Overview
On July 28, 2012 — National Dance Day — the U.S. Postal Service® will pay tribute to four influential choreographers who changed the art of dance: Isadora Duncan, José Limón, Katherine Dunham, and Bob Fosse. Designed to look like posters advertising a performance, the stamp art captures the luminosity and mystery of a live dance performance.
The stamp design for Isadora Duncan reflects her interest in classical Greek dance forms and shows the seemingly effortless style that she developed. Radical for its time, her linking of movement and expressiveness garnered her worldwide critical acclaim.
José Limón is shown in a performance pose. He frequently drew inspiration from history, literature, and religion, and used natural movement and gesture in his choreography. His virile, powerful works elevated the importance of the male dancer in modern dance. Many of Limón’s works are considered classics and continue to be performed today.
Founder of one of the first African-American dance companies in the United States, Katherine Dunham was the first choreographer to develop a formal dance technique that combined Caribbean and African dance elements with aspects of ballet. She is shown in a pose from her critically acclaimed ballet L’Ag’Ya.
Bob Fosse, celebrated for directing and choreographing musicals on both stage and screen, is shown on the set of Sweet Charity (1969). Fosse received one Oscar, three Emmys, and nine Tony awards during his career. Yet perhaps his greatest contribution was in making dance accessible to millions.
Isadora Duncan (1877–1927) www.isadoraduncan.org/
Isadora Duncan was born in San Francisco in 1877. Dancer, adventurer, revolutionary, and ardent defender of the poetic spirit, Duncan has been one of the most enduring influences on contemporary culture. Ironically, the very magnitude of her achievements as an artist, as well as the sheer excitement and tragedy of her life, tend to dim our awareness of the originality, depth, and boldness of her thought.
Virtually single-handedly, Duncan restored dance to a high place among the arts. Breaking with convention, she traced the art of dance back to its roots as a sacred art. Duncan is credited with inventing what later came to be known as Modern Dance.
José Limón (1908–1972) http://limon.org/
José Limón was born January 12, 1908, in Culiacán, Mexico. At age 7, he moved to the United States, where he later studied with Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman and danced with their company (1930–1940). He established his own company in 1947, with Humphrey as artistic director. The company toured worldwide during Limón’s life and remained active after his death
Katherine Dunham (1909–2006) http://kdcah.org/
Katherine Dunham was born June 22, 1909, in Chicago. She became one of the first African-American women to attend the University of Chicago, where she earned a doctoral degree in anthropology.
Dunham spent years in the Caribbean studying all aspects of dance and the motivations behind it. Although she traveled throughout the region, including Trinidad and Jamaica, Haiti is where she found personal and artistic resonances. Dunham revolutionized American dance in the 1930’s by going to the roots of black dance and rituals, transforming them into significant artistic choreography that speaks to all. She was a pioneer in the use of folk and ethnic choreography and one of the founders of the anthropological dance movement. She showed the world that African-American heritage is beautiful. She completed groundbreaking work on Caribbean and Brazilian dance anthropology as a new academic discipline. She is credited for bringing these Caribbean and African influences to a European-dominated dance world.
Bob Fosse (1927–1987) www.fosse.com/
Bob Fosse was born June 23, 1927. He began performing in vaudeville as a child, and by his early teens was on stage in a variety of burlesque shows. He began studying dance at a small neighborhood institution but soon moved on to the Frederick Weaver Ballet School, an academy where he was the only male enrolled. Fosse was one of the twentieth century’s great choreographers.
As an artist, Fosse was known for his thoroughly modern style, a signature one could never mistake for anyone else’s. Snapping fingers are omnipresent, so are rakishly tilted bowler hats. Both hip and shoulder rolls appear frequently, as do backward exits. Swiveling hips and strutting predominate, as do white-gloved, single-handed gestures. Fosse himself often called the en masse amalgamation of these moves the “amoeba,” and that word as much as any describes his particular style, at once fluid and angular.
