Dance Across The Usa

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Dance Across the USA

Author : Jonathan Givens
Publisher : EPS Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9780692953709
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (537 download)

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Book Synopsis Dance Across the USA by : Jonathan Givens

Download or read book Dance Across the USA written by Jonathan Givens and published by EPS Publishing. This book was released on 2017-12-09 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dance Across the USA is a collection of dancers from all over America, helping to showcase what is beautiful and inspiring in this country. Covering 22,264 miles, 163 Dancers, 90 consecutive days, 56 locations, & 50 states, Master Photographer Jonathan Givens created this project to show what really makes up America. Diversity that exists both in the physical landscape, and in the dancers who make America their home.The photographs in this book are real. The dancers actually did what you see, in the places shown. The skies are real, the landscape is real, even the dirty feet, are real. There is no digital compositing here, nor are there any trampolines or wires. Using only Canon cameras and flashes, Jonathan quite literally went to the ends of the nation, to work with dancers ranging from 5 to 61. Professionals and amateurs, students and teachers, boys and girls, cat lovers and dog lovers, everyone and anyone was welcome. Over 3000 dancers applied to be a part of the project, and those selected for the book reflect not only the range of what makes up dance in America, but they also showed a love for this country and its wonders.Dance Across the USA is a fun, beautiful, and inspirational look at America ¿ both its places and its people. It is our differences and our diversity that combine to make us all Americans. From the sandy Florida beaches to the rugged Washington coast, the glaciers of Alaska to Death Valley in California, diversity is the hallmark of what literally makes up America. That diversity is reflected in our citizens, and our dancers. Join Jonathan and the Mighty Buford, as they make this historic journey, that no one has ever been crazy enough to try before.

Dancing Across Borders

Author : Charlotte Svendler Nielsen
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000768775
Total Pages : 233 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis Dancing Across Borders by : Charlotte Svendler Nielsen

Download or read book Dancing Across Borders written by Charlotte Svendler Nielsen and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-12-06 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dancing Across Borders presents formal and non-formal settings of dance education where initiatives in different countries transcend borders: cultural and national borders, subject borders, professional borders and socio-economic borders. It includes chapters featuring different theoretical perspectives on dance and cultural diversity, alongside case narratives that show these perspectives in a specific cultural setting. In this way, each section charts the processes, change and transformation in the lives of young people through dance. Key themes include how student learning is enhanced by cultural diversity, experiential teaching and learning involving social, cross-cultural and personal dimensions. This conceptually aligns with the current UNESCO protocols that accent empathy, creativity, cooperation, collaboration alongside skills- and knowledge-based learning in an endeavour to create civic mindedness and a more harmonious world. This volume is an invaluable resource for teachers, policy makers, artists and scholars interested in pedagogy, choreography, community dance practice, social and cultural studies, aesthetics and interdisciplinary arts. By understanding the impact of these cross-border collaborative initiatives, readers can better understand, promote and create new ways of thinking and working in the field of dance education for the benefit of new generations.

The Art of Movement

Author : Ken Browar
Publisher : Black Dog & Leventhal
ISBN 13 : 0316435155
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (164 download)

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Book Synopsis The Art of Movement by : Ken Browar

Download or read book The Art of Movement written by Ken Browar and published by Black Dog & Leventhal. This book was released on 2016-11-22 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A stunning celebration of movement and dance in hundreds of breathtaking photographs by the creative team behind NYC Dance Project. The Art of Movement is an exquisite collection of photographs by well-known dance photographers Ken Browar and Deborah Ory that capture the movement, flow, energy, and grace of many of the most accomplished dancers in the world. Featured are more than 70 dancers from companies including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham Dance Company, Boston Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Abraham in Motion, and many more. Accompanying the photographs are intimate and inspiring words from the dancers, as well as from choreographers and artistic directors on what dance means to them.

