Minimalism, savagery, the raw and the cooked, the primal and the pre-verbal, Elvis’s hips, The Rite of Spring . . . Earth Dances is an original investigation of how music and primitivism intersect – a dazzling journey through music and culture. With alternating chapters of criticism and interviews, including with Liza Lim and Brian Eno, composer and broadcaster Andrew Ford explores the relationship between primal forms of music and the most refined examples of the art – between passion and control. He looks at the voice, the drum, the drone and the dance, at ‘music that is in touch with something fundamental in our existence, music that seeks and rediscovers the earthy side of our nature, the primitive, the “simple, rude or rough”, and in doing so restores and resets our humanity’. ‘The perfect, knowledgeable, enthusiastic friend . . . I couldn’t put it down!’ —David Robertson ‘Much has been made of the search for the lost chord. But chords are sophisticated structures. Earth Dances documents Andrew Ford’s intrepid quest for the lost thud, and the lost scream . . . Music can’t survive without primitivism. It is the bushfire clearing overgrown and cluttered musical landscapes, paring them to essentials. This results in fresh structures, materials and practices that lead us to the place we belong.’ —Brian Ritchie, Violent Femmes, MONA FOMA ‘Earth Dances is a vivid and rarely less than astute history of the debt modern music simultaneously owes to the inheritances of tradition, and the texture of dissonance.’ —Kill Your Darlings ‘Filled with insightful musical analysis made accessible for a general audience.’ —Sydney Morning Herald

Anna Halprin, vanguard postmodern dancer turned community artist and healer, has created ground-breaking dances with communities all over the world. Here, she presents her philosophy and experience, as well as step-by-step processes for bringing people together to create dances that foster individual and group well-being. At the heart of this book are accounts of two dances: the Planetary Dance, which continues to be performed throughout the world, and Circle the Earth. The Circle the Earth workshop for people living with AIDS has generated dozens of "scores" for others to adapt. In addition, the book provides a concrete guide to Halprin's celebrated Planetary Dance. Now more than 35 years old, Planetary Dance promotes peace among people and peace with the Earth. Open to everyone, it has been performed in more than 50 countries. In 1995 more than 400 participants joined her in a Planetary Dance in Berlin commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Potsdam Agreements, at the end of World War II. More recently, she took the Planetary Dance to Israel, bringing together Israelis and Palestinians as well as other nationalities. Throughout this book Halprin shows how dance can be a powerful tool for healing, learning and mobilizing change, and she offers insight and advice on facilitating groups. If we are to survive, Halprin argues, we must learn, experientially, how our individual stories weave together and strengthen the fabric of our collective body. Generously illustrated with photographs, charts and scores, this book will be a boon to dance therapists, educators and community artists of all types.

Contemporary Dance Lighting: The Poetry and the Nitty-Gritty dynamically guides students toward aesthetically, creatively, and skillfully becoming lighting designers for dance in the 21st century. The book is organized in three parts, covering everything from the aesthetic considerations of lighting for dance to the tools and technology designers use to create compelling artistry. Part I, "Beginnings" establishes context, explaining the structure of the book and illuminating the history of contemporary dance and lighting. Part II, "The Poetry" elaborates on the key artistic and aesthetic elements of contemporary dance lighting: visual narrative; controllable functions and qualities of light; use of space, color, and time; importance and intricacies of collaboration; and continual effects and evolution of technology. Part III, "The Nitty-Gritty" steers students through the technical knowledge and skills necessary to design lighting, including understanding your tools and positioning instruments; creating layered light plots; organizing extensive paperwork; and archiving. The dance Artifice, choreographed by Jerry Pearson, is sequentially explored throughout the book to convey key concepts. "Further Reflections" conclude each chapter, written by a diverse group of renowned professionals, inviting young designers directly into the world of lighting design. This textbook is for use in Lighting Design and Design for Dance Lighting courses at the university level, along with professional training programs.

An Ojibwe girl practices her dance steps, gets help from her family, and is inspired by the soaring flight of Migizi, the eagle, as she prepares for her first powwow.

Here you will find a celebration of drumming, singing, dancing--a celebration of living. In Earth Dance Drum, the authors describe timeless truths as they relate to the powerful dances of the Native American Powwow. Through tribal wisdom and dances, poetry and stories, you will strengthen you connection to Mother Earth and Spirit World. Illustrations, photos.