On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, the Library of Congress Music Division had the honor of welcoming attendees of the Dance Studies Association’s Annual Conference to a special collection display. Held this year in Washington, D.C., the conference explored the theme “Indeterminate States: Bodies, Fields, Practice.” Inspired by the city’s complex symbolic and practical relationship to national and global authority, the theme reflected the shifting landscapes—both literal and conceptual—of dance, identity and politics.
In collaboration with the American Folklife Center, Music Division staff curated an expansive display of materials that celebrated the richness and diversity of dance history. Approximately 80 guests attended the event, including scholars, choreographers and students from around the world.
Highlights from the display included choreographic notes by Pearl Lang, which notably referenced her former student—the pop star Madonna, who originally trained in modern dance, and costume designs for landmark productions by Katherine Dunham, Alvin Ailey and Agnes de Mille. A centerpiece of the display was Martha Graham’s annotated score for Appalachian Spring, composed by Aaron Copland for the original 1944 production at the Library of Congress.
This gathering offered an opportunity to showcase the Library’s holdings as vital sources for dance scholarship and creative inquiry. It also provided a welcoming space for reflection on how American dance—like the city itself—resides in states of fluid identity and reinvention amidst its enduring legacy.
Explore these digital dance resources from the Library of Congress: