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Oregon State University
Special Collections and Archives
Research Center

Cathy Dark Papers, 1952-2019

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 performance group. This collection contains photographs, event programs, posters, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, plaques, publications, correspondence, and course materials. Dark joined the faculty of the College of Health of Human Performance in 1990. She retired in 2019.
ID: MSS Dark
Extent: 7.5 cubic feet
More Extent Information
Scope and Content Notes
Biographical / Historical Notes
Statement on Access: This collection is open for research.
Arrangement
Preferred Citation: Cathy Dark Papers (MSS Dark), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Acquisition Note: These materials were donated to the Special Collections and Archives Reserach Center in 2019 and 2020 by Cathy Dark.
Acquired: 2019.
Languages of Materials
Other

Container List

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1990-2016 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
Series 2: Course Materials, 1991-2017 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
Series 3: Cool Shoes, 1991-2018 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.4: Cool Shoes, 1996-1998 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 4.1: Photographs of Cool Shoes Performance, 1998 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 6.1: Posters for Cool Shoes Performances, 1994-2013 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.5: Cool Shoes, 1999-2000 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.6: Cool Shoes, 2001-2002 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.7: Cool Shoes, 2003-2004 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.8: Cool Shoes, 2005 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.9: Cool Shoes, 2006-2009 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.10: Cool Shoes, 2010-2013 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.11: Cool Shoes, 2014-2016 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.12: Cool Shoes, 2017-2018 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.13: Cool Shoes Member Lists, 1992-2010 Add to Shelf
Series 4: Ballroom Dance Club, 1991-2019 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.15: Ballroom Dance Club, 1996-1997 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.16: Ballroom Dance Club, 1998-1999 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.17: Ballroom Dance Club, 2000-2008 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.18: Ballroom Dance Club, 2012-2019 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 6.1: Posters, 1993-2018 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
Series 6: Publications, 1952-2015 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
Undergraduate honors thesis, David Weymann.
Box-Item 2.1: Social Dance. (second edition), 2003 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
Textbook co-authored by Cathy Dark, along with Marlys Waller, and Anne Pittman.
Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1996-2014 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
Box-Item 4.1: Scrapbook, 2002-2007 Add to Shelf
Box-Item 5.1: Scrapbook, 2012-2014 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 5.1: Scrapbook, 2011-2012 Add to Shelf
Series 8: Plaques, 1996-2016 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
Disneyland Resort.
Box-Item 2.6: Cool Shoes Ballroom Dance Company: Disney Performing Arts Applauds Your Dedication, 2016 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
The National Folk Organization of the U.S.A.
Series 9: Display Panels, 1999-2018 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
A panel documenting the Cool Shoes group for the 2002/2003 academic year.
Box-Folder 7.1: Cool Shoes Member Composites, 2003-2007 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
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 Add to Shelf
4 photograph prints.
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