About National Dance Day
National Dance Day was created by Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer and judge for the So You Think You Can Dance television series. In 2010, Washington, DC, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, a long-time proponent of healthy lifestyles, introduced a National Dance Day resolution to promote dance education and physical fitness across the U.S.
National Dance Day is an annual event and “grassroots initiative in the United States to encourage the nation, young and old, to move!” This event occurs annually on the last Saturday of July. The first National Dance Day occurred on July 31, 2010, and the second annual event occurred on July 30, 2011.
This year’s event will take place on Saturday, July 28.
About Dizzy Feet Foundation
www.dizzyfeetfoundation.org/
Dizzy Feet Foundation (DFF) was founded in 2009 by producer Nigel Lythgoe, director Adam Shankman, Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba, and actress Katie Holmes to help underprivileged young people realize their dream of becoming professional dancers and to support, improve, and increase access to dance education in the United States.
Guided by a board consisting of some of the most illustrious names in the American dance community, the foundation’s mission is threefold: (1) to provide scholarships to talented students studying at accredited dance schools, studios, or institutions; (2) to establish national standards for dance education and an accreditation program for dance schools in all of the major styles of dance; and (3) to develop, provide, and/or support dance education programs for disadvantaged children through and with local community organizations.
DFF offers scholarships to dance students through its scholarship program. Scholarships of up to $10,000 will be granted annually. The scholarship program guidelines and application process are posted on the DFF website. DFF also aims to increase and standardize the quality of dance instruction throughout the United States by offering accreditation and/or certification to dance schools and studios in most styles of dance, including ballroom, contemporary, ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop. DFF’s accreditation program will be known as the American gold standard of dance instruction and will ensure that students know that they are receiving high-quality dance instruction based on a national standard. In addition, DFF also sponsors, funds, and/or offers community-based dance programs that will expose children in low-income areas to the lifelong benefits of dance education.
About So You Think You Can Dance
http://www.fox.com/dance/about/
America’s favorite summer series beginning its ninth season, So You Think You Can Dance, has kept viewers amazed and inspired as talented dancers skilled in everything from Hip Hop, Krumping, and Popping to Salsa, Quickstep, and Jive compete to be named America’s Favorite Dancer.
First Day and Local Events
The Innovative Choreographers Forever® stamps will be dedicated at a first-day-of-issue ceremony on Saturday, July 28, 2012—National Dance Day—in downtown Los Angeles, California, at the Grand Park. [POSTAL VP NAME] and Nigel Lythgoe, Judge and Executive Producer of So You Think You Can Dance, will dedicate the stamp.
The stamps will go on sale nationwide at all Post Office™ locations after the 10 a.m. pt ceremony and will be available in panes of 20.
National Dance Day events will be held across the country.
Partnership
The Postal Service™ is partnering with the FOX TV show So You Think You Can Dance and the Dizzy Feet Foundation, co-founded by the show’s executive producer and judge, Nigel Lythgoe.
Publicity Ideas to Interest the Media
There are many ways to generate local media interest in the Innovative Choreographers Forever stamps. Here are some suggestions:
n Partner with a local dance studio and host an “open house.” The Postal Service can unveil the stamps, and the studio can use the opportunity to showcase their dancers. The local radio and TV stations could be invited to broadcast live.
n Host an unveiling of the Innovative Choreographers Forever stamps in the parking lot of the Post Office, station, or branch. Invite dance teams from local schools, studios, or recreation centers.
n Plan for Postal Service representatives and retail clerks to attend existing National Dance Day events. Make arrangements beforehand to unveil the stamp images and see if stamp sales can occur on site as well.
Dance Resources
Alabama Dance Council
5820 Waterstone Point
Birmingham, AL 35244-5103
Telephone: 205-481-8989
www.alabamadancecouncil.org
e-mail: alabamadancecouncil@earthlink.net
Alliance for the Arts
330 West 42nd Street, Suite 1701
New York, NY 10036-6902
Telephone: 212-947-6340
Telephone: 212-947-6416
www.allianceforarts.org/index.htm
e-mail: info@allianceforarts.org
American Dance Festival, Inc.
