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Bringing together all of the major modern dance techniques from the last 80 years, this engaging account is the first of its kind. The informative discussion starts by mapping the historical development of modern dance: in the late 19th century, a new dance emerged—not yet known as modern dance—that rejected social strictures and ballet as well. With insight into the personalities and purposes of modern dance’s vanguard—including Martha Graham, Lester Horton, José Limón, and Merce Cunningham—this compilation provides a comparative approach that will enable students to discern which technique best suits them and dispel the idea that there is a single, universal modern dance technique. There are also ideas for experimentation so that students can begin developing an aesthetic sense for not only what is pleasing to their artistic eye, but also for what technical ideas are exciting while their own body is in motion. Sample syllabi are included for teachers to incorporate the text into courses.

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This book chronicles one hundred years of dramatic developments in ballet, modern, and experimental dance for stage and screen in Europe and North America. The volume is magisterial in scope, encompassing the history of theatrical dance from 1900 through 2000. Beginning with turn-of-the-century dancer-choreographers like Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Michel Fokine, and a bit later Vaslav Nijinsky, and proceeding through the profusion of dance styles performed today, the book provides an unparalleled view of dance in performance as it changed and grew in the twentieth century.Nancy Reynolds and Malcolm McCormick set dance in broader cultural and historical contexts, examine specific dance works, and explore the contributions of outstanding choreographers, performers, visual artists, impresarios, composers, critics, and other figures. They discuss the breakaway barefoot dance of the early 1900s and demonstrate its links with later forms and styles. With unusual detail, fascinating illustrations, and wide-ranging insights, this book is an indispensable guide to the transformations in the dance scene of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Superb
Dance, in whatever form, is a human activity that is usually done vertically, albeit with occasional (and deliberate) falls to the floor that are recovered with skill and grace. And to appreciate dance fully one must do so vertically, and revile in the accompanying overdoses of perspiration that are liquid proof of its exertions. But one can also appreciate dance from a more intellectual viewpoint, from the comfort of the armchair: as a researcher or as a spectator, as a reader or as a viewer. This book, thick and massive, and packed full of fascinating insights and information, will definitely be of utility to those of the former class. It is a book that must be read cover to cover, as its literary patterns conform to an organized choreography.

Anyone who is heavily involved in dance, either as a professional dancer, a historian, or as a choreographer will have some preconceptions of the history of dance. The content of this book will no doubt challenge some of these preconceptions. In many instances it offers viewpoints, along with references that seem to be contrary to accepted wisdom. For example, it has been asserted in many works that modern dance in America began as a rebellion against ballet, against its rigidity and insistence on structure. Certainly there is anecdotal evidence for this belief, but the authors paint a picture that is somewhat more complicated. Ballet, they say, at least high quality ballet, was not available at the time, and dance in general was viewed as `virtual prostitution'.

Readers will also get introduced to a lot of figures in dance that may be unknown to them, such as Maud Allan, Loie Fuller,Leonid Massine, Nikolai Semenoff, Hans von Manen, and Jiri Kylian. But the usual suspects, such as Isadora Duncan, Serge Diaghilev, Anna Pavlova, Mary Wigman, Ruth St. Denis, George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Vaslav Nijinsky, Charles Weidman, Ted Shawn, Twyla Tharp, Robert Joffrey, Merce Cunningham, and Mikhail Baryshnikov are all discussed in great detail. In addition, it is not just a book on the history of twentieth-century dance in America and Europe, for the authors also discuss this history in Japan and Russia. The book is also full of exquisite photos.

It is clear from the reading of the book that the choreographers of the twentieth century had very strong personalities and had their own idiosyncratic views of the nature and philosophy of dance. St. Denis for example held that "dance begins in consciousness, not in the body"; Maud Allan that "there should be nothing to mar the rhythmic sense of continuous harmonious expression"; Isadora Duncan spoke of her ability to "evoke movement out of the well-springs of experience"; and Rudolf Laban spoke of dance being a projection of the deeper levels of the human psyche and that dance "contains the gift of ethical understanding". All revolution and change is brought about by driven individuals who hold to their own vision of what should be.

