Cathy Dark Papers, 1952-2019

Collection Overview

Title: Cathy Dark Papers, 1952-2019

ID: MSS Dark

Primary Creator: Dark, Cathy L.

Extent: 7.5 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: This collection is comprised of nine series: 1. Biographical Materials, 1990-2016; 2. Course Materials, 1991-2017; 3. Cool Shoes, 1991-2018; 4. Ballroom Dance Club, 1991-2019; 5. International Dance Club, 1992-1993; 6. Publications, 1952-2009; 7. Scrapbooks, 1996-2014; 8. Plaques, 1996-2016; and 9. Display Panels, 1999-2018.

Date Acquired: 00/00/2019

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

Scope and Content Notes

The Cathy Dark Papers consist of materials generated and collected by Oregon State University professor Cathy Dark that document her instruction of dance coursework and coordination of the OSU Ballroom Dance Club and Cool Shoes dance performance group. This collection contains photographs, event programs, posters, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, plaques, publications, correspondence, course materials, and display panels showcasing students involved in the Cool Shoes troupe.

The photographs that make up the bulk of the content in the scrapbooks and on the display panels primarily reflect the activities and members of the Cool Shoes dance group. These images include posed portrait and group shots of the members as well as informal views taken of the group during tours and rehearsals. Posters, flyers, event programs, and newspaper clippings also document performances staged by the Cool Shoes troupe. There are flyers that also relate to dance workshops and other events that Dark organized as the advisor for the OSU Ballroom Dance Club.

The course materials reflecting Dark's work as an instructor include syllabi, class outlines, blank exams, and course assignments. Among the biographical materials, there is a promotion dossier packet which contains an extensive description of Dark's teaching career at OSU up to 2000.

Among the publications, Dark's research writing is reflected in college-level dance textbooks that she co-authored with faculty from other universities. The publications also document dance instruction at OSU pre-dating Dark's arrival in 1990. These items consists of programs for campus dance events from 1952 to 1976 and an undergraduate honors thesis on the "History of Social Dance at OSU" by David Weymann.

Biographical / Historical Notes

Born and raised in Spokane, Washington, Cathy Dark developed an interest in dance after being introduced to square-dancing in her 6th grade P.E. class. Dark continued to cultivate this interest throughout her high school years when she became involved in a local folk and ballroom performance troupe known as the Silver Spurs. In college, Dark studied home economics at Central Washington University and graduated there in 1975. Yet, Dark's passion for dance compelled her to pursue a second undergraduate degree specifically in dance, this time earned from the University of Oregon in 1977.

Before pursuing graduate studies, Dark worked with a number of different organizations as a dance instructor in Spokane, Chicago, and Japan. Through these positions, Dark gained experience serving as a tour manager and artistic director, developing skills that would serve her well later directing the "Cool Shoes" dance troupe. In 1984, Dark enrolled in the Laban Centre For Movement and Dance at the University of London in England. Her master's thesis, awarded in 1988, focused on the social and cultural context of a Romanian folk dance.

In 1990, Dark began her career at Oregon State University as an instructor in dance for the College of Health and Human Performance. For her instructional courseload, Dark specialized in teaching physical activity course (PAC) classes in ballroom and country western dance. She also taught courses in step aerobics as well as an introductory level class on dance fundamentals.

Dark's most notable instructional legacy at OSU was the development of a ballroom dance performance course (PAC 169) that required those enrolled in it to study and practice a particular style of dance to be later presented in choreographed public performances on campus and elsewhere. For the staging of these performances, Dark formed the "Cool Shoes" ballroom dance troupe to publicize these shows and highlight the talents of the student dancers. Each term of the PAC 169 course, Dark guided the students in the learning of one ballroom dance style which included a range as diverse as the West Coast Swing (Spring 1998), the Slow Tango (Fall 1996), Disco (Spring 2000), and the Waltz (Winter 1997).

Dark organized an annual spring performance showcasing the moves practiced by the ballroom dance troupe each year billed as the "Cool Shoes and Friends" event. In addition to these campus shows, Dark staged Cool Shoes performances outside of Corvallis at least once a year, traveling mostly within the Pacific Northwest to spots such as Seattle and Portland. In 2013 and 2016, Cool Shoes performed shows at Disneyland in California.

Along with her instructional activity, Dark was also active in research and writing. She co-authored several textbooks on social dance and frequently presented conference papers at meetings of the American Alliance For Health Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD). In 1996, Dark was recognized by AAHPERD with its "Dance Educator of the Year" award.

