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) began. 

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.

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From the book “Branching Out” Oral Histories of The Founders of Six National Dance Organization

by Katja Pylyshenko Kolcio, Marilynn Danitza nd Margot C.Lehman (2000)

The American Dance Guild is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1956 by teachers dedicated to the creative teaching of dance as an art form.

From its inception, the Guild’s mission was to further the art of dance by: raising the teaching and performing standards of dance, increasing the public’s appreciation of dance as an art form at all educational levels, affiliating and cooperating with other nonprofit associations in improving the opportunities for the performance of dance, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas, producing and disseminating publications devoted to dance, serving as an informed voice on behalf of dance to governmental, educational, and corporate institutions and to the public at large.

Originally called the Guild of Creative Teachers of Children’s Dance (March 1956), the organization changed its name to Dance Teachers Guild (December 1956), National Dance Teachers Guild (1963), National Dance Guild (1966) and to its current name, the American Dance Guild, in early 1969. The name changes reflected the interest of the Guild in serving performers and other dance professionals beyond the teaching profession.

As it has over the years, the Guild adjusts its focus to serve the changing needs of its members and of the wider dance community while remaining true to its mission. The American Dance Guild continues to honor and emphasize the work of the living artist and dance educator and thus further the art of dance as well as its recorded history.