Product Description
Wherever they've found fiddlers and dance floors, Texans have been tickled into motion. And for a century and a half they've been kicking up dust in dance halls across the state. Writing about the eighteen she knows best, Gail Folkins celebrates how these halls still bring people together and foster joy.
Folkins etches portraits of proprietors who give space for music and dancing, of musicians who furnish the soundtrack for dramas and comedies that play out across hardwood or concrete floors, and of people who come to dance, listen, or simply share the experience with friends and neighbors. Paired with Marcus Weekley's photographs, some whirling and some dreamy, they capture beat and motion, even the scent of sawdust on the floor. Drawn in, we witness daytime preparations for evenings to come, and the quiet that returns after the dancers go home and the musicians have packed up for the night.
Moving from Twin Sisters near New Braunfels to legendary Luckenbach, we meet the third generation in a family of makers of music and keepers of dance halls. And then there are the descendants of Czech Catholic settlers coming to dance under the giant letters KJT (Katolika Jednota Texaska). At Coupland Dance Hall, we sense ghostly apparitions of pioneer women in long skirts. Very much in the twenty-first century, we share a dance floor with tourists and university types among the kitschy accoutrements at Austin s Broken Spoke.

8 x 11. 132 duotone photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A wonderful addition to American culture and Texas history collections.
Texas Dance Halls: A Two Step Circuit is an amazing history and showcase of the cultural legacy of Texas dance floors. Black-and-white photography throughout illustrates the motion and life that fills these gathering places, while the text traces the history, construction, and high events of the halls, as well as what goes into making Texas music and much more. A wonderful addition to American culture and Texas history collections.

A true Texas experience
Gail Folkins has captured the essence of the Texas dance hall experience.Where you can watch an old couple who has been dancing together for fifty years, or a little girl learn to dance on the tops of her father's feet.The only thing better than this beautifully written and illustrated book is the real thing. ... Read more

Book Description
The intertribal pow-wow is the most widespread venue for traditional Indian music and dance in North America. Heartbeat of the People is an insider's journey through the dances and music, the traditions and regalia, and into the functions and significance of these vital cultural events. Tara Browner comes to the pow-wow as a participant--she is a dancer of Oklahoma Choctaw heritage--as well as a scholar. Focusing on the Northern pow-wow, which derives from the northern Great Plains and Great Lakes region, Browner presents an in-depth discussion of the pow-wow's roots and traditions, protocols, and order of events. She also describes footwork, styles of singing, and the diversity of participants' regalia. Browner centers her discussion of the Northern-style pow-wow around the Lakota Sacred Hoop and the Anishnaabeg Sacred Fire. Browner traces the history of specific events such as the Grass and Jingle Dress dances and distinguishes among various dance types, including Traditional, Fancy, and "special" exhibition dances as well as ceremonial honor dances, giveaways, and memorials. She also discusses women's changing roles within pow-wow performance and thoughtfully examines how continually changing musical repertories, dance styles and regalia, and customs foster a vibrant state of transformation that coexists, often uneasily, with more traditional Native mores. She closes her study with a series of interviews with members of two families of pow-wow dancers, one Lakota and one Anishnaabeg.Marked by meticulous scholarship and firmly grounded in Browner's extensive experience as a pow-wow participant and observer, Heartbeat of the People is a unique and powerful celebration of the vibrancy, continuity, and evolution of an ancient music and dance tradition. ... Read more

Book Description
This volume of almost 600 strathspeys, jigs, and reels has been compiled from the original collections published between 1784 and 1822 by Niel and Nathaniel Gow, the father and son violinist. ... Read more

Book Description
This entertaining celebration of culture shows children different musical instruments and traditional forms of dance around the world. Fascinating photos feature unusual instruments and tradtional costumes from various cultures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Quick Overview
This is a good introduction to the topic of Irish Music with a little bit on dance, more from the point of view of dance in relation to Music rather than as a full entity in it's own right.

It's well laid out with sections on history, 20th century revival and modern variants on the theme, being published in 1998 it misses out on the Riverdance Phenomena and the longevity of that.It even has some tunes in sheet music.It also has some stories connected with music, an exploration of the major instruments and their history with Irish music as well as the big names in Irish Music, both modern and older.

It does miss out on the fact that some players use tonic sol-fa to learn, as well as "notes" and playing by ear.It would be a 5* book if accompanied by a CD. I really did love how the pieces of music were either from the people mentioned or were related to the topic being discussed.This is a little gem of a book and a good foot in the door for people looking to learn about Irish Music and Dance. ... Read more

Product Description
I DON'T WANNA BE IN LOVE (DANCE FLOOR ANTHEM)Series: Piano VocalArtist: Good CharlotteSheet music. ... Read more

