Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Johnson, Carole Y.
- Abstract:
- Carole Yvonne Johnson (1940- ) is a dancer, choreographer, and activist known for her focus on Black contemporary and Aboriginal dance. This collection contains her personal papers including records on her dance companies and tours throughout Australia and the United States.
- Extent:
- 6.7 Cubic Feet (4 rc, 3 dc, 1 legal dc, 1 sm legal dc, 1 custom box for photographs, OS 17, 18, 19, 20)
- Language:
- Materials are in English
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Carole Y. Johnson papers, Collection C749, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Carole Y. Johnson was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1940 and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her career in dance began early. She graduated from Julliard in 1963 and was a soloist with the Eleo Pomare Dance Company throughout the 1960s. Johnson was active in bringing African American Dance to the forefront in New York City through her work with the Association of Black Choreographers, the Modern Organization for Dance Evolvement, and the various productions and tours of the Dancemobile, which was an initiative where dancers and choreographers toured New York City neighborhoods with a truck configured with a stage and lights bringing dance performances to the general public. In 1973, Johnson led an initiative to bring together the US Black dance community for a week-long conference held at Indiana University Bloomington. Shortly after this conference, Johnson moved to Australia after being impacted by the Aboriginal Tent Embassy movement that she witnessed during her international dance performances.
In Australia, Johnson started teaching and choreographing with dancers and created organizations such as the Aboriginal/Islander Dance Theatre (later known as the Bangarra Dance Theatre) and the Aboriginal/Islander Skills Development Scheme (later known as the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association or NAISDA). Johnson created some of the first spaces to bring together indigenous dances and culture with contemporary Black dance in a professional setting.
Johnson also worked to bring her company's work to a global audience, touring with the dancers and providing workshops, film screenings, and performances to international settings as well as the United States. She has been active in promoting her work at international dance conferences and working to ensure that records documenting Black and indigenous dance is preserved in archives for historical research.
- Scope and Content:
The Carole Y Johnson papers include documentation of Johnson's career as a dancer, choreographer, and activist and contains six series: Biographical, Professional, Notes and writings, Correspondence, Collected publications and reference materials, and Photographs.
The Biographical series (1955-2019) contains records of Johnson's personal life such as her family's genealogical research, her calendars, and records detailing her education at the Philadelphia High School for Girls, Juilliard, and the University of Newcastle Australia.
The Professional series (1963-2018) includes records of her various professional accomplishments such as the creation of several Australian dance organizations such as Bangarra Dance Theatre and her international performances. The series is organized into nine subseries: General (1965-2018), Affiliate artist program (1969-1973), Association of Black Choreographers (1967), Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia (1981-2016), Conferences and US tours (2014-2018), Eleo Pomare Dance Company (1963-1986), Featured articles and dance reviews (1968-2010), National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) Dance College (1995-2017), and ShareDance Foundation (1999-2001).
The Notes and writings series (1970-2018) contains papers that Johnson wrote in reflection of the Black dance and Australian indigenous communities. The series consists of two subseries, General (1970-2018), and Notebooks and diaries (1970-2018).
The Correspondence series (1960-2018) includes Johnson's personal and professional communications, including her records organizing international dance workshops and performances, letters between her and her friend/business partner Bess Pruitt, and interactions between dance companies such as the Brooklyn Arts Council and the Australian Council for the Arts.
The Collected publications and reference materials (1967-2018) series covers a wide range of materials covering topics such as dance, indigenous protest and advocacy, and African American scholarship. The series consists of six subseries: General (1969-2018), Aboriginal Embassy and indigenous studies research materials (1972-2016), Audio Recordings (1967-1972), Collected VHS films (1988), Programs and brochures (1969-2018), and Dance publications and articles (1969-2018).
The Photographs series (1967-1983) contains all film photography collected by Johnson or captured by her late husband, Harold MB Armstrong. Notably, this series contains photographs of the Dancemobile, a Harlem Cultural Center initiative, and photographs of Johnson's African Tour as she researched African dance and ritual. This series is separated into two subseries, General (1967-1972), and Harold MB Armstrong Photographs (1972-1983).
- Acquisition information:
- 2023/061, 2022/101, 2022/157
- Appraisal information:
Materials containing personally identifiable information and detailed financial information were removed from the collection and shredded. Items that had mold damage and fading resulting in the inability to read and that could not be properly preserved were discarded. Some items in the collection such as a cell phone and DVD game were removed and discarded.
- Custodial history:
Carole Yvonne Johnson transferred these papers to the Indiana University Archives in the spring of 2023, as a companion collection to her records related to the Modern Organization for Dance Evolvement in 2022. (See IU Archives Collection C745)
- Processing information:
Processed by: Jo Otremba
Finding Aid Completed: 2024
- Arrangement:
This collection is organized into six series: Biographical, Professional, Notes and writings, Correspondence, Collected publications and reference materials, and Photographs. Subseries and files within the series are arranged alphabetically by subject.
- Rules or conventions:
- DACS-Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
The donor of this collection has not transferred their copyrights for the materials to the Trustees of Indiana University. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials. Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.
Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Carole Y. Johnson papers, Collection C749, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
Herman B Wells Library E4601320 East Tenth StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-7000, United States
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
812-855-1127archives@indiana.edu