Preserving Dance Across Time and Space

Author : Lynn Matluck Brooks
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134906455
Total Pages : 313 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (349 download)

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Book Synopsis Preserving Dance Across Time and Space by : Lynn Matluck Brooks

Download or read book Preserving Dance Across Time and Space written by Lynn Matluck Brooks and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-05-06 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dance is the art least susceptible to preservation since its embodied, kinaesthetic nature has proven difficult to capture in notation and even in still or moving images. However, frameworks have been established and guidance made available for keeping dances, performances, and choreographers’ legacies alive so that the dancers of today and tomorrow can experience and learn from the dances and dancers of the past. In this volume, a range of voices address the issue of dance preservation through memory, artistic choice, interpretation, imagery and notation, as well as looking at relevant archives, legal structures, documentation and artefacts. The intertwining of dance preservation and creativity is a core theme discussed throughout this text, pointing to the essential continuity of dance history and dance innovation. The demands of preservation stretch across time, geographies, institutions and interpersonal connections, and this book focuses on the fascinating web that supports the fragile yet urgent effort to sustain our dancing heritage. The articles in this book were originally published in the journal Dance Chronicle: Studies in Dance and the Related Arts.

Christy Lane's Complete Book of Line Dancing

Author : Christy Lane
Publisher : Human Kinetics
ISBN 13 : 9780736000673
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis Christy Lane's Complete Book of Line Dancing by : Christy Lane

Download or read book Christy Lane's Complete Book of Line Dancing written by Christy Lane and published by Human Kinetics. This book was released on 2000 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teaches the national versions of the 22 most popular line dances.

Critical Race Theory and Copyright in American Dance

Author : Caroline Joan S. Picart
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1137321970
Total Pages : 382 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (373 download)

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Book Synopsis Critical Race Theory and Copyright in American Dance by : Caroline Joan S. Picart

Download or read book Critical Race Theory and Copyright in American Dance written by Caroline Joan S. Picart and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-11-07 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The effort to win federal protection for dance in the United States was a racialized and gendered contest. Picart traces the evolution of choreographic works from being federally non-copyrightable to becoming a category potentially copyrightable under the 1976 Copyright Act, specifically examining Loíe Fuller, George Balanchine, and Martha Graham.

Attention and Focus in Dance

Author : Clare Guss-West
Publisher : Human Kinetics
ISBN 13 : 1492594466
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (925 download)

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Book Synopsis Attention and Focus in Dance by : Clare Guss-West

Download or read book Attention and Focus in Dance written by Clare Guss-West and published by Human Kinetics. This book was released on 2020-10-20 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Western approach to dance is largely focused on control and mastery of technique, both of which are certainly necessary skills for improving performance. But mindful attention, despite its critical role in high performance, has gotten short shrift—until now. Attention and Focus in Dance, a how-to book rooted in the 20 years of attentional focus findings of researcher Gabriele Wulf, will help dancers unlock their power and stamina reserves, enabling efficient movement, heightening their sensory perception and releasing their dance potential. Author Clare Guss-West—a professional dancer, choreographer, teacher and holistic practitioner—presents a systematic, science-based approach to the mental work of dance. Her approach helps dancers hone the skills of attention, focus and self-cueing to replenish energy and enhance their physical and artistic performance. A Unique, Research-Based Approach Here is what Attention and Focus in Dance offers readers: A unique approach, connecting the foundations of Eastern movement with Western movement forms Research-based teaching practices in diverse contexts, including professional dance companies, private studios, and programmes for dancers with special needs or movement challenges Testimonies and tips from international professional dancers and dance educators who use the book’s approach in their training and teaching A dance-centric focus that can be easily integrated into existing training and teaching practice, in rehearsal, or in rehabilitation contexts to provide immediate and long-term benefits Guss-West explores attentional focus techniques for dancers, teachers and dance health care practitioners, making practical connections between research, movement theory and day-to-day dance practice. “Many dancers are using excessive energy deployment and significant counterproductive effort, and that can lead to a global movement dysfunction, lack of stamina and an increased risk of injury,” says Guss-West. “Attentional focus training is the most relevant study that sport science and Eastern-movement practice can bring to dance.” Book Organisation The text is organised into two parts. Part I guides dancers in looking at the attentional challenges and information overload that many professional dancers suffer from. It outlines the need for a systematic attention and focus strategy, and it explains how scientific research on attentional focus relates to dance practice. This part also examines the ways in which Eastern-movement principles intersect with and complement scientific findings, and it examines how the Eastern and scientific concepts can breathe new life into basic dance elements such as posture, turnout and port de bras. Attention and focus techniques are included for replenishing energy and protecting against energy depletion and exhaustion. Part II presents attention and focus strategies for teaching, self-coaching and cueing. It addresses attentional focus cues for beginners and for more advanced dancers and professionals, and it places attentional focus in the broader context of holistic teaching strategies. Maximising Dance Potential “Whether cueing others or yourself, cueing for high performance is an art,” Guss-West says. “Readers will discover how to format cues and feedback to facilitate effective neuromuscular response and enhance dancer recall of information and accessibility while dancing.” Attention and Focus in Dance offers an abundance of research-backed concepts and inspirational ideas that can help dancers in their learning and performance. This book aids readers in filtering information and directing their focus for optimal physical effect. Ultimately, it guides dancers and teachers in being the best version of themselves and maximising their potential in dance.

