About the Library
The Dance Notation Bureau Library houses the world's most extensive collection of original Labanotated dance scores.
Alongside the scores, the Library archives a wide range of materials necessary for staging dances, including music scores, audio and visual recordings, production information, historical documents, and other items relevant to dance. Our mission is to preserve these materials and make them as accessible as possible for continued performance, classroom use, and scholarly research.
OUR COLLECTIONS:
1 Notated Theatrical Dances
The Notated Theatrical Dances Collection consists of more than 800 Labanotation scores of theatrical dances. From Petipa’s Sleeping Beauty to William Forsythe’ Artifact II, our library captures the rich tapestry of theatrical dance over the past century for theatrical staging and scholarly research. Every score accessioned is cataloged to provide essential information for stagers, teachers, and scholars. The manuscript is then copied onto acid-free archival paper as a master copy, ensuring preservation. All copies for Library patrons are made from this master, preserving the original score in archival boxes.
A notated work is protected through copyright status. Use of a Labanotation score is always contingent upon the wishes of the choreographer, the choreographer’s estate or the rightsholder. Permission must be sought by the DNB for any patron wishing to use a notated score for study or staging. Educational use of scores is often granted freely, however. Patrons who wish to stage a work for public performance must secure permission through the Dance Notation Bureau.
2 The Maria Grandy Circulating Collection
In honor of Maria Grandy’s dedication to the DNB, the circulating collection is named The Maria Grandy Circulating Collection. This collection reflects her commitment to staging repertory from score and using notation in dancer training. It ensures her spirit accompanies every work sent out for study or remounting.
3 Audiovisual Collection
4 The Richard Holden Collection of Benesh Movement Notation
5 Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation Collection
The DNB Library has a limited collection of published material on the dances of Noa Eshkol, recorded in Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation from 1954-1978. Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation was developed between 1951 and 1956 by Noa Eshkol and Abraham Wachmann in Israel. This collection is currently located at The Ohio State University Library.
6 Photograph Archives
7 ICKL Files
The International Council of Kinetography Laban (ICKL) collection houses materials related to Labanotation, publications of technical papers, and ICKL conference proceedings. Labanotation has been modified and built on the consensus of the notators who come together every two years at the ICKL conferences since 1959. ICKL sets usage standards; promotes research in order to increase efficiency of the system; and disseminates information about the system. This collection is currently housed at The Ohio State University Library.