From ballet and Balanchine to tap and swing, a treasury of unforgettable writing about the beauty and magic of American dance. From the beginning, American dance has been an exciting fusion of many disparate influences, with European traditions of ballet and social dancing encountering Native American rituals and African American improvisations to create something new and extraordinary. In this landmark collection, dance critic Mindy Aloff brings together an astonishing array of writers—dancers and dance creators, impresarios and critics, and enthusiastic literary observers—to tell the remarkable story of the artistry, innovation, and sheer joy of a great American art form. Here is dance in its many varieties and locales: from tap and swing to ballet and modern dance, from Five Points to Radio City Music Hall, and from the Lindy Hop to Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk. With 100 selections spanning three centuries, this is the biggest and best anthology on American dance ever published. Here are the most acclaimed dance critics, including Edwin Denby, Joan Acocella, Lincoln Kirstein, Jill Johnston, and Clive Barnes; the most inventive and influential choreographers and dancers, among them George Balanchine, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Allegra Kent, and Mikhail Baryshnikov; and a dazzling roster of literary figures, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, Hart Crane, Edmund Wilson, Langston Hughes, and Susan Sontag. Here too are rare and hard-to-find texts, several previously unpublished, among them Jerome Robbins’s reflections on the secret of choreography and an inspiring commencement address from Mark Morris. Brilliant profiles of unforgettable performers—Stuart Hodes on Martha Graham; John Updike on Gene Kelly; Alastair Macaulay on Michael Jackson—join incisive, often deeply personal pieces—Zora Neale Hurston on hoodoo ritual; Arlene Croce on dance in film; Yehuda Hyman on Hasidic dances—to form a one-of-kind reading experience every dance lover will cherish. A twelve-page color insert presents iconic photographs of key figures from Isadora Duncan to Michael Jackson.

This new collection of essays surveys the history of dance in an innovative and wide-ranging fashion. Editors Dils and Albright address the current dearth of comprehensive teaching material in the dance history field through the creation of a multifaceted, non-linear, yet well-structured and comprehensive survey of select moments in the development of both American and World dance. This book is illustrated with over 50 photographs, and would make an ideal text for undergraduate classes in dance ethnography, criticism or appreciation, as well as dance history—particularly those with a cross-cultural, contemporary, or an American focus. The reader is organized into four thematic sections which allow for varied and individualized course use: Thinking about Dance History: Theories and Practices, World Dance Traditions, America Dancing, and Contemporary Dance: Global Contexts. The editors have structured the readings with the understanding that contemporary theory has thoroughly questioned the discursive construction of history and the resultant canonization of certain dances, texts and points of view. The historical readings are presented in a way that encourages thoughtful analysis and allows the opportunity for critical engagement with the text. Ebook Edition Note: Ebook edition note: Five essays have been redacted, including “The Belly Dance: Ancient Ritual to Cabaret Performance,” by Shawna Helland; “Epitome of Korean Folk Dance”, by Lee Kyong-Hee; “Juba and American Minstrelsy,” by Marian Hannah Winter; “The Natural Body,” by Ann Daly; and “Butoh: ‘Twenty Years Ago We Were Crazy, Dirty, and Mad’,”by Bonnie Sue Stein. Eleven of the 41 illustrations in the book have also been redacted.

The American Voice looks to find the vital edge of modern American writing. The journal, whose contributors come from the U.S., Canada, and Latin America, often publishes work by writers denied access to mainstream journals. Writings from its pages have been regularly reprinted in prize annuals such as The Pushcart Prize, Best American Poetry, and Best American Essays. This fifteenth anniversary anthology collects eighty poems from some of the most original and daring writers of our time. The anthology's contributors range from the world famous Jorge Luis Borges, Marge Piercy, May Swenson to the newly emerging Marie Sheppard Williams, Suzanne Gardinier, Robyn Selman and from the nationally read Wendell Berry, Reynolds Price, Barbara Kingsolver to the distinctly regional George Ella Lyon, Jane Gentry, James Still. This volume brings together some of the best selections from an award-winning journal, making clear why Small Press dubbed The American Voice one of the "most impressive journals in the country."

