Scope and arrangement
The Anita Feldman Tap collection, which dates from 1961 to 2018, traces the creative and professional life of Anita Feldman as a performer, choreographer, and teacher as well as the activity of her dance company, Anita Feldman Tap. The Performances and Residencies, and the Choreography files occupy the greatest share of the collection.
Dating from 1977 to 2017, the Performances and Residencies files are arranged chronologically. These files are titled by choreographic works, venue, festival name, or name of composer or collaborator and include: programs; fliers; press releases; budgets; guest lists; a few photographs; and correspondence with residency hosts, event organizers, and collaborators. In addition to supporting documentation, there are also video recordings of performances staged around New York City or as part of artist residencies around the country, as well as the Anita Feldman Tap dance company's domestic and international touring performances.
The Choreography files, which date from 1974 to 1999, illuminate the underlying creative processes that preceded public performance events. Files include: scores; choreographic charts, diagrams, and sketches; some photographs; and correspondence with collaborators. Recordings of music that accompany performances, sometimes including the sound of dancers' tapping feet, are also well-represented in this section. These files are arranged chronologically and by name of collaborator.
The Interviews include video and audio recordings of Feldman and others on various broadcasts including National Public Radio, international radio stations, and various local broadcast networks.
Student Years and Early Work files, which date from 1961 to 1993, cover Feldman's childhood and hold materials chronicling her early work.
The files on Tap Dance Instrument, which date from 1986 to 1994, address the percussion instrument designed by Feldman and Daniel Schmidt. These files include information about the instrument's construction and design. The instrument's patent documentation is also present.
The Teaching files cover Feldman's teaching career mostly at Hofstra University and various workshops throughout the United States. Included here are files on educational conferences; lecture notes; curricula and syllabi; student dance concert programs; and job applications and letters recommending Feldman for various teaching positions.
The Writing files include the manuscript, its corrections, and publisher correspondence relating to Inside Tap: Technique and Improvisation for Today's Tap Dancer written by Feldman and published by Princeton Books in 1996. This subsection also contains articles written by Feldman over the years, including a remembrance of her mentor, Robert Ellis Dunn.
The Photographs are organized chronologically and contain portraits and performance images from the 1970s through the 1990s. Several photographs were shot by L.V. Feldman, Anita Feldman's father, who was an accomplished amateur photographer.
The collection also holds two files of Feldman's reviews dating from 1980 to the 2000s.
The Administrative files include promotional material, resumes, grants, and contracts related to both Anita Feldman Tap dance company and to Anita Feldman as an individual performer.
Arrangement
Files are arranged chronologically under each topical section.