PO Box 90772
Durham, NC 27708-0772
Telephone: 919-684-6402
Telephone: 919-684-5459 (fax)
www.americandancefestival.org
e-mail: adf@americandancefestival.org
Arkansas Dance Network, Inc.
PO Box 7633
Little Rock, AR 72217-7633
www.ardance.org/htdocs/about.html
e-mail: info@ardance.org
Artist Trust: A Resource for Washington
1835 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122-2437
Telephone: 206-467-8734
www.artisttrust.org
e-mail: info@artisttrust.org
Association of Performing Arts Presenters
1112 16th St, NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036-4820
Telephone: 202-207-3843
Telephone: 888-820-ARTS (toll free)
www.artspresenters.org
e-mail: artspres@artspresenters.org
Bates Dance Festival
Bates College
163 Wood Street
Lewiston, ME 04240-6016
Telephone: 207-786-6381
http://abacus.bates.edu/dancefest/
e-mail: dancefest@bates.edu
Career Transition For Dancers
The Carolina and Theodore Newhouse Center for
Dancers
165 West 46th Street, Suite 701
The Actors’ Equity Building
New York, NY 10036-2519
Telephone: 212-764-0172
Telephone: 212-764-0343 (fax)
www.careertransition.org
e-mail: info@careertransition.org
Chicago Dance and Music Alliance
410 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 819
Chicago, IL 60605-1302
Telephone: 312-987-9296
Telephone: 312-987-1127 (fax)
www.chicagoperformances.org
e-mail: info@chicagoperformances.org
City Moves
Young Audiences of San Diego
4007 Camino del Rio South, Suite 212
San Diego, CA 92108-4105
Telephone: 619-282-7599
www.yasandiego.org/pages/city_moves.html
Congress on Research in Dance
Dance Dept, State University of New York
350 New Campus Drive
Brockport, NY 14420-2997
Telephone: 716-395-2590
Telephone: 716-395-5413 (fax)
www.cordance.org
e-mail: gcarlson@brockport.edu
Dallas Dance Council
Sammons Center for the Arts
3630 Harry Hines Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75219-3201
Telephone: 214-219-2290
www.thedancecouncil.org
e-mail: dancecouncil@thedancecouncil.org
Dance Critics Association
PO Box 1882
Old Chelsea Station
New York, NY 10101-1882
www.dancecritics.org/
e-mail: contactus@dancecritics.org
Dance Heritage Coalition
1111 16th Street, NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036-4830
Telephone: 202-223-8392
Telephone: 202-833-2686 (fax)
www.danceheritage.org
e-mail: info@danceheritage.org
Dance/NYC
63 Greene Street, #506
New York, NY 10012-4372
Telephone: 212-966-4452
Telephone: 212-966-6424 (fax)
www.dancenyc.org
e-mail: info@dancenyc.org
Dance New Jersey
PO Box 200123
Riverfront Plaza
Newark, NJ 07102-0303
Telephone: 973-222-8844
www.Dancenj.org
e-mail: info@dancenj.org
Dance Notation Bureau, Inc.
111 John Street, Room 104
New York, NY 10038-3123
Telephone: 212-564-0985
Telephone: 212-216-9027 (fax)
www.dancenotation.org/DNB/
e-mail: dnbinfo@dancenotation.org
Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles
PO Box 41092
Los Angeles, CA 90042-0092
Telephone: 323-687-3961
www.drc-la.org
e-mail: info@drc-la.org
Dance Theater Workshop, Inc.