The Belly Dance Reader is an anthology of essays from many of the leaders in our Middle Eastern music and dance community. The contributors range from PhD scholars to hobbyists. This book is illustrated with hundreds of photos and artwork from current to vintage, including various sub-styles of the dance, gathered from around the world. Subjects covered include: An introduction, dancing at various ages and stages, history, costuming and appearance, regional and sub styles of the dance, theory and technique, as well as valuable resources such as Arabic scales and rhythms, glossary, maps and more.Belly Dance Reader ContentsSection 1 - An Introduction* Gamar a poem by Beatrice Parvin of the UK* Welcome to Bellydance by Najia* Belly Dance and Contemporary Dance Studies by Barbara Sellers-Young PhD* Reading Like a Researcher, Can You Trust Your Sources? by Mahsati* Orientalism, Zumarrad's Completely Non-scholarly Quick & Dirty Guide by Brigid Kelly* The Soul of Belly Dance, The Most Importatnt Thing is the Feeling by Alia ThabitSection 2-Dancing Through the Stages of Your Life* Teaching Children to Dance, Joys and Pitfalls by Martha Duran* A Dancer's Journey, From Beginner to Semi-Pro by Elianae Stone* The Teacher-Student Relationship, A Psychological Point of View by Izzah Isabelle Gagnon PhD* Bellydance Class... or Cult? Artwork by Leela Corman* Turning Pro, From Hobbyist to Star to Teacher by Lauren and Jillina* Boomerang Career, Life and Dance in the Land Down-Under (Pro to Teacher/Hobbyist) by Amera of Australia* It Ain't Easy being the Crone by Shelley MuzzySection 3-History* "Harem Girls", Dance in Historical Harems, Early 1700s - Early 1900s by Andrea Deagon PhD* The American Belly Dancer in Early Burlesque and Vaudeville Theatre by Catherine Mary Scheelar (married name here)* Belly Dance as a Performance, Historical Phenomenon or Logical Evolution? by Iana Komarnytska* Dancer Trading Cards- Artwork by Leela Corman, Stats by SausanSection 4-Biz* What a Band Needs, But Doesn't Always Get by Denise Mannion of Pangia* Dancing with Live Bands, The Little Book of Etiquette by Leyla Lanty* Selling your Dance, A Series of Elevator Pitches by Athena* Marketing Belly Dance for Fitness, Is It A Good Idea? by Mayada* Tip O' the Hat to Tipping, Practices of Appreciation by Samira SharukSection 5-Costume & Appearance* Raqqin the Retro, Vintage Costume Care by Princess Farhana* Omani Jewelry from the Collection of Nancy Hernandez Photography by Alisha Westerfeld* Practice Makes Perfection, Make up Artists Share Their Secrets by Davina ~ Dawn Devine* A Costume GallerySection 6- Regional Styles* Beyond Sequins, Meaning in the Movement by Yasmina Ramzy* The Rom, Nomads of the Spirit by Sierra (Sadira) Suraci* Romani (Gypsy) History An Introduction by Renee Rothman* The Zar, Dancing with Genies by Yasmin Hekesh* In Search of Zambra Mora by Dondi Dahlin* Improvisational Tribal Style, Constructing Self and Community by April Rose* The Ghawazi by Jalilah* Two Weddings and a Dancer, The Beledi and The City by Leila Farid* Zeffat Al 'Aroosa, Ritual Procession for the Egyptian Wedding by Sahra Carolee KentSection 7-Theory & Technique* Belly Dance Motivations, Context and Content of Performance by Jezibell Anat* Contextualizing, Giving Your Dance Context! by DaVid of Scandinavia* Performance Enhancement by Mahsati* How to Balance Anything! by Stasha Vlasuk* Improvising with Ease, Strategies that Work by Anthea Kawakib Poole* Shimmylab, Muscular Activation Patterns in Belly Dance by Venus Marilee Nugent* Are the Stars Out Tonight? Fitting Music & Dance to Your Gig by NajiaThe Backside* Maps- Sahra's Regional Dances of Egypt, The Mid East, Mediterranean, and North Africa* A Few Maqamat and Rhythms* References, A Bibliography Project, Bonus Material, Disclaimers, Errata* Gig Form* A Glossary of Common Belly Dance Terms* Contributors Bios* Photo Credits* Late Additions photos

In this "dazzling anthology" (Publishers Weekly), Daryl Cumber Dance has collected the often hard-hitting, sometimes risqué, always dramatic humor that arises from the depth of black women's souls and the breadth of their lives. The eloquent wit and laughter of African American women are presented here in all their written and spoken manifestations: autobiographies, novels, essays, poems, speeches, comic routines, proverbial sayings, cartoons, mimeographed sheets, and folk tales. The chapters proceed thematically, covering the church, love, civil rights, motherly advice, and much more.

Africans brought as slaves to North America arrived without possessions, but not without culture. The fascinating elements of African life manifested themselves richly in the New World, and among the most lasting and influential of these was the art of African dance. This generously illustrated history follows the dynamics of African dance forms throughout each generation. Early chapters discuss the African continent and the heritage of African American dance; the discrimination and marginalization of African Americans and the fortitude with which their dance forms survived; and black dance in the slavery era and later in the nineteenth century. Remaining chapters outline ten major characteristics that have consistently marked African American dance, and describe the various styles of black vernacular dance that became popular in America. The book concludes with a discussion of African dance at the end of the twentieth century and its important role in the flowering of African American arts. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

The Legat Legacy brings back into print two classic works that offer rare insights into the golden age of Russian ballet. The first, Ballet Russe: Memoirs of Nicolas Legat, takes readers into the last three decades of the Imperial Ballet before the 1917 Russian Revolution. Written by Nicolas Legat (1869-1937), one of the great creative geniuses of classical ballet, these memoirs recount Legat's experiences as principal dancer before he fled to Europe to escape the Russian Civil War. The book is filled with memorable character descriptions and includes some of Legat's unique, celebrated caricatures. The second, Heritage of a Ballet Master: Nicolas Legat, is a valuable testament to Legat's classroom pedagogy. Assembled by Legat student, professional dancer, and prolific author John Gregory (1914-1996) to showcase the four complete classes that Legat wrote out by hand for his student the ballet star André Eglevsky (1917-1977), this book also features several Legat classes remembered by other students. In addition, it contains music for the classes, Legat's drawings, photographs of him in performance, and other archival material. It includes a brief biography of Legat and fascinating remembrances from his former students, among them Alicia Markova and Léonide Massine, and a forward by Alexandra Danilova. Marked by their variety and musicality, Legat's teachings are preserved here for future generations of dancers to discover.