Grupo Contradanza Records
Scope and Contents Note
The Grupo Contradanza Records are divided into five series, 1) Print Materials, 2) Correspondence, 3) Program and Workshop Materials, 4) Materials on the Group, and 5) Photo and Video.
The first series, Print Materials, consists of press, flyers, and other printed items accumulated by the group. Included in this series are oversized materials such as magazines and posters. The second series, Correspondence, contains correspondence to and from the group spanning from 1975-2002. The third series, Program and Workshop Materials, contains notebooks, programs, books, and more relating to the group’s workshops, classes, and programs they have hosted from 1975-2001. The fourth series, Materials on the Group, contains papers written by Hercilia López and the group that describes the organization as well as the collection itself. The fifth series, Photo and Video, contains photos, negatives, slides, DVDs, Dual 8 reels, HI 8 tapes, and a CD-R.
Dates
- Creation: 1972-2019
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1973-2004
Language of Materials
English, Spanish
Access Restrictions
Unrestricted.
Use Restrictions
Standard copyright restrictions apply.
Biographical Sketch
Grupo Contradanza was a dance group based in Venezuela active from 1973-2004. The group was founded and directed by movement teacher and therapist Hercilia López. Hercilia, born in 1947, has a degree in Literature from the Central University of Venezuela. Most recently, Hercilia published a book titled VIENE DEL CUERPO: la danza, los bailarines y el cuerpo que baila.
Over the nearly three decades of Contradanza’s existence, the group was a pioneer of alternative dance and theater performance. Hercilia López was invited to dance at festivals, conferences, meetings, and workshops due to her work with her group, Contradanza. The group explored innovative, experimental body movements that aimed to touch on themes of consciousness, nature, and poetry, to name a few.
Between 1991 and 1998, Hercilia directed multiple International Meetings of the Creators, or Encuentro Internacional de los Creadores, which brought together movement leaders from all over the world to Venezuela. Hercilia and the Grupo Contradanza were adamant to bring the advancements of dance to Venezuela. Grupo Contradanza can be credited with much of the innovation in dance in Venezuela that occurred in the 1980s and 1990s.
Full Extent
13.5 linear feet
Abstract
Press, print and workshop materials, correspondence, photos, slides, negatives, and artwork from the Grupo Contradanza in Venezuela.
Acquisition Information
Donation.
Additions
No further materials are expected for this collection.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Grace Bonilla, 2023.
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Grupo Contradanza Records
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection
- Date
- 2023
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard (Dacs)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- 2025 July: Revised by Ryan Sullivant to fix validation errors prior to ingestion into ArchivesSpace.
Repository Details
Part of the Benson Latin American Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Repository
2300 Red River Street
Austin Texas 78712 United States
(512) 495-4578
bensonspecialcollections@austin.utexas.edu