Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!panix!not-for-mail From: Tom Newsgroups: alt.arts.ballet,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: alt.arts.ballet Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Part 4/5 Followup-To: poster Date: Thu, 6 Jun 2002 18:48:04 +0000 (UTC) Organization: Global Flat Earth Society Lines: 877 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Expires: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 23:59:00 GMT Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: panix2.panix.com X-Trace: reader1.panix.com 1023389284 1976 166.84.1.2 (6 Jun 2002 18:48:04 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@panix.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 6 Jun 2002 18:48:04 +0000 (UTC) User-Agent: tin/1.4.5-20010409 ("One More Nightmare") (UNIX) (NetBSD/1.5.2 (i386)) Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.arts.ballet:50010 alt.answers:62287 news.answers:231670 Archive-name: dance/ballet-modern-faq/part4 Posting-frequency: bimonthly Last-modified: Mar. 31, 2002 ================================ Part 4 of five parts ================================ Copyright (c) 1995-2001 by Thomas Parsons; all rights reserved. This FAQ may be posted to any USENET newsgroup, on-line service, BBS, or Web page, provided it is posted in its entirety, including this copyright statement, EXCEPT that this FAQ may not be posted to any Web page where such posting may result in assignment of copyright. This FAQ may not be distributed in part or in full for financial gain. No portion of this FAQ may be included in commercial collections or compilations without express permission from the author. ================ Contents: 5. Miscellaneous questions 5.1. Is there a way of writing down dance, the way we write down music? 5.2. Is there software for doing choreography? 5.3. Is there software for my dance studio? 5.4. What is Contact Improvisation? 6. Reading List 6.1. Books 6.1.1. Introductory Books 6.1.2. General History 6.1.3. Biography, Memoirs, and Specific History 6.1.4. Criticism and Analysis ================ 5. Miscellaneous questions 5.1. Is there a way of writing down dance, the way we write down music? Yes, and the tradition is very nearly as old as ballet itself. The earliest notation, in the late 15th century, consisted of writing the initials of the names of the steps under the musical notes in the score. The first widely used system of dance notation using special symbols was apparently that attributed to Raoul Feuillet and Pierre Beauchamp and set forth in Feuillet's _Chor'egraphie_ in 1700. This system was used mostly to indicate the steps and the movement of the dancers about the floor, which were regarded as most important, with only a few indications of arm movements. It was used for about 100 years, gradually being extended until it became too unwieldy. Since that time, more than 80 systems of notation have been devised, the bulk of them in the 20th century. Dancers in this century who specialize in recreating Baroque dance have revived the Beauchamp/Feuillet notation; Wendy Hilton's _Dance of the Court and Theater_ provides a comprehensive text and is the standard reference. In the 19th century, Charles Victor Arthur Michel Saint-L'eon developed a system which he published in his book, _Stenochor'egraphie_ (1852). (Notice the difference between the title of this book and that of Feuillet's: this reflects the fact that "choreography," which originally meant recording dance, had come to mean the making of dances.) This system was fairly widely used in the latter half of the 19th century but eventually fell into disuse. About this system, Sandi Kurtz writes, It was a version of this system that Sergeyev used to reconstruct the classical works for the early Sadler's Wells Ballet, which gave the west a view of that tradition and helped forge the style of what is now the Royal Ballet. Dance notation is never simple, since there is so much that needs to be specified for every dancer: positions of the feet, arms, hands, head, and torso; whether the dancer is standing still or moving and, if moving, in what direction (horizontally, vertically, or both) and how fast...and so on. In this century, Vaslav Nijinsky devised a notation system about which little is known, although Ann Hutchinson Guest and Claudia Jeschke were able to use it to reconstruct Nijinski's _Afternoon of a Faun_. The two most popular systems to-day are Laban (introduced by Rudolph von Laban in 1928 in his book, _Schrifttanz_) and Benesh (the work of Rudolph and Joan Benesh, 1958). (The picture is complicated by the fact that there are two dialects of Laban: the dialect in use in the U.S. and Great Britain is called Labanotation; the dialect used in the rest of Europe is called Kinetography-Laban.) You can recognize Laban notation from the fact that it takes the form of long vertical lines