Scope and arrangement
The Lynn Garafola papers date from 1975 to 2018 and are divided into the following sections: research; writings; lectures and conferences; exhibitions; press; and biographical files.
The research section holds files of materials gathered by Garafola in preparation for her own writings. These files include academic articles by other authors; documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests; and interviews conducted by Garafola. Files of photocopied documents obtained through FOIA requests hold Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), State Department, and passport records of Jerome Robbins, Martha Graham, Anna Sokolow, and Helen Tamiris. These declassified case files were released between 2001 and 2007 and contain photocopies of original documents dating from 1936 to 1997. Research files for an article titled "Imperfect Partners" and for a book about Aaron Copeland are present in this section. Transcripts of interviews with Barbara Horgan, Robert Lindren, and Sonja Tyven conducted by Garafola in 2001 are also included.
The writings section contains files of published and unpublished articles written by Garafola. Most articles address the topic of dance, covering a wide range of performances, festivals, and dance companies. Published articles date from 1983 to 2015 and consist of photocopied clippings arranged by publication name or date. Unpublished writings files hold typescripts of reviews written by Garafola for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), which date from 1985 to 2004. Most unpublished reviews are inserted into programs for the performances.
The lectures and conferences section dates from 1978 to 2017 and holds materials Garafola gathered in preparation for lectures she gave, panels she spoke on, and conferences in which she participated. Files on the 1988 Rite of Spring Conference include both published and unpublished articles written by other dance scholars, such as Kenneth Archer and Robert Craft. They examine the original 1913 Nijinsky piece, Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring), and include choreographic reconstructions.
The exhibitions section dates from 1997 to 2018 and holds invitations, programs, research materials and notes relating to exhibitions Garafola curated, often in conjunction with her other research projects.
The press section dates from 1997 to 2015 and contains press about Lynn Garafola and her professional output including published reviews of her writings; newspaper and magazine articles about her; and interviews with her.
Two files of biographical materials include a curriculum vitae dated 2018 and various awards and honors accrued from 1999 to 2016.