Our History

On a January afternoon in 1956, 12 dance teachers gathered at what is now known as the 92NY. They had connected at a transformative annual teaching conference and sought to amplify the community they formed. This is where the American Dance Guild (ADG) came into fruition. 

The Guild quickly flourished. Individuals and organizations from across the United States and world made up its members. Those involved extended from performers to choreographers, writers, historians, critics, accompanists, therapists, notators, and educators. 

A tradition of annual conferences began. Each conference centered upon a theme such as Dance and Technology, Vision of Women in Dance, and Dance in a Global Community. The dozens of conferences held up until 2001 were hosted in various US cities and universities.

Each conference honors distinguished members of the dance community with an award. Past honorees include Marge Champion, Merce Cunningham, Carmen deLavallade, Katherine Dunham, Robert Ellis Dunn, Jean Erdman, Anna Halprin, Martha Hill, Hanya Holm, Arthur Mitchell, Alwin Nikolais, and Antony Tudor.

ADG produced it’s own publication from 1962-1967. Edited by Marcia Siegel, Dance Scope was composed of in-depth articles covering all areas of dance. The publication is now available through the NYPL.

In its newest incarnation, the American Dance Guild centers upon presenting accessible performance and educational opportunities via annual festivals, BareBones low-tech productions, a summer intensive, and a summer scholarship award to Jacob’s Pillow.