Stepping Left

Author : Ellen Graff
Publisher : Duke University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780822319481
Total Pages : 268 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (194 download)

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Book Synopsis Stepping Left by : Ellen Graff

Download or read book Stepping Left written by Ellen Graff and published by Duke University Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stepping Left simultaneously unveils the radical roots of modern dance and recalls the excitement and energy of New York City in the 1930s. Ellen Graff explores the relationship between the modern dance movement and leftist political activism in this period, describing the moment in American dance history when the revolutionary fervor of "dancing modern" was joined with the revolutionary vision promised by the Soviet Union. This account reveals the major contribution of Communist and left-wing politics to modern dance during its formative years in New York City. From Communist Party pageants to union hall performances to benefits for the Spanish Civil War, Graff documents the passionate involvement of American dancers in the political and social controversies that raged throughout the Depression era. Dancers formed collectives and experimented with collaborative methods of composition at the same time that they were marching in May Day parades, demonstrating for workers' rights, and protesting the rise of fascism in Europe. Graff records the explosion of choreographic activity that accompanied this lively period--when modern dance was trying to establish legitimacy and its own audience. Stepping Left restores a missing legacy to the history of American dance, a vibrant moment that was supressed in the McCarthy era and almost lost to memory. Revisiting debates among writers and dancers about the place of political content and ethnicity in new dance forms, Stepping Left is a landmark work of dance history.

Dancing in the Streets

Author : Barbara Ehrenreich
Publisher : Metropolitan Books
ISBN 13 : 1429904658
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

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Book Synopsis Dancing in the Streets by : Barbara Ehrenreich

Download or read book Dancing in the Streets written by Barbara Ehrenreich and published by Metropolitan Books. This book was released on 2007-12-26 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the bestselling social commentator and cultural historian comes Barbara Ehrenreich's fascinating exploration of one of humanity's oldest traditions: the celebration of communal joy In the acclaimed Blood Rites, Barbara Ehrenreich delved into the origins of our species' attraction to war. Here, she explores the opposite impulse, one that has been so effectively suppressed that we lack even a term for it: the desire for collective joy, historically expressed in ecstatic revels of feasting, costuming, and dancing. Ehrenreich uncovers the origins of communal celebration in human biology and culture. Although sixteenth-century Europeans viewed mass festivities as foreign and "savage," Ehrenreich shows that they were indigenous to the West, from the ancient Greeks' worship of Dionysus to the medieval practice of Christianity as a "danced religion." Ultimately, church officials drove the festivities into the streets, the prelude to widespread reformation: Protestants criminalized carnival, Wahhabist Muslims battled ecstatic Sufism, European colonizers wiped out native dance rites. The elites' fear that such gatherings would undermine social hierarchies was justified: the festive tradition inspired French revolutionary crowds and uprisings from the Caribbean to the American plains. Yet outbreaks of group revelry persist, as Ehrenreich shows, pointing to the 1960s rock-and-roll rebellion and the more recent "carnivalization" of sports. Original, exhilarating, and deeply optimistic, Dancing in the Streets concludes that we are innately social beings, impelled to share our joy and therefore able to envision, even create, a more peaceable future. "Fascinating . . . An admirably lucid, level-headed history of outbreaks of joy from Dionysus to the Grateful Dead."—Terry Eagleton, The Nation

