In 1973 a group of dance critics attending a Philadelphia arts conference saw a need for an organization to represent them. DCA was formally established in 1974 and held a convention at the McAlpin Hotel in New York City. William Littler was named president and Patrick O'Connor conference chairman. Founding board members also included Walter Terry, Paula Shapiro, Selma Jeanne Cohen, Rose Ann Thom, Rita Katz Farrell, Suzanne Shelton and Don McDonagh.

Patrick O'Connor and Paula Shapiro subsequently organized a conference in 1975 at New York University, with help from George Jackson, George Dorris and Doris Diether. O'Connor became DCA president at that conference.

DCA languished for a time, until a cadre of board members (Cohen, Farrell, Shapiro, Shelton, Stern, and Thom) determined to revive the organization. With the help of a resuscitated conference committee that included Don McDonagh and Phyllis Stern, the 1978 conference at the Piccadilly Hotel in New York City brought DCA together again.

Those who attended the business meetings (one chaired by Lee Stern, one by George Jackson) wanted to strengthen the organization so that it couldn't disappear so easily again. Those on the slate presented by the nominating committee were elected as the new board of directors: Kitty Cunningham, Iris Fanger, Deborah Jowitt, Alan M. Kriegsman, Jean Nuchtern, Allen Robertson, Marcia B. Siegel, Tobi Tobias and David Vaughan.

The new board, meeting at the close of the conference, elected the following officers for 1978-79:

David Vaughan and Iris Fanger, Co-Presiding officers

Deborah Jowitt, Treasurer

Kitty Cunningham, Corresponding Secretary

Alan M. Kriegsman, Recording Secretary

Marcia B. Siegel and Tobi Tobias, Newsletter Co-editors

Sally Banes and Glenn Giffin agreed to chair the membership committee, and John Mueller agreed to work with Alan M. Kriegsman on exploring sources of funding. The board pledged to produce another conference in 1979-80 and to begin to make some of its other plans and goals a reality.