219 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011-4001
Telephone: 212-691-6500
Telephone: 212-633-1974 (fax)
www.dtw.org
e-mail: dtw@dtw.org
Dance Umbrella — Austin
PO Box 1323
Austin, TX 78767-1323
Telephone: 512-450-0456
www.danceumbrella.com
e-mail: dance@austinfree.net
Dance View
PO Box 34435
Washington, DC 20043-4435
www.danceview.org
Dance/USA
1111 16th Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036-4830
Telephone: 202-833-1717
Telephone: 202-833-2686 (fax)
www.danceusa.org
e-mail: danceusa@danceusa.org
Dancers’ Group Studio Theater
3252A 19th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110-1917
Telephone: 415-920-9181
Telephone: 415-920-9173 (fax)
www.dancersgroup.org
e-mail: dg@dancersgroup.org
Dancers Responding to AIDS
165 West 46th Street, Suite 1300
New York, NY 10036-2508
Telephone: 212-840-0770
Telephone: 212-840-0551 (fax)
www.dradance.org
e-mail: dra@bcefa.org
DanceWorks, Inc. (Pentacle)
246 West 38th Street, Room 400
New York, NY 10018-5859
Telephone: 212-278-8111
Telephone: 212-278-8555 (fax)
www.pentacle.org
e-mail: ivans@pentacle.org
Florida Dance Association, Inc.
777 17th Street, Suite 402
Miami Beach, FL 33139-1890
Telephone: 305-674-6575
Telephone: 305-674-6578 (fax)
www.floridadanceassociation.org/
e-mail: tthielen@fldance.org
International Tap Association
PO Box 356
Boulder, CO 80306-0356
Telephone: 303-443-7989
Telephone: 303-449-7992 (fax)
www.tapdance.org/tap/
e-mail: ita@tapdance.org
Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Inc.
358 George Carter Road
Becket, MA 01223-4001
Telephone: 413-243-9919
Telephone: 413-243-4744
www.jacobspillow.org
e-mail: info@jacobspillow.org
Joyce SoHo
175 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10011-1694
Telephone: 212-431-9233
Telephone: 212-334-9025 (fax)
www.joyce.org
Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies
520 8th Avenue, Room 304
New York, NY 10018-8641
Telephone: 212-643-8888
Telephone: 212-643-8388
www.limsonline.org
e-mail: info@limsonline.org
Library of Congress
Music and Performing Arts Division
101 Independence Avenue, SE
Stop 4311
Washington, DC 20540-4311
Telephone: 202-707-5000
www.loc.gov
Louisiana Dance Foundation
4801 Line Avenue, Suite 18
Shreveport, LA 71106-1557
Telephone: 318-861-3006
Maryland Council for Dance
300 Washington Avenue
Chestertown, MD 21620-1438
Telephone: 410-778-7237
Telephone: 410-778-7741 (fax)
www.marylanddance.org
Movement Research, Inc.
Dance Theater Workshop
219 W. 19th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues)
New York, NY 10011-4001
Telephone: 212-598-0551
Telephone: 212-598-5948 (fax)
www.movementresearch.org
e-mail: info@movementresearch.org
National Association of Schools of Dance
11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21
Reston, VA 20190-5248
Telephone: 703-437-0700
Telephone: 703-437-6312 (fax)
www.nasd.arts-accredit.org/
e-mail: info@arts-accredit.org
National Dance Association
1900 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191-1502
Telephone: 703-476-3400
Telephone: 800-213-7193
www.aahperd.org/nda/
e-mail: nda@aahperd.org
National Dance Education Organization
4948 St. Elmo Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814-6013
Telephone: 301-657-2880 or 301-657-2881
Telephone: 301-657-2882
www.ndeo.org/
e-mail: info@ndeo.org
New Mexico Dance Coalition
PO Box 284
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0284
Telephone: 505-820-2636
Telephone: 505-820-1243 (fax)
www.swcp.com/~nmdc
e-mail: nmdc@swcp.com
New York Performing Arts Library
40 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York, NY 10023-7498
Telephone: 917-275-6975
www.nypl.org/research/lpa/dan/dan.html
e-mail: dance@nypl.org
North Carolina Dance Alliance
PO Box 110
Raleigh, NC 27602-0110
www.ncdancealliance.org/
OHIODance
77 South High Street, 2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6108
Telephone: 614-224-2913
Telephone: 614-241-5329 (fax)
www.ohiodance.org
e-mail: ohiodance@hotmail.com
On the Boards
100 West Roy Street
Seattle, WA 98119-3830
Telephone: 206-217-9886
Telephone: 206-217-9887 (fax)
www.ontheboards.org
e-mail: info@ontheboards.org
Performance Space 122, Inc.
