Archive Find 1: “why i had to dance”

by Nicole 1 Comment
This program is from a theater production of Ntozake Shange’s essay “why i had to dance,” choreographed and directed by Dianne McIntyre. In Ntozake Shange’s essay “why i had to dance” she demonstrates the importance of dance not only to the preservation and exploration of black culture, but also to the creative process of writing. In a mix of poetry and prose she speaks to her experiences with dance and how it came to be an integral part of her writing process. This production of the piece took place at Oberlin College in 2012.

This program is from a theater production of Ntozake Shange’s essay “why i had to dance,” choreographed and directed by Dianne McIntyre. In Ntozake Shange’s essay “why i had to dance” she demonstrates the importance of dance not only to the preservation and exploration of black culture but also to the creative process of writing. In a mix of poetry and prose, she speaks to her experiences with dance and how it came to be an integral part of her writing process. This production of the piece took place at Oberlin College in 2012.

 

My plan was to go to the Shange archives to look specifically for a program from one of Dianne’s productions with Shange, but I was lucky that Professor Hall happened to bring such a program to class. I was able to scan this item in class and, therefore, was able to investigate the item more thoroughly on my own time.

I found this object interesting because in the initial stages of developing my project I decided that I wanted to showcase programs from dance performances. I knew that programs from shows would give me a good idea of who was involved and who contributed to the large effort that is required to put on a successful show. Programs give credit to all who are involved in performance production and are a testament to the amount of work that goes on onstage and behind the scenes. I found the “Special Thanks” section of the program to be particularly interesting because it lists the names of people who may have collaborated with Shange and McIntyre or supported them in their endeavor.

I was excited to see this program in particular because “why i had to dance” was the essay that inspired me to focus my project on dance. As I read the mix of prose and poetry I truly felt that I could relate to what Shange was saying about dance and its role in African-diasporic cultures. I felt that piece completely illuminated Shange’s connection to dance as a writer and as a black woman. This essay then continued to frame my understanding of later readings.

Approval to publish images of this item need to be approved by Ntozake Shange and/or her estate. There is information regarding restriction and access in the Draft Guide to the collection.

Finding Aid on Courseworks: https://courseworks.columbia.edu/access/content/group/AFENX3815_001_2015_3/Archival%20materials%20online/BC20.29NtozakeShangePapersFindingAidDRAFT.pdf

Preferred Citation:

Ntozake Shange Papers, 1966-2014; Box 7 and Folder 1; Barnard Archives and Special Collections, Barnard Library, Barnard College.

Comment ( 1 )

  1. Tiana Reid
    Nicole, the acknowledgements sections of books are my favorite as they often reveal the collaborative nature of an intellectual project in book form. And so I can imagine that the "special thanks" of a program might direct you to many other forms of social encounters. In that vein, I wonder more about the specifics of the photograph/scan of the program. Did you take/scan the photo? Is that labor necessary information in a caption? Is there any metadata associated with the image?

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