Dance Notation Bureau

Library/archival services: the heart of the dnb's operation is its collection of 857 labanotation scores of dances that have been choreographed by 303 artists. This core collection is supplemented by related items that support the staging of the dances, including photos, videos, music scores and recordings, programs, costume sketches, and lighting and scenery designs - a collection that makes the dnb a unique archive in the world of Dance. The dnb's archive is in a storage facility in long island city, queens, ny. Patrons wishing to examine scores and related material may continue to do so by contacting the dnb librarian and requesting the material be sent by email (via pdf scans) or by regular mail to their home or institutional address. Selected scores are available for use in staging dances for public performance through rental and contractual agreements with the dnb. Score rentals are a primary source of revenue generated by the dnb's archive. Score rental fees are modest to make the scores more available to those with limited budgets. The dnb's online notated theatrical dances catalog, accessible to anyone with an internet connection, allows patrons to browse information about each score in the collection. Many of the scores in the dnb archive have kept dances from disappearing over the years, including works by merce cunningham and george balanchine. The dnb adds new scores to its collection and to the online catalog each year, the product of our efforts to notate important old and new modern Dance works and ballets. During the past year the dnb has notated and added to the archive works by ballet and hip-hop choreographers. The dnb publishes a newsletter, "library news" up to four times each year, featuring articles by labanotators world-wide on Notation topics, including the scores in the dnb's collection. The newsletter is distributed online to over 2,000 institutions and individuals.

Labanotation: the dnb preserves Dance legacies and promotes Dance literacy through the teaching and use of labanotation to record and stage choreographed theatrical dances. Our principal mission is to ensure that theatrical dances will continue to be performed in versions true to the choreographer's artistic vision. To fully capture the details of the artist's intentions, the dnb uses labanotation, a symbol system for recording human movement, to document dances on both paper and digital media. Introduced in 1928, labanotation is considered the most effective and comprehensive system to objectively analyze and describe human movement in space and time.the dnb typically receives funding from government agencies, private foundations and individuals to record theatrical dances using the labanotation system. The dnb is also hired by choreographers to complete a labanotation score of a Dance work, or of selected Dance movements from a work. On occasion, notators will complete scores for the dnb on a volunteer no fee basis. The following labanotation projects were completed or in progress during the year ending june 30, 2023:1) "savage remix" Dance to megan thee stallion's (featuring beyonce) song of the same name (nae nae twins, choreographers). A full labanotation score of the choreography was completed in november 2022. This score was funded as part of jaquel knight's bipoc project to recognize and seek copyright protection for the work of talented young hip-hop choreographers.2) "trio con brio" (antony tudor, choreographer, 1952). Labanotation score completed in april 2023.3) "i just wanna rock" (drew jeezy, choreographer 2022). Labanotation score completed in may 2023.4) "las desenamoradas" (eleo pomare, choreographer, 1967). A labanotation score of the Dance will be completed as funding is received. Completion is tbd.5) "the table of silence" (jacqulyn buglisi, choreographer, 2011). Project is partially complete. The labanotation score will be completed as funding is secured. Completion is tbd.6) "wind von west" (pina bausch, choreographer, 1975). The movement capture phase of this project was completed. A labanotation score will be completed as funding is secured. Completion is tbd.

Education: the dnb offers correspondence courses in both elementary and intermediate labanotation, and online courses in movement observation and motif Notation. Intensive one to two-week workshops in elementary labanotation, intermediate labanotation, and motif Notation have been developed in chinese and have been conducted, pre-covid, in china by a dnb staff member who is fluent in mandarin. We have also offered in the us and in china a one-week intensive teacher certification course (tcc) in elementary labanotation. As there is sufficient demand and enrollment, intensive workshops in elementary, intermediate, and advanced labanotation are now offered via zoom based instruction. All labanotation and motif workshops are comparable to a 3-credit college offering in the subject. Students from around the world, including the us, china, mexico, and thailand have enrolled in the dnb's zoom-based, elementary, intermediate and advanced labanotation courses. The dnb conducted via zoom the following course offerings during the fiscal 2023 year:1) an elementary labanotation workshop for Dance students attending colleges and universities in mexico was conducted via zoom from july 11 to august 5, 2022 the course was sponsored by centro mexicano de estudios coreolgicos a. c.2) session 4 of a four-session advanced labanotation workshop for 15 students was conducted via zoom from july 25 to august 12, 2022. Students enrolled in the course were from the usa, china, mexico and thailand.3) students from the usa, greece and the uk enrolled during fiscal year 2023 in the dnb's self-study correspondence course in elementary labanotation and intermediate labanotation. Each student is assigned a tutor certified in elementary labanotation instruction to help with the grading and review with each course lesson completed.

The dnb licenses labanotation scores in its archive for performance (stagings) by professional Dance companies and college/university Dance departments. The licensing terms are governed by agreements in place between the choreographer/heir/rightsholder and the dnb. Licenses are typically one year in duration. The dnb collects an administrative fee for this service. It also collects and distributes license and royalty fees on behalf of the rightsholder.during fiscal year 2023, the following staging contracts were executed for performances:1) "water study" (doris humphrey, choreographer). A. Score licensed to the Ohio state university for performances in fall 2022 and spring 2023. B. Score licensed to columbus modern (como) Dance for performances in may 2023.2) "fandango" (antony tudor, choreographer). Score licensed to brooklyn ballet for performances in april 2023. 3) "little improvisations" (antony tudor, choreographer). Score licensed to new york theatre ballet (nytb) for performance in may 2023.4) "negro spirituals" (helen tamiris, choreographer). Score licensed to repertory Dance theatre, salt lake city, ut for performances beginning in june 2023.