In 2019, Cathy Dark retired from OSU and returned to her hometown of Spokane.

Author: Karl McCreary

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 716 photographs; 7 boxes, including 5 oversize boxes.

Statement on Access: This collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: These materials were donated to the Special Collections and Archives Reserach Center in 2019 and 2020 by Cathy Dark.

Related Materials: Other collections documenting dance instruction at Oregon State University include the papers of faculty Betty Lynd Thompson and Kathleen Kerr. Instructional guides for folk and square dancing developed by Erma Weir can be found in the College of Health and Human Performance Records (RG 031). Weir taught folk and square dance coursework at OSU from 1945 to 1974.

Preferred Citation: Cathy Dark Papers (MSS Dark), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1990-2016

Series 1 contains materials relating to Dark's teaching career, honoraries received, participation in conference presentations, and a research project proposed by her. In addition to a promotion dossier packet of information prepared by Dark for her tenure review, this series is made up of conference programs, correspondence, a curriculum vita, a research proposal, photographs, a newspaper clipping, and certificates.

Box-Folder 1.1: Biographical Materials, 1990-2016

Series 2: Course Materials, 1991-2017

Series 2 documents the instruction of dance coursework and curriculum development assessment. Along with course outlines, exam blanks, and an instructors' training manual that reflect the teaching of dance classes, this series includes correspondence, meeting minutes, notes, and statistical information collected by Dark through involvement on a Physical Activity Course curriculum planning committee.

Box-Folder 1.2: Course Materials, 1991-2017

Series 3: Cool Shoes, 1991-2018

Series 3 documents the Cool Shoes ballroom dance performance group that was formed and coordinated by Dark. In addition to event programs, flyers, posters, and tickets reflecting the regular public performances staged by Cool Shoes, this series also contains correspondence, Cool Shoes member lists, newspaper clippings, photographs, thank you notes, and course outlines. Along with 44 photographic prints, this series also includes a publication resembling a small photo album that contains images of the Cool Shoes' members for the 2014-2015 year. There are a few references to "BARC" among these materials, which was the name of the ballroom dance group before its change to Cool Shoes. Documentation of Cool Shoes' performances and members are also reflected in the scrapbooks in series 7 and the display panels in series 9.

Box-Folder 1.3: Cool Shoes, 1991-1995
Box-Folder 1.4: Cool Shoes, 1996-1998
Box-Folder 4.1: Photographs of Cool Shoes Performance, 1998: Images taken by an OSU student of the rehearsal and performance by Cool Shoes at the Sesame Dance Club on November 19th, 1998 at the Norse Hall in Portland, Oregon. 13 prints. A newspaper article about the show is included with the photos.
Box-Folder 4.2: Posters for Cool Shoes Performances, 1994-2017
Box-Folder 6.1: Posters for Cool Shoes Performances, 1994-2013
Box-Folder 1.5: Cool Shoes, 1999-2000
Box-Folder 1.6: Cool Shoes, 2001-2002
Box-Folder 1.7: Cool Shoes, 2003-2004
Box-Folder 1.8: Cool Shoes, 2005
Box-Folder 1.9: Cool Shoes, 2006-2009
Box-Folder 1.10: Cool Shoes, 2010-2013
Box-Folder 1.11: Cool Shoes, 2014-2016
Box-Folder 1.12: Cool Shoes, 2017-2018
Box-Folder 1.13: Cool Shoes Member Lists, 1992-2010

Series 4: Ballroom Dance Club, 1991-2019

Series 4 relates to the Ballroom Dance Club and reflects Dark's coordination of this student group as its faculty advisor. Primarily documenting the organization of dance workshops and classes for the club, the materials in the series include correspondence, contracts, course offering lists, event programs, flyers, meeting agendas, membership registration forms, newsletters, newspaper clippings, a photograph, and posters.

Box-Folder 1.14: Ballroom Dance Club, 1991-1995
Box-Folder 1.15: Ballroom Dance Club, 1996-1997
Box-Folder 1.16: Ballroom Dance Club, 1998-1999
Box-Folder 1.17: Ballroom Dance Club, 2000-2008
Box-Folder 1.18: Ballroom Dance Club, 2012-2019
Box-Folder 6.1: Posters, 1993-2018: These posters publicize campus performances by visiting dance troupes, the OSU International Dance Club, and ballroom dance courses offered by the PAC program. Among the posters are two large thank you cards presented to Cathy Dark from her students.