150 First Avenue, Front 2
New York, NY 10009-5782
Telephone: 212-477-5829
Telephone: 212-353-1315
www.ps122.org
e-mail: ps122@ps122.org
Performance Zone, Inc. (The Field)
161 Avenue of the Americas
Room 1405
New York, NY 10013-1205
Telephone: 212-691-6969
Telephone: 212-255-2053 (fax)
www.thefield.org
e-mail: info@thefield.org
Philadelphia Dance Alliance
1429 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-3218
Telephone: 215-564-5270
Telephone: 215-564-0479
www.philadancealliance.org
e-mail: dance@libertynet.org
Pittsburgh Dance Council, Inc. (part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust)
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
803 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3703
Telephone: 412-471-6070
Telephone: 412-471-6917 (fax)
www.pgharts.org
San Antonio Dance Umbrella
PO Box 830634
San Antonio, TX 78283-0634
106 Auditorium Circle, Suite 105
San Antonio, TX 78205-1342
Telephone: 210-212-6600
www.sadu.org
San Diego Area Dance Alliance
Spreckels Theatre Building
121 Broadway, Suite 324
San Diego, CA 92101-5088
Telephone: 619-230-8623
Telephone: 619-230-8455 (fax)
www.sandiegodance.org
e-mail: admin@sandiego.org
San Francisco Performing Arts Library
Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102-4522
Telephone: 415-255-4800
Telephone: 415-255-1913 (fax)
www.sfpalm.org
e-mail: info@sfpalm.org
Santa Barbara Dance Alliance
PO Box 22256
Santa Barbara, CA 93121-2256
1330 State Street, Suite 201
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2681
Telephone: 805-966-6950
www.sbdancealliance.org
Society of Dance History Scholars
3416 Primm Lane
Birmingham, AL 35216-5602
Telephone: 205-978-1404
Telephone: 205-823-2760 (fax)
www.sdhs.org
e-mail: sdhs@primemanagement.net
South Carolina Dance Association
1301 Columbia College Drive
Columbia, SC 29203-5949
Telephone: 868-472-5747
Telephone: 866-497-7373 (toll free)
www.scahperd.org/scda.html
e-mail: scahperd@scahperd.org
Tennessee Association of Dance
PO Box 4368
Chattanooga, TN 37605-0368
Telephone: 423-305-5223
www.tennesseedance.org
e-mail: info@tennesseedance.org
Wisconsin Dance Council
PO Box 707
Madison, WI 53701-0707
Telephone: 608-262-7392
www.wisconsindancecouncil.org
e-mail: info@wisconsindancecouncil.org
Event Planning Checklist
When planning an Innovative Choreographers stamp event, keep the following suggestions in mind:
n Begin planning immediately.
n Set a date.
n Secure participants (for example, postal employees who are interested in dance, owner of a local dance studio, dance instructor at a local school, etc.).
n Order enlargements of the stamp image, fliers, and other supplies for the event.
n Prepare a pictorial cancellation from the approved design provided in this kit.
n Secure staging and sound equipment, if applicable.
n Plan signage, including a podium sign and banners.
n Launch a local publicity campaign using the materials in this kit.
n Draft a sequence-of-events agenda and remarks for speakers.
n Plan retail opportunities that encourage sales of the stamp and related products.
n Prepare ceremony programs and invitations.
n Send news clippings to your area Corporate Communications representative.
Sample Media Advisory
Contact: [NAME]
(O) XXX-XXX-XXXX
(C) XXX-XXX-XXXX
@usps.gov
[NAME] Post Office Innovative Choreographers on Forever Stamp
WHAT: [FIRST-DAY-OF-SALE OR SPECIAL DEDICATION] ceremony for the Innovative Choreographers 45-cent First-Class Mail Forever stamp. The event is free and open to the public.
