Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (b. 1960) founded her dance company, Rosas, in 1983. Her work is grounded on a rigorous exploration of the relationship between dance and music, and over the years she has engaged the musical structures and scores of different periods and genres, from early music to contemporary expressions of classical and popular music. Her choreographic practice draws from geometric principles, nature, and social structures to offer unique perspectives on the articulation of the body in space and time. The minimalism of De Keersmaeker's earliest pieces gave way over the years to ingenious constructions for large ensembles. Then in 2007, the choreography underwent a fundamental change with the emergence of a new kind of minimalism, a paring down to essential principles of sparseness; the spatial constraints of geometric patterns; an unwavering commitment to elementary gestures, notably walking, breathing, and speaking; and a close adherence to a score, musical or otherwise, for the choreographic writing. Photographers Anne Van Aerschot and Herman Sorgeloos were privileged witnesses to this process, and their images, gathered here for the first time, offer an exceptionally acute look at Rosas's work over the last decade. Distributed for Mercatorfonds

In "Agency and Embodiment," Carrie Noland examines the ways in which culture is both embodied and challenged through the corporeal performance of gestures. Arguing against the constructivist metaphor of bodily inscription dominant since Foucault, Noland maintains that kinesthetic experience, produced by acts of embodied gesturing, places pressure on the conditioning a body receives, encouraging variations in cultural practice that cannot otherwise be explained.

Drawing on work in disciplines as diverse as dance and movement theory, phenomenology, cognitive science, and literary criticism, Noland argues that kinesthesia feeling the body move encourages experiment, modification, and, at times, rejection of the routine. Noland privileges corporeal performance and the sensory experience it affords in order to find a way beyond constructivist theory s inability to produce a convincing account of agency. She observes that despite the impact of social conditioning, human beings continue to invent surprising new ways of altering the inscribed behaviors they are called on to perform. Through lucid close readings of Marcel Mauss, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Bill Viola, Andre Leroi-Gourhan, Henri Michaux, Judith Butler, Frantz Fanon, Jacques Derrida, and contemporary digital artist Camille Utterback, Noland illustrates her provocative thesis, addressing issues of concern to scholars in critical theory, performance studies, anthropology, and visual studies.

Dancing with Merce Cunningham is a buoyant, captivating memoir of a talented dancer's lifelong friendship with one of the choreographic geniuses of our time. Marianne Preger-Simon's story begins amid the explosion of artistic creativity that followed World War II. While immersed in the vibrant arts scene of postwar Paris during a college year abroad, Preger-Simon was so struck by the unconventional dance style of choreographer Merce Cunningham that she joined his classes in New York. She soon became an important member of his brand new dance troupe - and a constant friend. Through her experiences in the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Preger-Simon offers a rare account of exactly how Cunningham taught and interacted with his students. She describes the puzzled reactions of audiences to the novel non-narrative choreography of the company's debut performances. She also portrays the relationships among the company's dancers, designers, and musicians, many of whom - including John Cage, David Tudor, and Carolyn Brown - would become integral to the avant-garde arts movement, telling tales of their adventures and conversations touring in a VW Microbus across the United States. Finally, reflecting on her connection with Cunningham throughout the latter part of his career, Preger-Simon recalls warm moments that continued to characterize their enduring friendship. Her memoir is an intimate look at the early years of one of the most influential companies in modern American dance and the brilliance of its visionary leader.

'What a multi-sensory pleasure in learning! I will be a better teacher and better clinician using what I am learning from this book.' Carol M Davis DPT, EdD, MS, FAPTA The emerging science of biotensegrity provides a fresh context for re-thinking our understanding of human movement, but its complexities can be formidable. Bodywork and movement professionals looking for an accessible and relevant guide to the concept and application of biotensegrity need look no further than Everything Moves: How biotensegrity informs human movement. In order to work with our own bodies and the bodies of our students, clients and teams most effectively, we need to understand the nature of our human structure. Everything Moves offers the enquiring bodyworker or movement professional, who wants to take their understanding of how to apply biotensegrity in their work to the next level, a practical and relatable guide to the biotensegral nature of our bodies, in which all of the parts are one, yet all are constantly changing. Throughout Everything Moves, concepts and ideas are presented with activities and exercises to make them tangible, accessible and applicable. The material presented is suitable for coaches and movement teachers new to biotensegrity, as well as those with more advanced levels of understanding. Whether your focus is performance, sports, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, yoga, Pilates, martial arts, or dance, any arena in which bodies move can be informed by Everything Moves!

Functional Awareness: Anatomy in Action for Dancers is where anatomy meets artistry. Each chapter provides explorations in embodied anatomy in an engaging manner with the use of images, storytelling, and experiential exercises. It is an accessible introduction to the relationship between daily movement habits, dance training and anatomy. The information is founded on over 30,000 hours of experience teaching and training dancers to generate efficient exertion and appropriate recuperation. Functional Awareness: Anatomy in Action for Dancers employs somatic practices along with explorations in experiential anatomy to awaken the body-mind connection and improve movement function. The book applies the Functional Awareness (R) approach to improve dance technique and provide skills to enable the dancer to move with balance and grace in the classroom, on stage, and in daily life.

