Movement in Culture through History: Encyclopedias & Biographies
Find Encyclopedia Articles
Encyclopedia articles are an excellent way to quickly learn the basic information about your research topic, providing you with the terminology and names you'll need for further research.
We have hundreds of encyclopedias in print editions on topics ranging from American Art to Zombies! To find them:
- Go to Usearch, the library catalog
- Search for: Encyclopedias AND topic
- Replace topic with a term or phrase describing your general research interest. For example: Encyclopedias AND Social Dance
- If needed, limit your results using the Resource Type and Subject options in the right-side column.
- If you see a link under the title that says "Available At" or "Checked Out," the encyclopedia is available in print. If you see a link for "Online Access," it's available as an e-book.
- International Encyclopedia of DanceMarriott Library, Level 2, General Collection: GV1585.I586 1998. (Also available as an e-book. You must be on campus or logged into Off Campus Access to view it.)
- Encyclopedia of Modernism This link opens in a new windowComprehensive resource for interdisciplinary and global content about the Modernist period. Covers eight key subject areas: Literature, Architecture, Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre, Film, and Intellectual Currents.
- Oxford Reference Online: Performing ArtsOnline access to encyclopedias, dictionaries, maps, timelines, and quotations. Covers a wide variety of topics, including the performing and visual arts.
Find Biographies
Find Biographies in Books
Use the library catalog's Advanced Search mode. Search for the phrase biography AND name, where name is an actual person’s name, to find books about that person. You can replace the word name with the terms choreographers or dancers for broader results.
Find Biographies in Databases
- Dance Heritage CoalitionFollow the "Dance Treasures" link to find 100+ essays, with images & video, profiling American dancers, choreographers, and dance companies. (As of September 2022, a new site for America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures is available.)
Free, online resources
- Asian Traditional Theatre & DanceAn encyclopedia of names and terms related to the Asian performing arts, spanning 12 countries and focusing on the traditional forms of theatre and dance.
- NumeridanseA unique collection of streamed videos of international (primarily western) dance performances, documentaries, interviews, and narratives.
- NYPL Digital Collections: Filmed DancesNew York Public Library Digital Collections provide free access to archival media, including filmed dance, theatre, and other arts performances.
