NAME: Douglas, William

BIRTH DATE/LOCATION:
25 September 1953, Amherst, Nova Scotia

DEATH DATE/LOCATION:
10 March 1996, Montréal, age 43

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Courtesy of José Navas

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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:
    William Douglas was a dancer, choreographer, and teacher who led dance companies both in New York and Montreal. Even while working as an architect, he danced with several Toronto-based companies—including Toronto Dance Theatre, Dancemakers, and Judy Jarvis—and with Douglas Dunn in New York. As a choreographer he made more than 30 works, winning the 1994 grand prize for choreography from the IVe Rencontres Choregraphiques Internationales de Bagnolet in France. In 1994, Douglas also won a New York Dance and Performance Award ("Bessie"), shared with dancer José Navas, for the choreography of While Waiting. Linda Howe-Beck (see below) writes in her Dance Magazine obituary, "His works were marked by a strong formality combined with a seeming abandonment of control, such as when he staged several separate solos to be performed simultaneously." He moved to Montreal in 1991 and taught at the Université du Quebec à Montreal. Douglas died of AIDS-related causes.

    KEY CONTACT PERSON(S)/EXECUTOR OF ESTATE:
    José Navas, surviving mate
    514-876-1313 (work)
    info@flak.org

    Allyson Green and Peter Terezakis, friends
    4364 60th St.
    San Diego, CA 92115
    619-269-9888
    ally@allygreendance.com
    peter@terezakis.com

    HUMAN REPOSITORIES OF THE WORK
    (name and contact info, relationship to the artist and the work, assessment):
    José Navas and Allyson Green

    VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    Douglas's original videotapes, approximately 25 VHS tapes in all, were donated to the Dance Department at the Université du Quebec à Montreal (UQAM). José Navas keeps copies in his collection at home.

    In addition, the following videotapes are held at the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library:

    Carved in Flesh: Five Dances by William Douglas, 1990 and 1991 (1991)—Anima (1990), Roam (1990), T.V. Dance #1 (1991), Carved in Flesh (1991), and Duets from Delight (1990); danced by William Douglas, José Navas, Deniz Oktay, Brenda Daniels; videotaped in dress rehearsal at the Cunningham Studio, New York, 22 May 1991, by Tim Purtell; VHS (61 min.); MGZIA 4-2186.

    Emotional Logic: William Douglas Transformed (1994)—documentary produced by Lisa Cochrane in association with Bravo!, directed and edited by Cochrane; includes interviews with William Douglas and José Navas on the subject of AIDS; intercut with excerpts from Douglas's Anima (1992) and we Were WARned (1992), danced by Douglas, Navas, and Dominique Porte, and Thorn (1993), danced by Douglas; VHS (24 min.); call number MGZIA 4-2261.

    PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    Pilobolus maintains photo files on all its works.Approximately 50 photographs are held by the Dance Department at UQAM and by José Navas, protected in plastic files.

    MOVEMENT NOTATION
    (location, type [including notes taken by dancers], assessment):
    Douglas did not notate his works per se. But he did keep notebooks that are now in the possession of José Navas. Per Navas, these consist mostly of codes to video material.

    PRODUCTION MATERIALS
    (scores, sound recordings, set/costume designs):
    José Navas keeps all scores, sound and demos. Costumes were donated to UQAM.

    ORAL HISTORY:
    None identified.

    PERSONAL PAPERS
    (location of newspaper clippings, printed programs, press releases, notes, files, diaries; assessment):
    José Navas holds this material in boxes at home.

    A clippings file is held by the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library under "Douglas, William," call number MGZR.

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

    OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:
    José Navas reports that While Waiting, choreographed by Douglas and danced by Navas, was originally titled Solo for José. The Bessie award citation, dated 12 September 1995, reads as follows: "In recognition of outstanding creative achievement during the 1994-1995 season to William Douglas and José Navas. For an elegant portrait of individual struggle and transcendence, in an eloquent partnership of life and art, choreographer and dancer, in Solo for José."

    LIST OR OVERVIEW OF WORKS
    (title, premiere date, music, production notes, performers):
    No record of choreography by Douglas exists in the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library.

    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

    • Howe-Beck, Linde. 1992. "Montreal Danse." Vandance 20 (2) (Summer): 18-19.
    • ________. 1995. "Montreal Danse." Dance International 22 (4) (winter 1994/1995): 29.
    • ________. 1995. "Montreal Danse." Dance International 23 (1) (spring 1995): 28.
    • ________. 1996. "Obituaries: William Douglas." Dance Magazine (June): 43-44.
    • Meyers, Deborah. 1990. "Balancing Act: Dancing on the Edge" [review of Vancouver's third annual Dancing on the Edge Festival, September 1990]. Vandance 18 (3) (Fall): 10-13.
    • Ryan, Peter. 1983. "Danceworks 29, Des rosiers Dance Theatre Company, Toronto, December, 1982." Dance in Canada 35 (Spring): 29-30.
    • Thompson, M.J. 1995. "Fighting Words." Dance Connection 13 (2) (June/July/Aug.): 16-19.
         		 
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