to which blocks and other markers are attached. Because Laban describes the movements of the body in such minute detail, it has been applied to time and motion studies in industry. Benesh notation uses 5-line musical staves. The lines, from top to bottom, are used to indicate the head, shoulders, waist, knees, and floor. Benesh notation has been part of the RAD curriculum since 1956. For a comprehensive history of dance notation, see Ann Hutchinson Guest's book, _Dance Notation_, cited in the reading list. For specific information about the Laban system, see her book, _Labanotation_, also in the reading list. For more information on dance notation, see http://www.math.ucla.edu/~eijkhout/rad/faq_notate.html For information on computer-aided dance notation, see question 5.2.2. 5.2. Is there software for doing choreography? Do you mean software for doing choreography (that is, for modeling it on the computer) or for writing it down (i.e., notation)? 5.2.1. The only software for doing choreography known to this group is a program called LifeForms. There are versions for the Macintosh and Silicon Graphics (SGI) systems and also for Windows. Contact Credo Multimedia Software Inc. Suite 270 - 8900 Nelson Way Burnaby, BC Canada V5A 1S6 tel: (604) 291-6717 fax: (604) 291-7484 email: lifeforms@cs.sfu.ca or link to their Web site, http://fas.sfu.ca/lifeforms.html The following information and opinions are extracted from postings to alt.arts.ballet. These postings date from October, 1994 and may well be out of date by now; more up-to-date information is probably be available from Multimedia. LifeForms was developed at Simon Fraser University by a team including dancers and computer programmers. Its original name was COMPOSE and it's over 10 years in development. There are currently 2 versions available. The high end version runs on a Silicon Graphic workstation and creates amazing lifelike animation. The less powerful version runs on a Macintosh and is not quite so thrilling, especially in its emulation of walking and running. --Sandi Kurtz In a feature article on Merce Cunningham in The Village Voice several years ago, Deborah Jowitt observed that [he] was using the computer in place of getting up and noodling around, which he can no longer do easily. I would add in addition that MC has long been interested in whatever technology was emerging, and that the computer, in particular, mirrors some of his own concerns. --Nancy Dalva I have done some basic experimenting with LifeForms on the Macintosh. The premise is as follows: You have a stage on which you can place a one or more "dancers." You can then manipulate the bodies of the figures, and program movements that occur over time. You manipulate the figure by clicking on a body part with the mouse, and dragging it to the desired position. The program is smart in that, unlike an animation, you don't have to draw every frame. An example would be starting with the left arm down, and five seconds later having it raised to 90 degrees. You just program the starting and ending poses, and the computer figures out the movement in between. The arm follows the most obvious, straight line path between point a and point b, which often looks a bit stilted. Giving more life to a movement like this means breaking it down into shorter bits. The program also offers a library, where you can store movement sequences that you can call back later. Helpful if you are creating thematic material that returns later in the piece. On the Macintosh version, the bodies are drawn as "wire frames" so really only suggest a real body. I think the version that runs on Unix workstations might do high quality rendering of the bodies, so that one probably looks a lot better. Though I am a composer not a choreographer, I must say that the process gets very tedious over a period of time, especially when com- pared to choreographing on one's own body, which is instantly respon- sive to your ideas. One thing that would help this program a lot would be some kind of alternative input device, perhaps reminiscent of the little wood artists models that you can get at an art supply store. To be able to physically move body parts on a model to create the poses would speed the process up immensely. It seems certain that someone will do this, as it is so obvious. Of course, the criticism in the previous paragraph assumes that you have a body that still moves well. When I think that this tool has helped Merce Cunningham continue to choreograph new works (a person whose body moves not less beautifully but perhaps a little less well these days) it would seem something to seem grateful for. -- Mark Coniglio There is also a program called Poser, from Fractal Design, which might be thought of as a choreography program. Jim Williams writes, If you don't need to do animation, just show body positions (useful for teaching, illustrations etc.) another