International Performing Arts Resources
An introduction to researching music, theater, and dance from across the globe
Find Introductory Information
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Garland Encyclopedia of World Music OnlineContains global music references and ethnomusicology basics with individual reference volumes for major world regions.
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Concise Oxford Companion to the TheatreEntries ranging from 1900 to present day about popular music, performers, theatrical trends, and more.
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International Encyclopedia of DanceContains entries written by scholars from fifty countries about all areas of dance, including dance styles, choreography costumes, and music.
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Encyclopedia of Popular MusicEntries covering all periods and genres of popular music, trends, record labels, and festivals from 1900 to the present.
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The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and PerformanceCovers the history of theater from around the world, including technical aspects, dramatists, directors, opera, radio and television.
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World Encyclopedia of Puppetry ArtsOver 1,000 articles covering puppetry techniques, history of puppets, characters, and writers.
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Dictionary Plus Performing ArtsA recently published, ongoing dictionary about types of performing arts, genres, performers, and companies.
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The Grove Dictionary of Musical InstrumentsLargest, most comprehensive reference on musical instruments with coverage on their builders, performance, manufacturing, and history.
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Oxford Dictionary of DanceEncompasses world dance with an emphasis on dance performance in theater.
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Oxford Music OnlineGateway to Grove Music Online, the Oxford Dictionary of Music and the Oxford Companion to Music. Outlines the history and culture of music around the world in over 51,000 articles.
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The Oxford Dictionary of PlaysOver 1,000 entries about plays, providing basic information like plot, cast, setting, and dates of performance.
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A History of World Theater by Margot Berthold; Edith Simmons (Translator)
Call Number: 808.2 B542 tS59 (Hatcher Library)Examines the history of theater in Islamic civilizations, Indonesia, India, East Asia, Greece and Rome, in the Byzantine Empire and Europe of the Middle Ages across all genres until the Baroque period. -
The Performing Arts: Music and Dance by John Blacking (Editor); Joann W. Kealiinohomoko (Editor)
Call Number: Ebook OnlyAnthology of essays about various performing arts from across the world, like Vietnamese folk songs, Armenian dances, and the Zulu Ngoma music. -
Dancing from Past to Present by Theresa Jill Buckland (Editor)
Call Number: GV 1601 .D36 2006 (Music Library)Collection of ethnographic essays examining the role of dance in shaping cultures and national identity from various regions, such as Indonesia, India, and Macedonia. -
Voices of Forgotten Worlds: Traditional Music of Indigenous People by United Nations Staff; Decade of Indigenous People Staff
Call Number: ML 3545 .V6511 1993 (Music Library)Covers indigenous performers and music traditions from across the globe, including the Tuva, Aboriginal Australians, and Inuit peoples. Includes eighty photographs and a CD with field recordings of music.
Last Updated: Dec 10, 2025 12:21 PM
Subjects: Arts, International Studies
Tags: dance, drama, music, performing arts, theater, theatre, world music