ADG 2022 Online Film Festival

STREAMING: January 31st - February 27th, 2022

New Dance Group: Voices for Change

A new 4-week online film festival produced by ADG

Join ADG in a sharing of our exclusive archive of rare historic dances created by members of the legendary New Dance Group Studio and produced by the Guild in 1993. Discover the powerful social consciousness embodied in these uniquely expressive works ringing as true today as it did then. Teachers, we invite you to use this material in your curricula.


Your donations make this festival possible and accessible for all!


The American Dance Guild’s New Dance Group: Voices for Change  will stream on Vimeo. The showings are free, with donations encouraged. The lineup of 18 works is below; updates will be announced weekly through the duration of the virtual Festival.  Each program will run for one week only from Monday 9 a.m. through Sunday midnight EST.

New Dance Group: Voices for Change lineup:

Week 1: Jan 31 - Feb 6

Songs, part III “To Each His Own”  (1956)  Mary Anthony

Tenant of the Street (1939)  Eve Gentry

Blues (1962)  Ronne Aul

Mourner's Bench, from “Southern Landscape” (1947)  Talley Beatty

Week 2: Feb 7 - Feb 13

The Desperate Heart (1943)  Valerie Bettis

Lynchtown, from “Atavisms” (1936)  Charles Weidman

The Negro Speaks of Rivers  (1944)  Pearl Primus

The Flight, from “The Pursued” (1947)  Joseph Gifford

Week 3: Feb 14 - Feb 20

Shuvi Nafshi, from “Return Oh My Soul Unto Thee”  (1947) Hadassah

Time is Money (1934)  Jane Dudley

Harmonica Break Down (1934) Jane Dudley

Sign Dance for Sarah (1979)  Irving Burton

Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder (1959)  Donald McKayle

Week 4: Feb 21 - Feb 27

The Transformations of Medusa (1942)  Jean Erdman

Lyric Suite (1954)  Anna Sokolow

Strange Hero (1948)  Daniel Nagrin

Concerto in E (1979)  Joyce Trisler

Folksay (1942)  Sophie Maslow

“The history of the American Dance Guild was entwined with the New Dance Group through many of our earlier members like Muriel Manings who spearheaded and produced this retrospective in 1993.  We are thrilled to share this unique portfolio of legendary work,” said Gloria McLean president of the American Dance Guild. “I think people today will be inspired by the courage and engaged vision of these fearless artists.”

Find an essay of the history of the new dance group here.

To view the virtual collection on the above dates, please visit vimeo.com/americandanceguild. Artist information can be found by clicking the links for each week above.

The American Dance Guild gratefully acknowledges support from Jody and John Arnhold / Arnhold Foundation, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, and The Janis and Alan Menken Charity Fund.

(Photos L to R: Mary Anthony, New Dance Group Improvisation, Anna Sokolow. All courtesy of ADG archives)