Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1943-2012 (predominantly 1943-1979) (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
39 items
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Barbara Clarke was born in Dublin in 1938. She started dancing at the age of four at the Burchill School of Dancing on St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, where she studied both ballet and tap. Her first stage appearance was in the Burchill School of Dancing Recital at the Gaiety Theatre in 1943 at the age of five. From the very beginning, she showed exceptional talent and enthusiasm, and steadily built up her skills by undertaking dance and teaching qualifications. As she progressed, she began to help Miss Burchill with the younger classes and continued to participate in the school’s regular recitals at the Gaiety Theatre. As there was no full-time work for dancers in Ireland in the 1960s and 1970s, Barbara trained as secretary at Alexandra College, Dublin, and worked in that capacity for a firm of stockbrokers in the city. She dedicated her spare time to dance, both as a performer and a choreographer, and gained countrywide publicity through her appearances in RTÉ’s popular programme, Shall We Dance?. She continued her involvement in the art form until 1992, when a stroke called a halt to her active dancing career.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The collection was donated by Barbara Clarke's brother, Gordon Clarke, to the National Dance Archive of Ireland on 8 February 2012.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Photographs, certificates, contracts and correspondence illustrating Barbara Clarke's development from a child dance enthusiast to an accomplished amateur dancer and her contribution to the development of dance as a popular art form in Ireland in the mid-twentieth century.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
All records have been retained.
Accruals
Accruals are unlikely.
System of arrangement
Documents have been divided into three series according to their form and thereunder arranged chronologically by date.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Unrestricted access to all items.
Conditions governing reproduction
Standard copyright regulations apply to all items. For photocopying or reproducing material, please consult with the staff.
Language of material
- English
- Irish
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Paper documents and DVDs in good condition. Items N48/1/4-5 require a PC or laptop and software capable of opening JPEG, PDF and Word files.
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
The originals of N48/6-39 have been retained by the donor.
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
This description follows guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd edition (2000), Irish Guidelines for Archival Description (2009), National Council on Archives: Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names (1997) and EAP Guidance on Data Protection for Archive Services (2018).
Status
Level of detail
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Papers arranged and described by Anna-Maria Hajba in February 2012 and revised in October 2020.