WHEN: [TIME, DATE]
WHERE: [LOCATION]
[ADDRESS]
[Provide website link of location if available]
WHO: Name(s) and title(s)
BACKGROUND: The U.S. Postal Service pays tribute to four influential choreographers: Isadora Duncan, José Limón, Katherine Dunham and Bob Fosse on the Innovative Choreographers stamp to coincide with National Dance Day.
[PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE EVENT SUCH AS THE NAMES OF DANCE STUDIO OR ORGANIZATION THAT WILL BE ATTENDING, ETC.]
# # #
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, USPS.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, Oxford Strategic Consulting ranked the U.S. Postal Service number one in overall service performance of the posts in the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
Follow the Postal Service on www.twitter.com/USPSstamps and at www.facebook.com/USPSSTAMPS
Sample Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE USPS Contact: [NAME]
DATE (O) XXX-XXX-XXXX
(C) XXX-XXX-XXXX
XXXX.X.XXXXX @usps.gov
www.usps.com/news
DANCE AFFILIATE MEDIA CONTACT NAME
(O) XXX-XXX-XXXX
(C) XXX-XXX-XXXX
EMAIL ADDRESS
Innovative Choreographers Get First-Class Stamp of Approval
[Name] Post Office Celebrates National Dance Day
[CITY, STATE] — The [NAME] Post Office celebrated National Dance Day during a special dedication of the Innovative Choreographers Forever stamp to honor four of the nation’s most influential choreographers: Isadora Duncan, José Limón, Katherine Dunham and Bob Fosse.
The [NAME] Post Office is here today to celebrate dance, one of the world’s oldest forms of expression. And dance is still alive in America — and the Postal Service is proud to help celebrate it.
Joining [NAME] at the dedication ceremony were [TITLE AND NAME] and members of [DANCE STUDIO, ORGANIZATION OR TROUPE, IF APPLICABLE].
[INSERT QUOTE FROM PARTICIPANT(S) HERE].
In 2012, the U.S. Postal Service pays tribute to four influential choreographers who changed the art of dance: Isadora Duncan, José Limón, Katherine Dunham and Bob Fosse. Isadora Duncan developed a seemingly spontaneous style that paved the way for modern dance. José Limón turned to literary and historical sources for inspiration and created dances in a naturalistic style, often commenting on sociopolitical realities. Katherine Dunham helped establish African-American dance as an art form. Bob Fosse, celebrated for directing and choreographing musicals on both stage and screen, made dance accessible to millions. Designed to look like posters advertising a performance, the stamp art captures the luminosity and mystery of a live dance performance. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps using illustrations in watercolor on vintage paper by artist James McMullan.
Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at Post Offices, at The Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:
Innovative Choreographers Stamp
Los Angeles District
7001 S. Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90052-9998
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by September 28, 2012.
Ordering First-Day Covers
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and postal stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic Catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:
U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Philatelic Products
There are seven philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
469163*, First Day Cover Set of 4, $3.56.
469168*, Digital Color Postmark Set of 4, $6.40.
469172, A Century of Dance (32-page soft cover), $15.95.
469184, Uncut Press Sheet, $81.00.
469191*, Ceremony Program (Random Single), $6.95.
469197*, Panel, $9.95.
469199*, Cancellation Keepsake (DCP Set of 4 w/Pane), $15.95.
Items with an asterisk (*) will use the 128 barcode from Stamp Fulfillment Services. All other philatelic products will continue to use barcode series A, with the exception of the Yearbook and the Guide Book.
# # #
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, USPS.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, Oxford Strategic Consulting ranked the U.S. Postal Service number one in overall service performance of the posts in the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
Follow the Postal Service on www.twitter.com/USPSstamps and at www.facebook.com/USPSSTAMPS
Sample Stamp Dedication Speech
United States Postal Service Innovative Choreographers Special Dedication Ceremony
[DATE]
[CITY, STATE]
Good [MORNING/AFTERNOON/EVENING]. My name is [NAME] and I’m [TITLE] for the United States Postal Service. Welcome to this event.
or
Thank you, [NAME], for your kind introduction. And thank you all for joining us for this event. [OPTIONAL: ADD A BRIEF COMMENT ABOUT HOW THIS LOCATION RELATES TO DANCE]
I also want to thank our special guests for joining us in [CITY/TOWN/TYPE OF SETTING].