The mystery of the body in motion. The surprise of seeing what seems impossible. And the pure, joyful optimism of it all. "Dancers Among Us" presents one thrilling photograph after another of dancers leaping, spinning, lifting, kicking - but in the midst of daily life: on the beach, at a construction site, in a library, a restaurant, a park. With each image the reader feels buoyed up, eager to see the next bit of magic. Photographer Jordan Matter started his Dancers Among Us Project by asking a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company to dance for him in a place where dance is unexpected. So, dressed in a commuter's suit and tie, the dancer flew across a Times Square subway platform. And in that image Matter found what he'd been searching for: a way to express the feeling of being fully alive in the moment, unself-conscious, present. Organized around themes of work, play, love, exploration, dreaming, and more, "Dancers Among Us" celebrates life in a way that's fresh, surprising, original, universal. There's no photo-shopping here, no trampolines, no gimmicks, no tricks. Just a photographer, his vision, and the serendipity of what happens when the shutter clicks.

This book covers ballet and modern dance as it developed across the US, England, Canada and Australia. Entries reference all English-language periodicals in which the dancer or choreographer appears. Birth and death dates are also given for each dancer when known, plus dates in which the dancer flourished.

A distinguished dance critic offers an enchanting introduction to the art of ballet As much as we may enjoy Swan Lake or The Nutcracker, for many of us ballet is a foreign language. It communicates through movement, not words, and its history lies almost entirely abroad-in Russia, Italy, and France. In Celestial Bodies, dance critic Laura Jacobs makes the foreign familiar, providing a lively, poetic, and uniquely accessible introduction to the world of classical dance. Combining history, interviews with dancers, technical definitions, descriptions of performances, and personal stories, Jacobs offers an intimate and passionate guide to watching ballet and understanding the central elements of choreography. Beautifully written and elegantly illustrated with original drawings, Celestial Bodies is essential reading for all lovers of this magnificent art form.

Every dancer of every age, ability, and style should be able to engage fully in the act of dancing and be encouraged to achieve their potential without risk of harm to the body or mind. Practical information on all aspects of safe practice that is not too simplistic or complex has not always been easy to find. Enter Safe Dance Practice, by Edel Quin, Sonia Rafferty, and Charlotte Tomlinson. With nearly 60 years of collective experience in the dance profession as creative artists, teachers, and researchers, the authors translate extensive research and evidence-based practice in order to present the principles of safe practice that are essential to any dance experience. Guidelines in Implementing Principles The authors offer evidence-based guidelines on implementing diverse principles in practice, informing and supporting dance practitioners in an ever-growing pool of styles and genres. These guidelines and principles are of use not only to dancers and dance educators but also to choreographers, rehearsal and company directors, and studio managers. The information is underpinned by research in dance science and applied with contextual delivery in mind, ensuring an engaging experience for those accessing the book. Benefits to Readers The authors guide readers in these aspects: * Facilitating a physically and psychologically safe and supportive dance environment * Understanding principles of anatomy and biomechanically sound alignment * Implementing effective physiological preparation and progression through warm-up and cool-down protocols as well as supplementary fitness and conditioning * Minimizing risk of injury and understanding injury management aligned with appropriate rest and recovery strategies * Incorporating advice on nutrition and hydration for enhanced performance and healthy dance practice * Tailoring delivery to the specific needs and demographics of participants for diverse engagement with dance * Evaluating personal practice in order to assess and monitor effective application of the principles Holistic and Inclusive Approach Safe Dance Practice takes a multidisciplinary approach to the components of dancing safely, integrating principles without compromising dancers' artistic creativity and expression. The authors examine not only the immediate variables associated with occurrence of injury but also delve into contributing factors, such as nutrition, alignment, rest and recovery, and supplementary fitness and conditioning. This comprehensive approach is evident throughout, including a dedicated chapter that will help readers apply the principles to dancers of diverse ages, standards, and physical abilities. Features of the Book Safe Dance Practice includes * diagrams that illustrate ideal and compensated alignment and posture, which readers can apply when assessing all dancers in all genres; * case studies that help readers contextualize their learning as they see it portrayed in an applied environment; * at-a-glance chapter summaries and highlighted key points to help readers retain criticaal information; * cross-referencing to guide readers to related information in other areas of the book; and * sources for additional information. Safe Dance Practice contains 11 chapters, which can be accessed sequentially or studied in any order. The first eight chapters present environmental, anatomical, physical, and psychological principles of safe dance practice. Each chapter includes strategies and examples for putting the principles into practice in relation to dance styles and settings. Chapter 9 focuses on injury awareness and management, and chapter 10 offers guidelines on adapting the principles to a range of dance populations. Chapter 11 helps readers to understand the value of continued monitoring of their practice and includes a checklist of safe practices. Six appendixes supply a series of aids and templates to use as learning resources for ongoing professional development. This text offers pragmatic recommendations from the authors, who combine scientific fact with experience. The principles are presented in a practical fashion with many specific examples. The take-home messages, checklists, and templates make this text accessible and valuable. Bridging the Gap Between Science and Practice Safe Dance Practice bridges the gap between academic research and its application for dancers and educators in all levels and genres. It illuminates the principles of working safely in dance so as to support best practice and encourages all dance practitioners and leaders to better understand, communicate, and apply principles of safe dance practice. With its applied perspective on dance science, Safe Dance Practice will resonate with readers who want their dance experience to be factually endorsed while allowing sufficient scope for artistic expression. Such evidence-based practice will enable readers to access wider sources of information to aid their ongoing development whilst empowering them to take responsibility for their own safe dance practice and that of others with whom they interact.