It is also clear that the dance profession survived in many instances on shoestring budgets, with the lack of financial backing due to societal attitudes and prejudices, along with rapidly changing tastes throughout the twentieth century. The diversity of dance styles exploded in the twentieth century, and for dance historians this was both a blessing and a curse. Naturally it gave them much work, but it also required them to attempt a classification of dance movements, the latter of which is often held to be an anathema especially by the practitioners of modern dance. But Rudolf Laban, and other inventors of dance notation, gave all dance, indeed all movement, systemization and codification. The study of dance, and its creation, is made easier by these notational schemes.

In the field of geometric topology in mathematics, one learns of transformations that do not have fixed points, i.e. when these transformations act on objects they move every point. The title of this book was inspired by a quotation of Albert Einstein that "there are no fixed points in space." When the book is completed, one is astonished by the incredible amount of change that occurred in dance in the twentieth century. If the developments in dance in this time period are represented by a transformation, one can easily believe that it is very complicated, that it has no fixed points. But what can one say about the twenty-first century? The authors allude to future developments in dance at various places in the book. Can we expect more change that defies current categorization and systemization? As the twentieth century progressed, one observes the importance of technology, with this technology being exploited fully by choreographers, both in lighting, presentation, and staging. In the twenty-first century, we will observe continued use of technology, but this technology will also be responsible for creating new dance forms and patterns. Instead of being used by the choreographer the technology will become the choreographer. And this technology will also perform the dances. When a book like this is written at the end of the twenty-first century, the list of choreographers and dancers it contains will include many that are not human.

Fantastic Dance History Book
"No Fixed Points" is by far the finest dance history book on the market.Ms. Reynolds is brilliant in her observations, thoroughly researched, technically accurate on every point, insightful, succint, and (when necessary) hysterical.Don't let the size intimidate you, it is a page turner, and at times, a true scorcher.Ms. Reynolds literally choreographs the full spectrum of what was 20th century dance: no stone was left unturned.Most remarkable, though, was her ability to just suck you in where you never wanted to leave.The only negative is that the reader can only envision the events, rather than experience then, BUT, through Ms. Reynolds superb ability, the 2nd hand / vicarious experience(s) are amazingly satisfying. ... Read more

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The Fancy Dance, a style of powwow dancing that is knownfor whirling colors, fancy footwork, acrobatic motions and showstopping endings, can be traced to the warrior society dances of thePlains tribes. Testimonial from past and present champion dancersbring life to the text and help give the reader an understanding ofthe philosophy and mind set of the dancers. The text is complimentedby black and white photographs of early dancers and beautiful fullcolor photographs of modern dancers in their full regalia.Alsoincludes easy to follow and concise instructions on how to createbasic costumes and accessories used in these dances. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

This is an amazing book!
I had the honor of studying on scholarship at the Martha Graham School in the summer of 1994. I was given this scholarship by Diane Gray, the director of the school and a woman who was given many of Martha's roles after Martha could no longer dance them. It was such an honor to train in that school knowing it had been founded by such a genius as Martha Graham.

This book itself is, in my opinion, the best record of Martha's art. This is a legendary and important work for the dance world. "The Kick," which is featured on the cover of this book, is perhaps the most "iconographic" picture in dance history. This book even includes pictures of Martha with her then-husband Erick Hawkins, as well as with future Modern Dance legend and innovator Merce Cunningham, in a dance Martha created called, "Every Soul is a Circus." This dance was one of Martha's few forays into comedy.

Martha was a genius who changed dance forever. And this book helps to insure that her legacy will continue.
If you can afford it... and you are an admirer of Martha Graham, I would recommend getting this book.