Dancing Fear and Desire

Author : Stavros Stavrou Karayanni
Publisher : Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press
ISBN 13 : 1554587190
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (545 download)

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Book Synopsis Dancing Fear and Desire by : Stavros Stavrou Karayanni

Download or read book Dancing Fear and Desire written by Stavros Stavrou Karayanni and published by Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. This book was released on 2009-08-03 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout centuries of European colonial domination, the bodies of Middle Eastern dancers, male and female, move sumptuously and seductively across the pages of Western travel journals, evoking desire and derision, admiration and disdain, allure and revulsion. This profound ambivalence forms the axis of an investigation into Middle Eastern dance—an investigation that extends to contemporary belly dance. Stavros Stavrou Karayanni, through historical investigation, theoretical analysis, and personal reflection, explores how Middle Eastern dance actively engages race, sex, and national identity. Close readings of colonial travel narratives, an examination of Oscar Wilde’s Salome, and analyses of treatises about Greek dance, reveal the intricate ways in which this controversial dance has been shaped by Eurocentric models that define and control identity performance.

Dance across Texas

Author : Betty Casey
Publisher : University of Texas Press
ISBN 13 : 0292789904
Total Pages : 146 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (927 download)

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Book Synopsis Dance across Texas by : Betty Casey

Download or read book Dance across Texas written by Betty Casey and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2010-07-22 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Generations of Texans have believed that “to dance is to live.” At rustic “play parties” and elegant cotillions, in tiny family dance halls and expansive urban honky-tonks, from historic beginnings to next Saturday night, Texans have waltzed, polkaed, schottisched, and shuffled their way across the state. In Dance across Texas, internationally known dance instructor and writer Betty Casey takes an informal look at the history of Texas dancing and, in clear diagrams, photos, and detailed instructions, tells “how to” do more than twenty Texas dances. Previously, little had been recorded about the history of dancing on the frontier. Journal and diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings preserve enticing, if sketchy, descriptions of the types of dances that were popular. Casey uses a variety of sources, including interviews and previously unpublished historical materials, such as dance cards, invitations, and photographs, to give us a delightful look at the social context of dance. The importance of dance to early Texans is documented through colorful descriptions of clothing worn to the dances, of the various locations where dances were held, ranging from a formal hall to a wagon sheet spread on the ground, and of the hardships endured to get to a dance. Also included in the historical section of Dance across Texas are notes on the “morality” of dance, the influence of country music on modern dance forms, and the popularity of such Texas dance halls and clubs as Crider’s and Gilley’s. The instruction section of the book diagrams twenty-two Texas dances, including standard waltzes and two-steps as well as the Cotton-Eyed Joe, Put Your Little Foot, Herr Schmidt, the Western Schottische, and such “whistle’” or mixer dances as Paul Jones, Popcorn, and Snowball. Clear and detailed directions for each dance, along with suggested musical selections, accompany the diagrams and photos. Dance and physical education teachers and students will find this section invaluable, and aspiring urban cowboys can follow the easy-to-read diagrammed footsteps to a satisfying spin around the honky-tonk floor. Anyone interested in dance or in the history of social customs in Texas will find much to enjoy in this refreshing and often amusing look at a Texas “national” pastime.

