, dance perspectives, dance pedagogy, somatics, video-choreography, dance production, kinesiology for dancers, jazz, tap, T'ai Chi, African-Caribbean, ballroom, and contact improvisation. The curriculum also includes special topics courses designed to cover the many various areas of study and trends in the field of dance. Topics courses include but are not limited to the following dance related subjects: dance management, hip-hop, lighting design, community outreach, and dance conditioning.

There is program support for kinesiology from the Physical Education Department.

2. General Collection Guidelines.

A. Language.
Whereas English is the primary language, materials in other Western languages may be purchased if they constitute the sole source of information on a particular topic.

B. Chronology.
No restrictions.

C. Geography.
No restrictions.

D. Publication Date.
Current material is actively collected, as are retrospective biographies and titles showing historical development.

E. Treatment of Subject.
Material providing historical or biographical treatment is acquired, the latter of which may be scholarly or popular in treatment. Except where such treatments may prove valuable for Dance Education, juvenile materials are excluded. Works offering a critical or technical treatment are collected, as well as upper-level textbooks on a highly selective basis.

F. Types of Materials and Formats.
Current monographs and general and specialized reference works are acquired.

Current periodicals are collected, as are backfiles, budget permitting.

16mm films and videotapes are collected on a selective basis to provide essential support for this performance-oriented discipline.

Electronic information resources (CD-ROMs, online resources, etc.) may also be acquired on a selective basis.

3. Area Resources.

VCU is a member of the Richmond Area Film/Video Cooperative, which provides access to area members' film and video holdings.

4. Subjects and Collecting Levels.

Subject	Call Number Range	Present	Desired
Dancing	GV1580-1799	C2	C2
Dance Education	GV1753-54	D	C2

5. Methodology.

Collection centered: List-checking, using samplings from:

Dance: an Annotated Bibliography