A beautiful stage can be a perilous place, if someone is jealous enough. Mandy Westbrook, dance team member at Soaring High, experiences mean pranks and cyberbullying, culminating in an epic, injurious debacle. Who is the culprit? Mandy and her friends try to guess. Mandy’s fellow dancer and BFF, Zara, pursues finding her birth mother. Josephine, another dancer, wonders if her dad will ever get sober.

Embark on a captivating exploration of the diverse and enriching world of hobbies. In ‘Hobbies,’ we delve into the fascinating realm of leisure pursuits that captivate hearts, expand horizons, and ignite creativity. From the soothing strokes of a paintbrush on canvas to the exhilarating rush of conquering mountain peaks, this book unveils the secrets to finding your perfect pastime. This book serves as a compass for both beginners seeking inspiration and enthusiasts looking to deepen their engagement. Unearth the profound psychological benefits of engaging in hobbies, as they become windows to self-discovery, stress relief, and enhanced well-being. Whether you’re yearning to lose yourself in the mesmerizing world of dance, venture into the culinary arts, or explore the cosmos through stargazing, this book is your trusted companion on the journey to cultivating a fulfilling and joyous life. Unveil the stories of remarkable individuals who have harnessed the power of hobbies to ignite their creativity and amplify their talents. ‘Hobbies’ invites you to embrace the art of balance, offering practical tips on integrating hobbies seamlessly into your busy life while reaping the profound rewards they offer.

In her unique collection of the verbal language of dance practitioners and researchers, Valerie Preston-Dunlop presents a comprehensive view of people in dance: what they do, their movement, their sound, and the space in which they work - from the standpoint of the performers, choreographers, audiences, administrators, and teachers. The words and phrases of their technical and vernacular languages, which are used to communicate what is essentially a non-verbal activity, have been collected in rehearsal classes and workshops by interviews, and from published sources. In this first collection of its kind Valerie Preston-Dunlop extends her selection of verbal language to include the various social and theatrical domains of dance.

A concise introduction to the study of dance ranging from the practical aspects such as technique and choreography to more theoretical considerations such as aesthetic appreciation and the place of dance in different cultures. This book answers questions such as: Exactly how do we define dance? What kinds of people dance and what kind of training is necessary? How are dances made? What do we know about dance history? Featuring a glossary, chronology of dance history and list of useful websites, this book is the ideal starting point for anyone interested in the study of dance.

From Oklahoma! and West Side Story, to Spring Awakening and Hamilton, dance remains one of the most important and key factors in musical theatre. Through the integration of song and dance in the 'dream ballets' of choreographers like Agnes De Mille; the triple threat performances of Jerome Robbins' dancers; the signature style creation by choreographers like Bob Fosse with dancers like Gwen Verdon; and the contemporary, identity-driven work of choreographers like Camille A. Brown, the history of the body in movement is one that begs study and appreciation. Dance in Musical Theatre offers guidelines in how to read this movement by analyzing it in terms of composition and movement vocabulary whilst simultaneously situating it both historically and critically. This collection provides the tools, terms, history, and movement theory for reading, interpreting, and centralizing a discussion of dance in musical theatre, importantly, with added emphasis on women and artists of color. Bringing together musical theatre and dance scholars, choreographers and practitioners, this edited collection highlights musical theatre case studies that employ dance in a dramaturgically essential manner, tracking the emergence of the dancer as a key figure in the genre, and connecting the contributions to past and present choreographers. This collection foregrounds the work of the ensemble, incorporating firsthand and autoethnographic accounts that intersect with historical and cultural contexts. Through a selection of essays, this volume conceptualizes the function of dance in musical: how it functions diegetically as a part of the story or non-diegetically as an amplification of emotion, as well as how the dancing body works to reveal character psychology by expressing an unspoken aspect of the libretto, embodying emotions or ideas through metaphor or abstraction. Dance in Musical Theatre makes dance language accessible for instructors, students, and musical theatre enthusiasts, providing the tools to critically engage with the work of important choreographers and dancers from the beginning of the 20th century to today.

Focuses on hip, edgy urban street dancing.

Click here to listen to Julia Ericksen's interview about Dance with Me on Philadelphia NPR's "Radio Times" Rumba music starts and a floor full of dancers alternate clinging to one another and turning away. Rumba is an erotic dance, and the mood is hot and heavy; the women bend and hyperextend their legs as they twist and turn around their partners. Amateur and professional ballroom dancers alike compete in a highly gendered display of intimacy, romance and sexual passion. In Dance With Me, Julia Ericksen, a competitive ballroom dancer herself, takes the reader onto the competition floor and into the lights and the glamour of a world of tanned bodies and glittering attire, exploring the allure of this hyper-competitive, difficult, and often expensive activity. In a vivid ethnography accompanied by beautiful photographs of all levels of dancers, from the world’s top competitors to social dancers, Ericksen examines the ways emotional labor is used to create intimacy between professional partners and between professionals and their students, illustrating how dancers purchase intimacy. She shows that, while at first glance, ballroom presents a highly gendered face with men leading and women following, dancing also transgresses gender.