- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"18.5 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"38 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*MGZMD 176", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"19827", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1960-1995", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1960/1995"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1960
- date_inclusive_end
-
1995
- keydate
-
1960
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Clark Center records"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</span> <span class=\"subarea\">Jerome Robbins Dance Division.</span> <div class=\"address\"><span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The Clark Center Records document the activities of the Clark Center for the Performing Arts, an arts organization focusing on dance training and the presentation of new talent and emerging dance companies. The collection covers the years 1960-1995. It contains information reflecting both of Clark Center’s primary operations, as well as their, ultimately unsuccessful, efforts to secure a permanent space for instruction and performances. A dominant figure in the materials is Louise Roberts, the Center’s director from 1970-1986, and compiler of this collection."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"Clark Center records, *MGZMD 176. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Clark Center for the Performing Arts (New York, N.Y.)", "type"=>"corpname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p> The Clark Center for Performing Arts was established in 1959 by Alvin Ailey as a studio and performance space in the building of the Westside YWCA. Originally conceived as a multi-arts center, by 1970 it had developed into a Center for the Performing Arts specializing in dance. The programs offered focused on two areas: dance instruction, and the support and presentation of young choreographers and small, developing dance companies of multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and particularly African-American origins. The Clark Center’s dance curriculum offered classes in jazz, ballet, tap and modern dance, as well as dance techniques of African and other ethnic traditions. Prices for all classes were kept deliberately low, while a Scholarship Program was available by audition to promising performers, dance teachers or choreographers. Among the Clark Center faculty were Alvin Ailey, Fred Benjamin, Pepsi Bethel, Thelma Hill, Mary Hinkson, Carmen de Lavallade, Anna Sokolow and Bertram Ross. In the 1970s the Clark Center entered the most active phase of its presentations program. Through its renowned New Choreographers Concerts and, from 1975 onwards, a series of Summer Dance Festivals held in the Mall of the CUNY Graduate Center on West 42nd Street, Clark Center gained city-wide recognition as a dance presenter. A notable exception to its overall focus on dance was Playwrights Horizons, which was founded in 1972 under the direction of Robert Moss and remained affiliated with the Clark Center until 1974. Among the many dance professionals who can trace their early steps to the Clark Center are Margie Beals, George Faison, Meredith Monk, and Kei Takei. In 1970 Louise Roberts became its director for the following 16 years, previously having had a career as dancer, producer and administrator of the June Taylor Dance School. From then onwards, she was a central figure in the shaping of the Clark Center’s development. A serious challenge Roberts and the Clark Center had to face was the search for a suitable space to house both its teaching and presenting programs. In 1974 the YWCA building, in which Clark Center had been housed, was sold. As they tried unsuccessfully to lease the space from the Y until the building was sold, relations between the two organizations became strained, and eventually the dance school was moved to temporary quarters in 939 Eighth Avenue and Clark Center was established as an independent not-for-profit corporation. Until 1978 the CUNY Mall was used as a performance space. When this option was not available any longer, the decision was made to create a permanent dance theater. Plans were made for a 250-seat theater and additional studios for instruction, which would require the renovation of a building on West 42nd Street’s Theater Row. After several years of work toward this project, which was primarily funded through a vigorous fundraising campaign, operations reached a standstill in 1983. Due to legal obstacles in the fulfillment of the contract that provided city funds, the following three years became a long struggle of escalating rents and cancelled grants. By the end of 1985 the project had officially failed, leaving the Clark Center in serious financial strain. Louise Roberts resigned as director of the Clark Center in August 1986, while the Center continued its operations amid considerable financial struggles until 1989. Sources: • Carmody, Deirdre. “Dance Group’s Fate in City’s Hands.” New York Times, 1983 October 7, B4. • Zimmer, Elizabeth. “Clark Center Theater Row Project Collapses.” Village Voice, 1985 October 29, 86.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p> The Clark Center Records document the activities of the Clark Center for the Performing Arts, an arts organization focusing on dance training, and the presentation of new talent and emerging dance companies. Materials date from 1960, the first year of the Clark Center’s operation, until 1995, six years after its dissolution in 1989. The collection consists of professional correspondence; administrative files and legal records generated as part of the Clark Center’s instruction and scholarship programs. There are also production and publicity materials, such as clippings, brochures, press releases, and photographs representing the first or early steps of several dance professionals. A significant part of the collection consists of grant applications and other fundraising efforts reflecting Clark Center’s endeavors to fund their programs, and to create and build a school and theater for dance as part of Theater Row, Phase II Development, a project of the 42nd Street Development Corporation. A dominant figure in the materials is Louise Roberts, Clark Center’s director from 1970-1986, and compiler of this collection. With the exception of a few letters of personal nature by Louise Roberts, there are no personal materials.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Clark Center records are arranged in three series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19827#c403806'>Series I: Dance School</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1960-1995, Undated</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>28 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains correspondence, class schedules, scholarship audition materials, administrative files, financial and legal records related to the operation of the Clark Center as a dance school. It also contains photographs, publicity and production materials related to the organization of the various workshops, concerts and dance festivals produced by the Clark Center.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19827#c404204'>Series II: Theater Development Project</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1975-1990, Undated</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>8 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains correspondence; notes, reports and publicity materials; and financial records, including a large number of loan and grant applications that were produced during the Clark Center's efforts to create a 250-seat theater and teaching studios on West 42nd Street's Theater Row.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19827#c404336'>Series III: Oversized Materials</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1964-1986, Undated</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains architectural plans and blueprints; mounted awards to the Clark Center; and flyers and posters of Clark Center productions.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection is organized into 3 series. They are: <ul> <li>Series I: Dance School, 1960-1995 and undated</li> <li>Series II: Theater Development Project, 1975-1990 and undated</li> <li>Series III: Oversized Materials, 1964-1986 and undated</li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p> {immediate source of collection}</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Jerome Robbins Dance Division.</p>"}
- altformavail
-
{"value"=>"<p> {manditory if applicable - statement regarding availability of collection on microfil, in published form, etc.}manditory if applicable - statement regarding availability of collection on microfil, in published form, etc.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Aikaterini Dimitriadou-Shuster; Machine-readable finding aid created by Aikaterini Dimitriadou-Shuster.</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
18.5 linear feet (38 boxes)
- date_start
-
1960
- date_end
-
1995