In her first posthumous work, the revered poet crafts a personal history of Black dance and captures the careers of legendary dancers along with her own rhythmic beginnings. Many learned of Ntozake Shange’s ability to blend movement with words when her acclaimed choreopoem for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf made its way to Broadway in 1976, eventually winning an Obie Award the following year. But before she found fame as a writer, poet, performer, dancer, and storyteller, she was an untrained student who found her footing in others’ classrooms. Dance We Do is a tribute to those who taught her and her passion for rhythm, movement, and dance. After 20 years of research, writing, and devotion, Ntozake Shange tells her history of Black dance through a series of portraits of the dancers who trained her, moved with her, and inspired her to share the power of the Black body with her audience. Shange celebrates and honors the contributions of the often unrecognized pioneers who continued the path Katherine Dunham paved through the twentieth century. Dance We Do features a stunning photo insert along with personal interviews with Mickey Davidson, Halifu Osumare, Camille Brown, and Dianne McIntyre. In what is now one of her final works, Ntozake Shange welcomes the reader into the world she loved best.

Surveys the history of black dance in America, from its beginnings with the ritual dances of African slaves, through tap and modern dance to break dancing. Includes brief biographies of influential dancers and companies.

This pictorial history of African-American dance traces its roots back to a time of slavery and lists its characteristics, which now dominate American dance. The photographs offer compelling glimpses into the world of slavery, the minstrel show, the honky-tonk and jook, and much more.

This volume is a comprehensive history of of Southern Plains powwow culture - an interdisciplinary, highly collaborative ethnography based on more than two decades of participiation in powwows - addressing how the powwow has changed over time.

Dance should be "art and entertainment," said Alvin Ailey, creative genius behind the world-famous Alvin Ailey Dance Theater company. Colorful, energetic, and theatrical, Ailey's work appeals to people from all walks of life -- and his dances celebrate the richness of African-American history and culture. The stars did not always shine on Ailey, who was born into a world of poverty and racism. Despite the twists and turns of his life, Ailey never lost sight of his dream. In the years since Ailey's death, his dance company has continued to showcase his unique vision. For this real-life success story, author Barbara C. Cruz paints an animated, candid portrait of one of the most popular and acclaimed dancers and choreographers in the world. Book jacket.