Intro to Dance Research: Preliminary Resources
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 ...
- Replace the .... with a concept or research topic. For example: Encyclopedias AND American Art
- 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, Fine Arts Library Reference: GV1585.I586 1998. (Also available as an e-book. You must be on campus or logged into Off Campus Access to view it.)
- 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.
- Credo Reference3,000,000 full-text entries in over 500 encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, quotations, and other sources.
Dance Organizations
- Dance Heritage Coalition: 100+ TreasuresFollow 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.)
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
- Biography Reference Bank SelectFocus: International, early history to the present. (You must select the "Biography Ref Bank" box before you begin your search.)