Two Amazing Woman together...
Barbara Morgan, did a wonderful work with Martha Graham, she captured theessence of the movement, she took so many pictures of the early works, suchas Frontier, Lamentation, Primitive Mysteries, that you are able to feelwhat the piece is about, also the size of the pictures in the book, giveseven more credits to the Author. Graham Classics, Satyric Festival Song,and Deep Song, have been reconstructed with the help of Barbara Morganpictures, in the late 80's, even Martha agreed that the actuals versions ofthe pieces are close to what she did... This is a book to have in yourLibrary if you are a Friend of the Art, enjoy your new book. ... Read more

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A thoughtful and comprehensive Tharp overview!
As someone who respects Twyla Tharp's career, but who doesn't necessarily revel in all her works, I approached Marcia Siegel's chronicle a little cautiously. What I found, however, is a sensational movement-based refresher course on Tharp's original contributions to contemporary dance. Context, references, and relevant anecdotes from former dancers are terrific. It not only gave me a new appreciation of Tharp, but I wanted to immediately start re-reviewing all Tharp's works on stage or at least on video.

Bad.
I love Twyla Tharp, so I bougth this book as soon as I saw it.Unfortunately, even for a hardcore fan, this book is impossibly boring.Very detailed and highly researched, yes.Interesting or insightful, no.Don't bother. ... Read more

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Out of his long history as dance critic for the New YorkTimes, Jack Anderson gives us this important, comprehensive history ofone of the liveliest and most unpredictable of the arts. Treatingmodern dance as a self-renewing art, Anderson follows its changes overthe decades and discusses the visionary choreographers who havedevised new modes of movement.Art without Boundaries is a CHOICE Outstanding Academic Book for 1998.Amazon.com Review
Subtitled The World of Modern Dance, Jack Anderson'sArt Without Boundaries traces the century-long history ofmodern dance, and argues that such dance owes its vitality to itsembrace of cultural inflows. As you'd expect, based on his writing inthe New York Times and Dancing Times, Anderson gives theimpression of having been everywhere and seen everything. Even suchseminal artists as IsadoraDuncan and RuthSt. Denis benefit from the fresh angle, showing how African andeven Asian influences changed their thinking. Though Anderson seemsmuch less fascinated with the personalities of the 1990s than those ofthe 1920s and 1930s, the later years give him a chance to explore theglobal cross-pollination that led to Japanese Butoh and correspondingmovements in Africa, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, China, Spain,Australia, the Czech Republic, and elsewhere. Art WithoutBoundaries leaves you on the edge of what promises to be afascinating new century of dance. ... Read more

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get it. breathe it. work it.good stuff
Talk about ideas.This book has wonderful exercises to explore with friends, a class, and workshops of all kinds.Morgenroth starts with the planning of a session and brings you all the way through time, space, weight dependency, rhythm and breathing to the closure of a session.She details preparation, procedure, variations and observations in a straight forward, to the point maner. The exercises are interesting and stimulate movement in creative ways.I recommend this book to anyone exploring improvisational movement. ... Read more

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Aerial Dance is the first book to showcase this newest dance genre. The book traces the historical roots of this latest art form, which is rapidly gaining in popularity. It also defines its place in the lineage of modern dance and addresses aesthetics, philosophical approaches to teaching, and safety issues.

Aerial Dance will be of great interest to all those associated with or attracted to this emerging art form. Whether a novice or professional, a practitioner or educator, they will learn from those who helped shape aerial dance into what it is today. Through this book and DVD package, readers will

• gain insight from essays written by leading choreographers in the field;
• gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for aerial dance choreography through "Look Up!" features that provide cross-references to video performance clips on the DVD; and
• view high-quality photographs that illustrate the origins of aerial dance.

Part I details the evolution of aerial dance and its place in a postmodern world. It delves into the aesthetics of aerial dance and the differences between this genre and circus-based aerial arts.

