Report of a study to learn what comprises the existing system of dance documentation and preservation, how transactions are conducted within the system, and to what extent the needs of the dance community are being met. By focusing on the needs of users, it was hoped, the study would better equip both artistic and archival communities in their efforts to build, strengthen and/or extend dance documentation and preservation efforts at the local, regional and national levels, thereby ensuring that the legacy of dance endures. (Summary).

Five principal conclusions are applicable to the field at large based on the findings at sites in six cities (Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; New York City; Salt Lake City, Utah; and, Washington, DC):

1. Great historical, geographical, cultural and artistic gaps exist in the current record of dance in the U.S.
   
   
2. Video technology has profoundly changed the way dance is documented, what is recorded and how the field thinks about preservation.
   
   
3. At none of the six sites was there a fully functioning, institutionalized dance documentation and preservation network.
   
   
4. Access has become everyone's byword - for the artists who create the work and records it, for the repositories that house those records, and for scholars and others who want to use those materials.
   
   
5. A variety of educational initiatives are needed both within and outside the dance field concerning archival standards, preservation skills, allocation of resources, funding, and public awareness of dance and dance history. The report also presents possible actions to address these needs.

CONTENTS
Summary.
Introduction.
Project background and rationale.
Project design.

Findings:

Phase 1. Context and conclusions.
              A menu of possible actions. 
              Next steps.
              Comprehensive measures at the local and national levels.
              Introduction.
              Seven ways to switch on the local dance documentation and
              preservation network.
              A program to strengthen the National dance documentation and
              preservation network.
              Follow-up.

Phase 2. Preliminary implementation strategies at the local level.
              Preliminary implementation strategies at the national level.
              Conclusion.

Appendices:
     A. Highlights of the field research reports.
     B. Survey participants. 
     C. Survey categories and sample questionnaire.

Report of a study to learn what comprises the existing system of dance documentation and preservation, how transactions are conducted within the system, and to what extent the needs of the dance community are being met. By focusing on the needs of users, it was hoped, the study would better equip both artistic and archival communities in their efforts to build, strengthen and/or extend dance documentation and preservation efforts at the local, regional and national levels, thereby ensuring that the legacy of dance endures. (Summary).