piece of software to consider is a new application called Poser, from Fractal Design. I've got it and have been working with it. This is in effect a software "mannequin" that you can pose in various positions, then render into detailed images. It isn't designed to produce animated sequences the way Life Forms is; instead, it's useful for producing "still photos" of body positions. The rendering quality isn't photo-realistic, but is much more detailed than the wireframe images produced by Life Forms. Poser's price is quite reasonable ($99 US until Aug. 31, 1995) and it's relatively easy to learn and use.... Poser allows you to create your own "libraries" of frequently-used positions, body types, camera positions, and lighting setups (you're limited to three lights, but they're fully adjustable in direction, intensity and color.) These libraries can be re-used as needed, so you can work fairly quickly once you've invested the time to create libraries of poses you use most. --Jim Williams As of June, 1996, Poser is available for the Macintosh and for the PC. 5.2.2. For choreographic *notation*, there is a program for the Macintosh called Labanwriter. According to Callum Downie, it is available from FTP sites after a search by the likes of "archie." I understand there is also at least one program for Benesh notation; contact Andrew Ward, Marketing Director of the Royal Academy of Dancing and Benesh Institute Director on award@rad.org.uk. For further information, see `topics/labanotation-dialog-FAQ.txt' in the Dancers' Archive. For information on dance notation in general, see also Dance Notation Bureau 33 West 21st Street New York, New York 10010 (212) 807-7899 e-mail: notation@mindspring.com Here are some European addresses linked to Laban (courtesy of Marion Bastien) Laban Centre, Laurie Grove, New Cross, London SE 14 6NH , U.K. Tel: 44 (181) 6924070 Fax: 44 (181) 694 87 49 Dance Department, that offers in their curriculum Laban theories studies and Labanotation studies. The library contains many Laban relate documents. They have also a dance company, named *Transition*. Labanotation Institute, Dpt of Dance Studies, University of Surrey, GU2 5XH Guilford, Surrey , U.K. Tel: 44 (1483) 259351 Fax: 44 (1483) 300803 Labanotation Institute offers several courses in Labanotation. Also located in Surrey University is a collection named *Laban Archives*. For more information look at http://www.surrey.ac.uk/NRCD/nrcd.htmltion studies Folkwang-Hochschule Essen, Kinetographiestudio Klemensborn 39, D-45239 Essen, Germany Tel: 49 (201) 49030 Fax: 49 (201) 4903288 Folkwang-Hochschule offers in the dance curriculum Kinetography Laban/Labanotation studies. For more information look at http://www.folkwang.uni-essen.de/FOLK-Tanz.html Conservatoire de Paris, Dpt des Etudes Choregraphiques, 209 avenue Jean-Jaur`es 75019 Paris, France Tel: 33 (1) 40 40 46 19 Fax: 33 (1) 40 40 46 02 Conservatoire offers professional training in Kinetography Laban/Labanotation studies. There is a short introduction to Labanotation as well as a bibliography on it at: http://www.rz.uni-frankfurt.de/~griesbec Another great site to visit is: http://www.dance.ohio-state.edu/files/Odrg/notation.html 5.3. Is there software for my dance studio? Mark J. Zetler writes: My wife (& I) have a dance studio in San Diego. I've been using COMPUDANCE by a company in Texas called Theatrical Administration Consultants (210) 497-4327 for about 7 years. It seems to do the job, and the author seems to be responsive to the people who use the program. There are some quirky things that that are annoying but all in all the program works. I think the price is around $300 (????). I have only run into 3 other programs. The first one was about $100 and didn't do anything. I don't think the company exists any more. The High Priced Spread is called DANCE MANAGER. Last I heard (I could be wrong) the price was about $1,200. The demo of the program implied this program could do everything. I just could not justify the cost. The last program I've run into is called IN MOTION: THE STUDIO MANAGER from Full Spectrum in Anaheim Hills, CA. (714) 921-8743. ($200ish) The program looked promising but seemed to run everything from the accounting end not the student. I'll try to explain, at our studio most question/problems are easier to resolve by first looking up the student, seeing what classes they are registered in, look at the billing, then look at the payments. With the IN MOTION:you have to go to different places to find all that info. In COMPUDANCE you can do all that from one starting place (presentation ain't as pretty as the other programs but I still got the info and that is what counts). Compudance will have a Windows version in summer '96. There is also an advertisement in Dance Magazine for DanceWorks; runs under Windows; $395; phone (800) 286-3471 for free demo. 5.4. What is Contact Improvisation? Contact