Part II presents a variety of essays from many of the top artists in the field who provide insight into their own approaches to aerial dance. The book also presents a variety of teaching applications, including ideas for working with special populations and related art forms.

Part III is all about safety, including injury prevention, rigging, other safety-related issues. This part helps readers understand anatomical and physiological issues regarding safety.

Note that Aerial Dance is not meant as an instruction book in choreographing or executing aerial dance moves. No book can ensure safe rigging or keep a dancer from falling. Those who are interested in learning and practicing aerial dance must first find a skilled and experienced teacher. The appendix includes contact information on aerial dancers, teachers, festivals, and aerial dance equipment.

Readers will find great insight and direction from seasoned experts in this innovative dance form. Aerial Dance captures the passion of the genre and helps readers appreciate the creative possibilities it offers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nice Historical Explanation
I loved seeing the DVD!That was the jewel of this book.The book is a good perspective on the niche category of Aerial Dance.It does a good job of explaining the difference between Aerial Dance and other forms of Aerial performance.I felt like I had a good handle on the art after reading this and watching the accompanying DVD.It is inspirational, informative and helpful- It has a nice list at the back of places to learn Aerial Dance and to buy equipment.Some of the listings were obsolete, I found.

I was really searching for a book that had more practical stuff like how to execute certain moves and this is not the book for that.However, for anyone who is curious about this art form this is a great read.

The first book to profile this new dance genre
The aerial dance performances of twelve leading companies on DVD accompany something truly unique: the first book to profile this new dance genre. From its historical roots to how to become an aerial dancer and how to judge aerial performances differently, AERIAL DANCE offers insights and direction from experts who developed and work in this genre. Any library strong in modern dance in general needs this.
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American Classic
I second everything Frank Cullen says about this book. I first read it over thirty years ago, acquiring my own copy some years later. Not only is it a great book on American show business,it makes great reading for anyone interested in all facets of New World music and dance culture. I frequently reccomend this book to fans of American music in general, be it jazz, blues, rock 'n' roll, country, Latin etc. etc. After reading the Stearns' wonderful book, one sees that, no matter how well-versed in the musical lore of the Americas one is, it is all a bit two-dimensional without the perspective offered by 'Jazz Dance'.

Best book about American vernacular dance ever written
There is no other dance book on the market (and thank heavens that this one has remained available since it was first published in 1968) that is as useful, delightful to read or as authoratative as Marshall & Jean Stearn's "Jazz Dance". Indeed, it is, in my opinion, one of the best books ever written about any facet of show business.
Vernacular dance in 20th century America wasn't represented or devised solely by a handful of the best remembered: Vernon & Irene Castle, Bill Robinson, Fred & Ginger, Eleanor Powell, Hal Le Roy, the Nicholas Brothers, Gene Kelly, Ann Miller, Donald O'Connor and Bob Fosse.
From the age of variety saloons and minstrelsy through a century of vaudeville and nightclubs, there were hundreds of dancers, black and white, female and male, who contributed to the development of American vernacular (or jazz) dance. Hoofers invented, borrowed, stole and adapted rhythm steps, jumps, slides, contortions and even style from each other---and American dance became richer for their efforts.
Marshall Stearns understood that. Instead of choosing to write about the best known dancers of his day, the ones blessed by luck, Stearns took on the nearly impossible task of interviewing every dancer of ability he could locate. Some like King Rastus Brown, Ginger Wiggins and Groundhog were remarkable talents known only by a very few--most of whom were other dancers who held them in high esteem. Others like John Bubbles, Ida Forsythe, James Barton, Pete Nugent, Eddie Rector, Alice Whitman, Willie Covan and Harlan Dixon were peerless dancers of their day but forgotten despite years of stardom. Mr. Stearns brought more than a hundred fine hoofers to tell their stories to readers and dance enthusiasts.
Stearns wove those stories together without forcing themes and, within the warp and woof of his narrative, emerged bits of social history and showbiz lore, explanations of certain dance steps, claims and counter-claims as to origins and originality, faulty recollections and all but forgotten gems of clearly remembered facts.
Many reputations emerged brightly restored in luster while others, perhaps more famous, proved less admired by professionals who had more discerning views than fans with less knowledge of dance.
Whenever I need to check a fact about vernacular dance--jazz dance or tap--I turn first to Marshall Stearn's invaluable book.
Frank Cullen
founder, American Vaudeville Museum publisher of "Vaudeville Times"
author: "Vaudeville, Old & New: an Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America" (2006, Routledge Press)