In particular, I’m glad that our good friend(s) [NAME OF ELECTED OFFICIAL] is here, along with [OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED].
We’re here today to celebrate dance, one of the world’s oldest forms of expression.
People have danced for centuries. The Egyptians danced to appease the gods. The Greeks considered dance a hallmark of civilized society. Ballet began in the royal courts of old Europe.
These traditions endure. Today, dance is part of our everyday lives and our shared cultural experiences.
Many of us have fond memories of high school dances or dancing with loved ones at weddings and family reunions.
We also remember getting swept up in the dance crazes of the past. At some point, most of us have probably danced the Twist, the Electric Slide, or the Macarena.
We’ve also witnessed the power of dance to bring us together as a nation.
In the ’30s and ’40s, America went to the movies to see Fred and Ginger glide across the silver screen.
In the ’80s, we watched Michael Jackson moonwalk.
Today, millions tune in each week to watch shows like So You Think You Can Dance.
Dance is still alive in America — and the Postal Service is proud to help celebrate it.
In the past, we’ve issued stamps that honor dance styles like the cha-cha-cha, the mambo, and the salsa.
We’ve also paid tribute to magnificent choreographers like Alvin Ailey, Agnes de Mille, and Martha Graham.
Now, we’re continuing our celebration of dance by dedicating the Innovative Choreographers stamps.
This pane of stamps honors four pioneers from the world of dance: Isadora Duncan, José Limón, Katherine Dunham, and Bob Fosse.
We want more Americans to learn about these choreographers, their contributions, and their enduring legacies.
Consider Isadora Duncan, one of the mothers of modern dance. She began her career at the end of the 19th century, when women were constrained by corsets and dancing was characterized by formal, rigid movements.
Duncan would have none of this. She dared to dance barefoot and in loose-fitting clothing, letting her body display the human form’s natural movements.
Duncan ran. She skipped. She jumped.
She was a force of nature, and the techniques she developed are now fundamental to modern dance.
[Pause]
In many ways, José Limón picked up where Isadora Duncan left off.
He began his career as the modern dance movement was taking shape.
Like Duncan, Limón defied the traditions of ballet and the illusion that the human body could defy gravity.
He once said, “The weight of the body should be recognized and exploited. Its muscular effort … should be revealed.”
Limón also found inspiration in the world around him. In the 1950s, his troupe became the first to participate in the State Department’s international exchange program.
40 years after Limón’s death, his company is still teaching the world to dance.
[Pause]
Katherine Dunham also left us with an enduring legacy.
In the ’30s and ’40s, Dunham helped establish African-American dance as an art form.
She drew upon Caribbean and African dance traditions, combined them with ballet, and gave us the Dunham technique.
This unique style emphasizes the ability to move parts of the body in isolation. It helped Dunham make sure African-American dance is taken seriously.
Her technique is still taught today, reminding us of Dunham’s lasting contribution to the art of dance.
[Pause]
Bob Fosse also pushed boundaries and stretched possibilities.
Fosse’s style emphasized the individuality of his dancers. He specialized in showcasing small movements.
The snap of two fingers. The tip of a hat. The swivel of a hip.
Today, we still marvel as Fosse’s signature movements, along with the way he moved effortlessly between Broadway and cinema.
His landmark film Cabaret presented singing and dancing in a more realistic fashion.
His groundbreaking stage production Dancin’ was the first to connect dance numbers without a plot.
Fosse forever changed Hollywood and Broadway, and in the process, he made dance more accessible.
[Pause]
At the Postal Service, we hope these Innovative Choreographers stamps will achieve a similar goal.
We want to make dance more accessible, too.
That’s why I want to remind everyone that these stamps are Forever stamps. This means they’ll always be good for First-Class Mail postage, no matter what the rate.
