DNB documents dance on paper using a symbol system called Labanotation . The notator is there through all the rehearsals, recording not only the steps but also any imagery, motivation, and characterization given to the dancers by the choreographer or stager. The completed score provides a blueprint for future stagings of the work.
Dance scores function for dance in the same way music scores function for music.
They allow each artist to learn the work without being influenced by someone else's artistic interpretation. In addition to producing the score, which captures the choreography, DNB collects a full range of materials to ensure complete documentation. The Kid is produced, the first ballet recorded in the United States. Mr. Loring requests the score to help establish his ownership of the choreography. 1948 - Doris Humphrey's Shakers is notated.