Butoh America

Author : Tanya Calamoneri
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 0429647689
Total Pages : 185 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (296 download)

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Book Synopsis Butoh America by : Tanya Calamoneri

Download or read book Butoh America written by Tanya Calamoneri and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2022-03-28 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Butoh America unearths the people and networks that popularized Butoh dance in the Americas through a focused look at key artists, producers, and festivals in the United States and Mexico. This is the first book to gather these histories into one narrative and look at the development of American Butoh. From its inception in San Francisco in 1976, American Butoh aligned with avant-garde performance art in alternative venues such as galleries and experimental theaters. La MaMa in New York and the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Guanajuato both served to legitimize the form as esteemed experimental performance. A crystallizing moment in each of the three locations—San Francisco, New York, and Mexico City—has been a grand-scale festival featuring prominent Japanese and numerous other international artists, as well as fostering local communities. This book stitches together the flow of people and ideas, highlights the connections in the Butoh diaspora, and incorporates interviewee perspectives regarding future directions for the genre in the Americas.

Milestones in Dance in the USA

Author : Elizabeth McPherson
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1000685322
Total Pages : 251 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis Milestones in Dance in the USA by : Elizabeth McPherson

Download or read book Milestones in Dance in the USA written by Elizabeth McPherson and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-09-30 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Embracing dramatic similarities, glaring disjunctions, and striking innovations, this book explores the history and context of dance on the land we know today as the United States of America. Designed for weekly use in dance history courses, it traces dance in the USA as it broke traditional forms, crossed genres, provoked social and political change, and drove cultural exchange and collision. The authors put a particular focus on those whose voices have been silenced, unacknowledged, and/or uncredited – exploring racial prejudice and injustice, intersectional feminism, protest movements, and economic conditions, as well as demonstrating how socio-political issues and movements affect and are affected by dance. In looking at concert dance, vernacular dance, ritual dance, and the convergence of these forms, the chapters acknowledge the richness of dance in today’s USA and the strong foundations on which it stands. Milestones are a range of accessible textbooks, breaking down the need-to-know moments in the social, cultural, political, and artistic development of foundational subject areas. This book is ideal for undergraduate courses that embrace culturally responsive pedagogy and seek to shift the direction of the lens from western theatrical dance towards the wealth of dance forms in the United States.

The Underground Is Massive

Author : Michaelangelo Matos
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062271806
Total Pages : 355 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (622 download)

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Book Synopsis The Underground Is Massive by : Michaelangelo Matos

Download or read book The Underground Is Massive written by Michaelangelo Matos and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2015-04-28 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joining the ranks of Please Kill Me and Can’t Stop Won’t Stop comes this definitive chronicle of one of the hottest trends in popular culture—electronic dance music—from the noted authority covering the scene. It is the sound of the millennial generation, the music “defining youth culture of the 2010s” (Rolling Stone). Rooted in American techno/house and ’90s rave culture, electronic dance music has evolved into the biggest moneymaker on the concert circuit. Music journalist Michaelangelo Matos has been covering this beat since its genesis, and in The Underground Is Massive, charts for the first time the birth and rise of this last great outlaw musical subculture. Drawing on a vast array of resources, including hundreds of interviews and a library of rare artifacts, from rave fanzines to online mailing-list archives, Matos reveals how EDM blossomed in tandem with the nascent Internet—message boards and chat lines connected partiers from town to town. In turn, these ravers, many early technology adopters, helped spearhead the information revolution. As tech was the tool, Ecstasy—(Molly, as it’s know today) an empathic drug that heightens sensory pleasure—was the narcotic fueling this alternative movement. Full of unique insights, lively details, entertaining stories, dozens of photos, and unforgettable misfits and stars—from early break-in parties to Skrillex and Daft Punk—The Underground Is Massive captures this fascinating trend in American pop culture history, a grassroots movement that would help define the future of music and the modern tech world we live in.

