Scope and arrangement
The Lotus Music and Dance records dates from 1970 to 2021 and consist of performance files, publicity materials, photographs, and audio and moving image recordings. The materials are arranged into four series: Performances; Teaching; Promotion and Publicity Files; and Music and Dance Forms.
The collection is intended to serve as both an archive of events hosted by Lotus as well as a referential collection for the music and dance styles that the organization promotes. In addition to recordings of traditional dances and musical pieces, materials in this collection document the costumes, jewelry, hair and makeup, positions, hand gestures/mudras, and history of traditional forms of music and dance from around the world. Bharatanatyam, odissi, flamenco, Mindanao/indigenous Filipino dances, dances of the Mohawk nation, and Burmese court dances are particularly well represented. The physical files supplement the audio and moving image recordings, and were collected as reference materials for those items. Programs and other event ephemera can be used to identify performance titles, performers, dance styles, and dates of the audio and moving image materials.
The collection does not contain administrative materials related to the finances, organizational structure, personnel procedures, or performance planning logistics of the organization or of the events it hosts. Correspondence is minimal and limited to letters of introduction from artists hoping to teach or secure a residency at Lotus.
The container list utilizes original folder titles and arrangement as much as possible.
The Lotus Music and Dance records are arranged in four series:
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1994-2004
Series I, dating from 1994 to 2004 and comprising the bulk of the collection, contains photographs and recordings of music and dance performances by Lotus instructors, guest artists, and students at organization events. The materials are arranged chronologically by performance date, with unidentified and undated performances listed at the end.
When performances highlight a single dancer or art style, the titles are taken from the dancer or style's name. If the piece is a multicultural performance, titles typically refer to a common thematic element, such as the use of fans as props in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Philippines, and Spanish dance (Fans in Dance), or are taken from ancient epics the performances are based on (the Ramayana and the Maharadia Lawana). Multicultural performance titles are broad and nonspecific in order to emphasize the variety of styles present in the production: Portrait in Dance is a showcase of solo dances from Burmese court dance, Chinese dance, Korean Zen dance, and flamenco.
Of particular note are early script drafts, notes on choreography related to Lotus' production of the Ramayana, and edited video recordings broadcast on QPTV (Queens Public Television); Eagle Spirit rehearsals and performances; and recordings of over five years of performances at the annual Drums Along the Hudson festival.
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1985-2003
This series, dating from 1985 to 2021, contains materials related to the courses offered at Lotus and the regular instructors. Series II holds photographs, correspondence, clippings, recordings of classes, interviews with instructors, and resumes. Class materials are arranged chronologically, with undated items held at the end. Instructor materials are arranged alphabetically by last name.
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1985-2021
The Promotion and Publicity series contains newsletters, annual reports, programs, posters, flyers, and photographs used to promote Lotus events and performances. Video editing logs of promotional tapes compiled from video footage by Lotus staff are also included. Documentation notebooks were compiled as part of the organization's annual reports and contain a one-page summary of the previous fiscal year written by Kamala Cesar, noting total yearly performance and class attendance numbers; major productions; radio and television broadcast numbers; and other organization highlights. The series is arranged chronologically.
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1970-2004
Notes and reference materials related to the different dance and music styles performed at Lotus are held in Series IV. Organized alphabetically by topic, the series holds photographs; photocopied articles about history and techniques of dance and music styles performed at Lotus; correspondence; press kits; and clippings. Original titles were retained, resulting in an inconsistency with the specificity of folder titles. Some performing arts styles, such as bharatanatyam and Mohawk dances, have unique folders dedicated solely to that style. Other folders are dedicated to general geographic regions and contain a few reference materials for multiple performing art styles, such as the folders for African dance and Japanese music. Item level scope notes name as many specific performing art styles as could be discerned from the materials.