The Federal Dance Theatre in New York City: Legislative and administrative obstacles

Established in 1936 as part of the Federal Theatre Project, the Federal Dance Theatre (FDT) was besieged by legislative and administrative obstacles throughout its entire existence. The Dance Theatre's administration and relationship to the government was erratic: the first FDT director lasted only 11 months, WPA quotas were set and altered, theaters were allotted and rescinded, and unions' leaders shifted allegiances. These difficulties indicate an uneasy relationship between politics and the arts. This thesis documents the artistic, legislative and administrative problems encountered by the project; it raises questions about the government's relationship to the arts, the planning of the Dance Theatre, and the inevitability of the Theatre Projects demise.