This is the moving story of the development of modern dance as told by the visionary artists who created it. The powerful words of Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Ruth St. Denis, and twenty nine other modern dance artists come to life in these original essays.

Further Steps 2 brings together New Yorka (TM)s foremost choreographers a " among them MacArthur a ~Geniusa (TM) award winners Meredith Monk and Bill T. Jones a " to discuss the past, present and future of dance in the US. In a series of exclusive and enlightening interviews, this diverse selection of artists discuss the changing roles of race, gender, politics, and the social environment on their work.

Bringing her own experience of the New York dance scene to her study, Constance Kreemer traces the lives and works of the following choreographers:

Lucinda Childs, Douglas Dunn, Molissa Fenley, Rennie Harris, Bill T. Jones, Kenneth King, Nancy Meehan, Meredith Monk, Rosalind Newman, Gus Solomons jr, Doug Varone, Dan Wagoner, Mel Wong and Jawole Zollar.

In this memoir of a roller coaster career on the New York stage, former actor and dancer Bettijane Sills offers a highly personal look at the art and practice of George Balanchine, one of ballet's greatest choreographers, and the inner workings of his world-renowned company during its golden years. After getting her start on the stage as a child actor on Broadway, Bettijane Sills joined the New York City Ballet in 1961 as a member of the corps de ballet, working her way up to the level of soloist. As a company dancer who remained outside the spotlight that the principals enjoyed, Sills experienced a side of the company that prima ballerinas did not share in. She tells stories of taking class with Balanchine, dancing in the original casts of some of his most iconic productions, and working with some of the company's most famous dancers. Winningly honest and intimate, Sills lets readers in on the secrets of a world that most people have never seen firsthand. She reveals mistakes she made, the unglamorous parts of tour life, jealousy among company members, and Balanchine's complex relationships with women. She talks about Balanchine's insistence on thinness in his dancers and how her own struggles with weight ended her dancing career. Now a professor of dance who has educated thousands of students on Balanchine's style and legacy, Sills reflects on the highs and lows of a career indelibly influenced by the bright lights of theater and by the man who shaped American ballet.

Best remembered for his role as the Scarecrow in the 1939 MGM musical The Wizard of Oz, Ray Bolger led a rich and extraordinary career in the decade before and more than four decades after the creation of the film. Ray Bolger: More Than a Scarecrow is the first biography of this classic American entertainer, covering the luminous and forgotten career of the eccentric dancer outside of his burlap mask. The product of a fragmented, working-class Boston Irish family, Bolger learned tap and eccentric dance steps as solace for a difficult life before running away to repertory theater and Vaudeville. From there, he would go on to become a Broadway star, a contract player at Hollywood's major studios, one of the first performers to tour the South Pacific for the USO, a Tony Award winner, an early sitcom star, and the opening headliner of the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. Using unprecedented access to Bolger's papers and many never-before-published photographs, Ray Bolger: More Than a Scarecrow pieces together the lost story of an itinerant hoofer who survived and thrived during the major media changes of the twentieth century and established himself as a staple of American pop culture.

Dance and Cultural Diversity examines the art of dance within the context of different cultures and demonstrates the connections between dance and academic disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, psychology, and philosophy. The text shows that dance has the power to provoke intellectual thought, promote the communion of people from all social classes and walks of life, and reveal the undeniable commonalities of the human experience, while also serving as a valuable tool for expressing cultural diversity. Dedicated chapters explore the essence of dance, dance in American Indian culture, Polynesian culture, African culture, and South American culture, and the African influence on American dance. The book also covers dances of East Asia, India, and Bali, and the healing properties of dance. The chapters explore specific types of dances, historical and political aspects of geographical areas, and the effect that dance has on the members of each community. The third edition incorporates new, diverse research, more robust coverage of specific dances to provide an expanded look at a region's cultural groups, and explanations as to why certain cultural dances have been selected for examination within the text. Language and references throughout the text have been updated to increase their timeliness, inclusivity, and cultural sensitivity. Dance and Cultural Diversity is exemplary for courses on dance, world traditions, and cultural diversity. It can also be used in cultural anthropology and global society courses.