NAME: Davidson, Della

BIRTH DATE/LOCATION:
20 December 1951, El Paso, Tex.

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Photo credit: Photograph of Della Davidson by Jerry Herniak

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  • identification & bio
  • key contact
  • human repositories
  • video documentation
  • photographic documentation
    		•
  • movement notation
  • production materials
  • oral history
  • personal papers
  • immediate needs
    		•
  • other relevant information
  • overview of works
  • bibliography
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    IDENTIFICATION AND BIO:
    Artistic director of her own San Francisco-based dance company since 1986, Della Davidson notes that her choreography often operates at a level of poetic metaphor rather than direct, political statement. Of the more than thirty works she created for her company, she identifies two that take illness as their theme: Black Dogs (1987) and Flying Over Emptiness (2002). She created Black Dogs in response to her own experience with cancer and notes that in exploring illness with her dancers, AIDS became the subject of exploration for cast member Tracy Rhoades—he discovered he was HIV-positive during the making of the piece (please see separate entry for Tracy Rhoades). She created Flying Over Emptiness on dancer Frank Shawl after he found out that he was HIV-positive and, in her own words from a 25 August 2003 email, the piece was "a statement about the bleakness and fear that the possibility of death inspires."

    Additionally, Davidson choreographed two works as a tribute to Tracy Rhoades after his death. Featuring images of unmediated grieving, Shrine was created in 1993 and performed by the Della Davidson Dance Company. Undimmed was created in collaboration with dancer Jane Schnorrenberg and performed as part of the SENSEDANCE AIDS benefit at St. Marks Place in New York City in February 2002.

    Davidson is the recipient of numerous awards for her choreography including support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a 1988 Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography, and a 1990 North American Award for Choreography. In 2001 she joined the University of California, Davis, Theatre and Dance Faculty as an Associate Professor. At Davis she is the MFA program advisor and director of the department's resident professional performance ensemble.

    KEY CONTACT PERSON(S)/EXECUTOR OF ESTATE:
    Della Davidson
    Associate Professor
    Department of Theater and Dance
    University of California, Davis
    One Shields Avenue
    Davis, CA 95616
    530-754-8969

    HUMAN REPOSITORIES OF THE WORK
    (name and contact info, relationship to the artist and the work, assessment):
    Della Davidson, see above

    VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    In addition to the video documentation that Davidson holds for these works, the San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum (SFPALM) holds video documentation for the following works (all VHS, 1/2 in.):

    Shrine is located on a cassette titled "Della Davidson Dance Company in performance at the Laney College Theater, March 19, 1993."

    Black Dogs is located on a cassette titled "Hungry Hearts: A Dance Series, program B."

    Flying Over Emptiness is located on a cassette titled "Time Over Time: Three Lives in Dance."

    Additionally, SFPALM holds video recordings of the following works by Davidson: Angels and Clay, Monster Dolls, Nadine and the Pleasure Company, The 10 pm Dream, and Tongues.

    PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    Davidson holds photographic documentation for all her works.

    MOVEMENT NOTATION
    (location, type [including notes taken by dancers], assessment):
    None identified.

    PRODUCTION MATERIALS
    (scores, sound recordings, set/costume designs):
    Davidson holds scores, set and costume designs, as well as some costume pieces for the identified works.

    ORAL HISTORY:
    None identified.

    PERSONAL PAPERS
    (location of newspaper clippings, printed programs, press releases, notes, files, diaries; assessment):
    SFPALM maintains a clipping file for Davidson (1997-present).

    Additionally, the Performing Arts Collection of the New York Public Library holds several articles and reviews pertaining to Davidson's choreography.

    IMMEDIATE NEEDS
    (archival assistance? storage? other?):
    None identified.

    OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:
    None.

    OVERVIEW OF WORKS PERTAINING TO HIV/AIDS
    (title, premiere date, music, production notes, performers):

    Black Dogs (1987)—music: Jim McKee/Earwax; costume and set design: Ariel Parkinson; performers: Cheryl Chaddick, Gail Chodera, Tracy Rhoades; New Performance Gallery

    Shrine (1993)—[in memory of Tracy Rhoades] music: Arvo Part; performed by the Della Davidson Dance Company; East Bay Dance Series, Laney College, Oakland, Calif. (March)

    Undimmed (2002)—[in memory of Tracy Rhoades] created with and performed by Jane Schnorrenberg; music: W.A. Mozart; SENSEDANCE AIDS benefit performance at St. Marks Church, New York (February)

    Flying Over Emptiness (2002)—created with and performed by Frank Shawl; music: Jim McKee/Earwax; Summerfest at ODC/Performance Gallery (14-15 July)

    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

    • Ross, Janice. 1995. "Della Davidson: A Fluent Writer for the Body." Dance Theater Journal, 11:4.
    • Gere, David. 1993. [Review of The Bay Area Dance Series Shrine.] Dance Magazine (August).
    • Green, Judith. 1989. [Review of Hungary Hearts Black Dogs.] San Jose Mercury News (7 April).
         		 
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