Book Description
Choro is a type of Brazilian popular music similar in background to the celebrated Cuban son of Buena Vista Social Club fame. Choro started in Rio de Janeiro as a fusion of African-based rhythms and structures with European instruments and dance forms. In the 20th century, it came to represent social and racial diversity in Brazil and was integrated into mainstream film, radio, and recordings throughout Latin America and Europe. It formed a basis for Brazilian jazz and influenced the music of Heitor Villa Lobos. Today choro is viewed as a type of popular folk/traditional music in its own right. Its history parallels that of race, class, and nationality in Brazil over the last 100 years. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
The purpose of this book is to present a survey of Jewish music to illuminate its special role as a mirror of history, tradition, and cultural heritage. The 27 topical chapters have been placed within a modified chronological perspective to present a historic picture of virtually every important development in Jewish music. The book represents a culmination of several decades of the author's dedicated labor and scholarly study in this field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting but ...
The title Passport to Jewish Music is, in my opinion, a misnomer.Or perhaps I didn't understand the author's meaning when I ordered the book.As well as historical material, most of which shows how American cantorialmusic was affected, there is quite a lot that is bibliographic such assections devoted to Abraham Z. Idelsohn & Gershon Ephros (cantors andresearchers),Leonard Bernstein, Berlin, Gershwin, Ernest Bloch andOffenbach to name a few.The writing is often interesting but the mainreason I have not given more stars is because this is the only book I haveread on music without a single written note.For example statements suchas:

"The cultural legacy of Judeo-Spanish folk song has bestpreserved the history of Iberian-Judaism.That music was created andappreciated during the old "golden" times, where it has beenpreserved and cherished.Those distinctive melodies and Ladino poeticsecho with old Castilian, Aragonese, Catalonian, and Andalusian tunes andfolklore.Scholars of Spanish history study them for information about theculture of Old Spain."

While there is a reference to a possiblesource to see the actual music, I would very much have liked to have seenat least a small sample. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
In Dance Composition, renowned dance educator Jacqueline M. Smith-Autard provides an accessible and practical guide to creative success in dance making.Now in its fourth edition, this classic introduction to the art of choreography-with a valuable emphasis on form and movement-is useful for all those who are interested in dance composition. ... Read more

Book Description
Careers profiled: Arts Administrator; Booking Agent; Choir Director; Composer; Costume Designer; Dance Instructor; Dancer; Disc Jockey; Grips, Gaffes, and Lighting Technicians; Music Teacher; Music Therapist; Music Video Producer; Recording Executive; and Sound Engineer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book!
This is a really great book for kids and frankly it's better than most adult career guides in that it features a wider range of careers and interviews with people in each type of job.It's a great starting point for researching careers. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
From early accounts of dance customs in medieval Ireland to the present, Brennan offers an authoritative look at the evolution of Irish dance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

REVIEWS OF"THE STORY OF IRISH DANCE"
" This work not only fills a vacuum for traditional music afficionados but is a spell-binding read" - SUNDAY TRIBUNE (Dublin)

"THE STORY OF IRISH DANCE is a serious study which succeeds in being both entertaining and stimulating." - IRISH NEWS (Belfast)

"THE STORY OF IRISH DANCE is of interest to the general reader and as a source for scholars of Irish dance, dance anthropology, folklore and cultural studies" - IRISH TIMES (Dublin)

" .. a remarkable collection of anecdotes and well-researched background... a fascinating account." - IRISH INDEPENDENT (Dublin)

"THE STORY OF IRISH DANCE is a catalogue of extrordinary anecdotes, meticulous research and the rehearsal of acrimonious controversies whose effects linger on today." - THE EXAMMINER (Cork)

"Helen Brennan has written a fascinating account." - R.T.É. GUIDE (Dublin)

"THE STORY OF IRISH DANCE really is a story to be read by anyone with an interest in any form of dance .." - DANCE EXPRESSION (U.K.)

"THE STORY OF IRISH DANCE is a must, not only for Irish dance fans, but also for anyone interested in Ireland's wonderful past. Helen brings history to life." - IRISH DANCING MAGAZINE

"This book not only weaves a social tapestry around the dance but is also a reminder not to lose sight of the basics. It is a 'must' for anyone involved or interested in Irish dancing." - SET DANCING NEWS (Ireland)

Wonderful Readable Story of Irish Dance
My mother bought me this book last spring when my parents visited Ireland.The author was kind enough to autograph it for me.That alone was enough to make me want to read this book, but once I started, I couldn't put the book down.Ms. Brennan tells the story of Irish Dance with an obvious love of the subject and a gift for storytelling.She introduces us to famous dancers of the recent past and tells the story of dance in different areas of the country.I found myself enjoying this book more than I ever expected, and learned a great deal in the process. ... Read more

Book Description
1859. Volume 1 of 2. With short introductions to the different reigns and notices of the airs from writers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Also a short account of the minstrels. Contents of Volume I.: Minstrelsy from the Saxon period to the reign of Edward I.; Music of the middle ages and Music in England to the end of the thirteenth century; English Minstrelsy from 1270 to 1480 and the gradual extinction of the old Minstrels; Introduction to the reigns of Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI and Queen Mary; Songs and ballads of ditto; Introduction to the reign of Queen Elizabeth; Songs and ballads of ditto; Introduction to the reign of James I.; and Songs and ballads of the reigns of James I. and Charles I. ... Read more

Book Description
Covers of Gold is the third ground-breaking book about collectible sheet music by Marion Short. Exciting new categories covered in this book include baseball music, the evolution of fashion, the Big Band era, and the elusive sheet music cover illustrators. These subjects and more are accompanied by over 550 full color photographs of the actual music, encompassing the approximate time span of 1900 to 1940. Covers of Gold follows the success of Marion Short's first two books, The Gold in Your Piano Bench and More Gold in Your Piano Bench also available from Schiffer Publishing. ... Read more