American Dance Legacy Institute
The American Dance Legacy Institute (ADLI) - www.adli.us - was established at Brown by founding director of dance Julie A. Strandberg to support her research in the dance legacy of the United States of America. Since 1998, Brown students have participated in ADLI activities. They have danced works by American dance masters, conducted oral histories, curated the ADLI archives, done research with primary materials, apprenticed with dance scholars, appeared in the Institute’s Repertory Etudes Dance Instructional Collection, and participated in ADLI educational programs. Many alumni stay actively connected to ADLI after graduation.
ADLI is dedicated to enabling all individuals to celebrate, share, and participate in America's rich dance heritage. ADLI broadens students’ concepts of what it means to be a dancer, as they become aware of a wide range of possibilities for life-long active participation in the art form as performers, choreographers, educators, performance scholars, and informed audience members. Many have remained in the dance field in a range of capacities, even though they came to Brown with no intention of doing so. ADLI programs are a perfect fit for Brown’s flexible curriculum and provide students with content for research, interdisciplinary projects, and independent concentrations.
Participating in ADLI activities transforms the lives of Brown students. Brown alumnus Jude Sandy (in photo at left, performing Rainbow Etude) offers this testimonial: “Working with the American Dance Legacy Institute at Brown made a career in dance and theater possible for me. I came to Brown at the age of 25 never having taken a dance class and not believing I could have a life in the art form. ADLI not only connected me to the rich history of American dance, it exposed me to master choreography, gave me access to mentorship from esteemed professionals, and challenged me with the rigor that transformed me into an artist.”
Academic, production, administrative, and facility support for ADLI at Brown come from the department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies and the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage.