Series 5: International Dance Club, 1992-1993

Series 5 consists of documentation about the International Dance Club and is made up of correspondence, financial records, flyers, a newsletter, and newspaper announcements about events organized by the club. The correspondence includes a message string about the waning interest in international folk dancing among college students at the time and the future of the group. Among the events publicized in these materials is a workshop conducted by former OSU dance instructor Kathleen Kerr.

Box-Folder 1.19: International Dance Club, 1992-1993

Series 6: Publications, 1952-2015

Series 6 is comprised of publications that include three textbooks co-authored by Dark, programs for OSU dance events, and a senior thesis on the history of social dance at OSU.

Box-Folder 1.20: Event Programs, 1952-1976: These programs document the following three dance events: "Irish Folkdances" by the Promenaders Club (1952), a Callers Clinic lead by Dance Professor Erma Weir (ca. 1955), and the 1976 All-Dance Folk Dance Festival.
Box-Folder 1.21: History of Social Dancing at Oregon State University, 2015: Undergraduate honors thesis, David Weymann.
Box-Item 2.1: Social Dance. (second edition), 2003: Textbook co-authored by Cathy Dark, along with Jane Harris, Anne Pittman, and Marlys Waller.
Box-Item 2.2: Dance a While: A Handbook of Folk, Square, Contra, and Social Dance. (ninth edition), 2005: Textbook co-authored by Cathy Dark, along with Ann Pittman, Marlys Waller.
Box-Item 2.3: Dance a While: A Handbook of Folk, Square, Contra, and Social Dance. (tenth edition), 2009: Textbook co-authored by Cathy Dark, along with Marlys Waller, and Anne Pittman.

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1996-2014

Series 7 is made up of scrapbooks documenting performances and rehearsals by the Cool Shoes Dance Company. Primarily consisting of photographs, the four scrapbooks also contain programs, tickets, member lists, and newspaper clippings. This series contains a total of 447 photographic prints.

Box-Item 3.1: Scrapbook, 1996-2002
Box-Item 4.1: Scrapbook, 2002-2007
Box-Item 5.1: Scrapbook, 2012-2014
Box-Folder 5.1: Scrapbook, 2011-2012

Series 8: Plaques, 1996-2016

Series 8 consists of plaques documenting honors and recognition received by Dark and the Cool Shoes dance company.

Box-Item 2.4: Cathy Dark: Dance Educator of the Year, 1996: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) - Northwest District Association.
Box-Item 2.5: Cool Shoes Ballroom Dance Company: Disney Performing Arts Applauds Your Dedication To the Arts, 2013: Disneyland Resort.
Box-Item 2.6: Cool Shoes Ballroom Dance Company: Disney Performing Arts Applauds Your Dedication, 2016: Disneyland Resort.
Box-Item 2.7: Preserving Our Legacy Award to Cathy Dark For a Lifetime of Work and Achievement in Folk Dance and Folk Arts, undated: The National Folk Organization of the U.S.A.

Series 9: Display Panels, 1999-2018

Series 9 is comprised of display panels assembled by Dark to document members of the Cool Shoes dance troupe. These panels are primarily made up of posed portrait shots of the members with information on their names and field of studys. Loose images that became detached from the displays have been placed into a file folder that resides in box 1. There are 222 photographic prints in this series in total.

Box-Folder 6.2: Cool Shoes Member Composites, 1999-2002: Panels documenting the following three years of the Cool Shoes performance dance group: 1999, 2000/2001, and 2001/2002.
Box-Folder 6.3: Cool Shoes Member Composites, 2002/2003: A panel documenting the Cool Shoes group for the 2002/2003 academic year.
Box-Folder 7.1: Cool Shoes Member Composites, 2003-2007: Panels documenting the following four years of Cool Shoes performance group members: 2003/2004; 2004/2005; 2005/2006; and 2006/2007.
Box-Folder 7.2: Cool Shoes Member Composites, 2007-2010: Panels document members of the Cool Shoes performance group: 2007/2008; 2008/2009; and 2009/2010.
Box-Folder 7.3: Cool Shoes Member Composites, 2011-2014: Panels document members of the Cool Shoes performance group for the following years: 2011/2012; 2012/2013; and 2013/2014.
Box-Folder 7.4: Cool Shoes Member Composites, 2015-2018: Panels document members of the Cool Shoes performance group for the following years: 2015/2016; 2016/2017; and 2017/2018.
Box-Folder 1.22: Photographs Found Detached from the Panels, 2002-2013: 4 photograph prints.