Dance!

Author : Elisha Cooper
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0060294183
Total Pages : 42 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (62 download)

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Book Synopsis Dance! by : Elisha Cooper

Download or read book Dance! written by Elisha Cooper and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2001-08 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presented as a sketch book and journal, this book offers paintings and thoughtful text of Cooper's observations of dancers as they rehearse and perfect their moves. Ideal for dancers, those who dream of being dancers, patrons of the arts of any age, and anyone who relishes a sneak-peek of what goes on behind the scenes. Full-color illustrations.

What the Eye Hears

Author : Brian Seibert
Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
ISBN 13 : 1429947616
Total Pages : 668 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

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Book Synopsis What the Eye Hears by : Brian Seibert

Download or read book What the Eye Hears written by Brian Seibert and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2015-11-17 with total page 668 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Magisterial, revelatory, and-most suitably-entertaining, What the Eye Hears offers an authoritative account of the great American art of tap dancing. Brian Seibert, a dance critic for The New York Times, begins by exploring tap's origins as a hybrid of the jig and clog dancing from the British Isles and dances brought from Africa by slaves. He tracks tap's transfer to the stage through blackface minstrelsy and charts its growth as a cousin to jazz in the vaudeville circuits and nightclubs of the early twentieth century. Seibert chronicles tap's spread to ubiquity on Broadway and in Hollywood, analyzes its decline after World War II, and celebrates its rediscovery and reinvention by new generations of American and international performers. In the process, we discover how the history of tap dancing is central to any meaningful account of American popular culture. This is a story with a huge cast of characters, from Master Juba (it was probably a performance of his in a Five Points cellar that Charles Dickens described in American Notes for General Circulation) through Bill Robinson and Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and Gene Kelly and Paul Draper to Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. Seibert traces the stylistic development of tap through individual practitioners, vividly depicting dancers both well remembered and now obscure. And he illuminates the cultural exchange between blacks and whites over centuries, the interplay of imitation and theft, as well as the moving story of African-Americans in show business, wielding enormous influence as they grapple with the pain and pride of a complicated legacy.What the Eye Hears teaches us to see and hear the entire history of tap in its every step.

America Dancing

Author : Megan Pugh
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300201311
Total Pages : 413 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis America Dancing by : Megan Pugh

Download or read book America Dancing written by Megan Pugh and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2015-01-01 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The history of American dance reflects the nation's tangled culture. Dancers from wildly different backgrounds watched, imitated, and stole from one another. Audiences everywhere embraced the result as deeply American. Chronicling dance from the minstrel stage to the music video, Megan Pugh shows how freedom--that nebulous, contested American ideal--emerged as a genre-defining aesthetic. Ballerinas mingled with slumming thrill-seekers, and hoedowns showed up on elite opera-house stages. Steps invented by slaves captivated the British royalty and the Parisian avant-garde. Dances were better boundary crossers than their dancers, however, and the racism and class conflicts that haunt everyday life shadow American dance as well. Center stage in America Dancing is a cast of performers who slide, glide, stomp, and swing their way through history. At the nadir of U.S. race relations, cakewalkers embraced the rhythms of black America. On the heels of the Harlem Renaissance, Bill Robinson tap-danced to stardom. At the height of the Great Depression, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers unified highbrow and popular art. In the midst of 1940s patriotism, Agnes de Mille brought jazz and square dance to ballet, then took it all to Broadway. In the decades to come, the choreographer Paul Taylor turned pedestrian movements into modern masterpiecds, and Michael Jackson moonwalked his way to otherworldly stardom. These artists both celebrated and criticized the country, all while inspiring others to get moving. For it is partly by pretending to be other people, Pugh argues, that Americans discover themselves ... America Dancing demonstrates the centrality of dance in American art, life, and identity, taking us to watershed moments when the nation worked out a sense of itself through public movement"--Publisher's description.