trivia, not how-to
Want to know what the "buck and wing" looks like?The "black bottom," "shorty george," "eagle rock" or "Jersey bounce"?Well, if you can read Labanotation, you canfind out from the last pages of this book.Otherwise, you'll just have tosettle for a bunch of dance history and anecdotes strung together by theStearns, who interviewed as many American jazz dancers as they could stillfind alive.

It's fascinating stuff, though.The text does give somelimited descriptions, and opening the book to a random page reveals both" . . .Crawley danced while he played clarinet, juggling the pieces ashe dismantled it" and "As performed by Little Egypt at theChicago World's Fair in 1893, where it first received national attention asthe Hootchy-Kootchy, the Shake dance was not particularly rhythmic."

As an actual history of American dance, for me this book lackscoherence.But I did learn about ways in which African dance influencedAmerican, see the names of quite a lot of performers, steps, andperformance venues, and learn to play the "Buck Dancer's Lament"on the piano.If you want something you can read a page of and then putdown until later, this will fill the bill. ... Read more

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In postwar America, any assertion of difference from the mainstream anticommunist culture carried professional and personal risks. For this reason, modern dance artists left much of what they thought unsaid. Instead they expressed themselves in movement. How To Do Things with Dance positions modern dance as a vital critical discourse, and suggests that dances of the late 1940s and the 1950s can be seen as compelling agents of social change. Concentrating on choreographers whose artistic work conceived dance in terms of action, Rebekah J. Kowal shows how specific choreographic projects demonstrated increasing awareness of the stage as a penetrable space, one on which socially suspect or marginalized modes of being could be performed with relative impunity and exerted in the real world. Artists covered include Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Anna Sokolow, Katherine Dunham, Pearl Primus, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Donald McKayle, Talley Beatty, and Anna Halprin. ... Read more

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Unlike biblical times, many Christians do not dance before the Lord. Some believe dance is unscriptual and others believe it's scriptural, but only the liturgical or praise dancers (ones who are called to the ministry of dance) should dance. The word liturgical means public worship unto God. It can consist of body movements such as - the waving of hands, clapping, twirling, jumping, or stomping of the feet. This is the dance God speaks of in Psalms 150:4. It is a commandment to all of His people. It doesn't matter whether you're male or female, young or old; we all have something to praise God for. So come on, it's time to Praise the Lord in the Dance All Ye People! ... Read more

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inspirational not informative
this little book is a nice compantion to dance worship. i thought it might be more practical, giving advice on dance liturgy. ... Read more

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Borrowing from contemporary semiotics and post-structuralist criticism, Foster outlines four models for representation in dance which are illustrated through an analysis of the works of contemporary choreographers and through historical examples beginning with court ballets of the Renaissance. ... Read more

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Dance 2wice is a collection of unique photographic essays dedicated to contemporary dance, distilled from the pages of the celebrated interdisciplinary arts journal 2wice. The images explore the dynamic dialogue between performance and photography and bring together the talent of some the world’s most respected dancers, choreographers, and photographers. In these carefully conceived collaborations, the transitory art of such key contemporary dance figures as Merce Cunningham, Mark Morris, Paul Taylor, and Karole Armitage is vividly captured: The pages become the stage for beautifully conceived performances, intriguing ideas, and intimate portraits. ... Read more

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Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more