See you assignment for full details on your project. Working in groups students will research one of the following organizations: 

• Spectrum Dance (Donald Byrd, founder) – Seattle
• Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center – Tacoma
• Daring Dances (Clare Croft, founder) - Michigan
• New York Live Arts (Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company) – NYC

Questions to guide your research:

• What is the organization you selected?
• Who founded it and why did it come into being?
• Where is the institution located?
• How was it initially funded/what has sustained it?
• What is its mission?
• What kinds of dancers, choreographers, musicians, and other artists were affiliated with it early on, and how did those affiliations shape its history and legacy?
• What kinds of projects is the organization undertaking currently?
• What impact – locally, nationally, culturally, politically – do these projects have, and why?
• Within the organization, select one or two key artists involved in sustaining the work and mission of the organization, or who are currently promoted through the organization.
• Give us an overview of their biographies, the factors (personal and cultural) that have shaped their careers, and their contributions to American (ballet or modern) dance: major works, choreographic style, significant collaborations, etc. 
• How does your selected organization and artist use dance to engage in social/political activism? 

• Organizations website
• Newspaper articles
• Articles in subject-based journals & magazines
• Video (news, documentary, interviews, performances)
• Books on organization or individuals involved in organization
• Personal websites (of individuals)

There are several databases from which to choose when you are seeking scholarly work. For this course, you most likely will want to search one or more subject databases.  Subject databases are focused on a single discipline or interdisciplinary field and index books, essays in books, and scholarly articles. 

Google Scholar can be a powerful search tool, but it can be inconsistent in its coverage, so it is best if used for supplemental research.