We think this is fitting. Because great stamps, like great dancing, are timeless.
Thank you.
Stamp Artwork
To obtain stamp artwork, including color transparencies and enlargements, contact:
Dan Tracy
Dodge Color
4827 Rugby Ave., Ste. 100
Bethesda, MD 20814-3028
Telephone: 301-656-0025
Please plan ahead and allow time for production and shipping.
Pictorial Cancellation
The Postal Service has authorized a pictorial cancellation design for field use to help publicize the Innovative Choreographers Forever stamps. Post Offices planning events are encouraged to use the design depicted on this page. Offices can offer this cancellation through mail-back service for 30 days.
The Postal Service makes all unusual postmarking services known to collectors through advance publicity to avoid limiting the availability of those postmarks. Therefore, all pictorial cancellations must be reported to Stamp Development 3 weeks prior to local events.
Innovative Choreographers Station Pictorial Cancellation Art
To finalize the Innovative Choreographers Station pictorial cancellation art, insert the date and the city, state, and ZIP Code™ of the physical location of your event within the postmark circle. Refer to the unfinished and finished art on this page. Overall dimensions of the pictorial cancellation must not exceed 4 inches horizontally by 2 inches vertically. Collectors prefer the dimensions 3 1/2 inches by 1 inch.
National Postmark Commemorating Stamps — Just Dance!
A postmark commemorating the Innovative Choreographers stamps and paying tribute to dance will cancel all First-Class Mail stamps from Saturday, July 28 to Friday, August 31. The postmark image is below.
Philatelic Products
There are seven philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
n 469163*, First Day Cover Set of 4, $3.56.
n 469168*, Digital Color Postmark Set of 4, $6.40.
n 469172, A Century of Dance (32-page soft cover), $15.95.
n 469184, Uncut Press Sheet, $81.00.
n 469191*, Ceremony Program (Random Single), $6.95.
n 469197*, Panel, $9.95.
n 469199*, Cancellation Keepsake (DCP Set of
4 w/Pane), $15.95.
Items with an asterisk (*) will use the 128 barcode from Stamp Fulfillment Services. All other philatelic products will continue to use barcode series A, with the exception of the Yearbook and the Guide Book.
For information on how customers may purchase first- day covers, call 800-STAMP24 or visit www.usps.com
About the Stamps
n 25 million stamps will be printed.
n Art director Ethel Kessler (who also created the Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp) designed the stamps using illustrations by James McMullan (known for work at the Lincoln Center Theater in New York City).
Past Stamps That Have Paid Tribute to Dance
n American Dance — April 1978
(Ballet, Theater, Folk, Modern)
n American Indian Dances — June 1996
(Fancy Dance, Butterfly Dance, Traditional Dance, Raven Dance, Hoop Dance)
n Ballet — September 1998
n American Choreographers — May 2004
(Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Agnes de Mille, George Balanchine)
n Let’s Dance — September 2005
(Merengue, Salsa, Cha Cha, Mambo)
Postmasters wishing to invite members of Congress should contact their Government Relations Representative.
Congressional State Representative Listing
202-268-xxxx
Following are contacts to request Corporate Communications assistance in publicizing events.
Capital Metro
George Maffett
e-mail: george.t.maffett@usps.gov
Telephone: 301-548-1465
Eastern
Paul Smith
e-mail: paul.f.smith@usps.gov
Telephone: 215-863-5055
Great Lakes
Victor Dubina
e-mail: victor.dubina@usps.gov
Telephone: 216-443-4596
Pacific
Don Smeraldi
e-mail: don.a.smeraldi@usps.gov
Telephone: 858-674-3149
Northeast
Maureen Marion
e-mail: maureen.p.marion@usps.gov
Telephone: 860-285-7029
Southern
Earl Artis
e-mail: earl.c.artis@usps.gov
Telephone: 214-819-8704
Western
Teresa Rudkin
e-mail: teresa.rudkin@usps.gov
Telephone: 303-313-5130
— Public Relations,
Corporate Communications, 7-12-12