Improvisation is a modern dance form invented by Steve Paxton in 1972. The emphasis is on touching (not surprisingly) and on the use of body weight; it has been compared to a kind of cooperative, non- combative wrestling. To judge by the descriptions and pictures in Novack (1990), it is most often done by pairs of dancers. There is a great deal of lifting, falling, and supporting of one dancer by the other. It started out as at least a semi-social dance form but has become more professional as the years have gone by. It is claimed that contact improvisation requires no prior dance training, but it's clear (and not surprising) that as you learn from experience the range of things you can do increases. In the descriptions that follow, taken from postings to alt.arts.ballet, there is not complete agreement on what it requires of the dancer or what it does to/for him/her: "It was extremely cool stuff, but you really had to be a good dancer, i.e., modern or ballet, in order to pull it off." --CarlosC14 "Contact improv seems like something that would be experienced in dramatically different ways by those with formal dance training (ballet jazz modern) versus those without (despite what everyone says). My impression is that the students from the CU dance department got much more out of the workshops than I did. Mostly I got *bruises*, because I don't have a lot of natural padding and there I was rolling around on the floor with someone on top of me. My backbone, knees, and hips were repeatedly ground into the floor. Oh, gee, what fun. >-( " --Robinne Gray "It's usually associated with modern/contemporary dance in that many of the same people do it. Take some music, anything really, and work with it as pairs, triples, n-tuples. Usually some vocabulary has been worked to use. Most `improvisation' has been worked on more than routines. With a common vocabulary and the music, the dancers can interact with each other and it doesn't just become a mess as everyone `does their own thing.' The `contact' is because everyone is working together and physically close, whether imitating a `maul' (rugby union) or breaking into smaller groups for a time." --Callum Downie "The risk-taking, weight-sharing and be-here-now aspects of this form are truly intoxicating once you get past the bruised body stages. Just like judo, it really is possible to do without hurting yourself once you master the first technical level." --Randy Barron ================================ 6. Reading List 6.1. Books You will never learn ballet or any other kind of dance just by reading about it; you will never learn a step that way. But you should know the cultural and historical background of your art, even if you are an amateur, and once you have been shown a step, it helps to have an additional description to which you can refer at home. A list like this is necessarily incomplete. Moreover, dance books seem to go out of print more quickly than do other books, so some of these may be difficult to find except in a well-stocked library. The nucleus of this list consists of books that can probably provide answers to questions like the ones in this FAQ; but most of the list now consists of books that have been recommended by people on a.a.b. New books are added in almost every release of this FAQ. 6.1.1. Introductory Books ------------------------- Dufort, Anthony. _Ballet Steps: Practice to Performance_. Potter, 1990; ISBN 0-517-57770-4. Describes, with words and excellent drawings, the essential steps and movements of ballet. Starts with warm-ups, then barre and center work, partnering, and shows how these moves are assembled using examples of classical ballets. NOT a textbook for students; intended for an audience member to help appreciate the language of ballet. (Summary courtesy of svkeeley@aol.com.) Early, Barbara. _Finding the Best Dance Instruction: Look before you Leap_. Betterway Books, 1992, ISBN 1-55870-259-8. Finding a dance school for you or your child. For people who are just starting out. Elliott, Donald. _Frogs and Ballet_. Illustrated by Clinton Arrowood Gambit, 1979; ISBN 0-87645-119-9. A whimsical book that explains some of the more common moves, demonstrated in the illustrations by frogs. Although at first glance it may look like a children's book, the text is quite wry and sophisticated. (Summary courtesy of svkeeley@aol.com.) Greskovic, Robert. _Ballet 1.0.1_. New York: Hyperion, 1998, ISBN 0-7868- 8155-0. As its name implies, a general introduction. History, dancers, watching ballet, and a summary of a few representative ballets. Includes extensive glossary and bibliography. Jacob, Ellen. _Dancing: the All-in-One Guide for Dancers, Teachers, and Parents_. Revised edition. New York: Variety Arts, 1993, ISBN 0- 937180-10-6. This and Robbins (below) are probably the best introductory books. Jacobs does not restrict herself to ballet but describes the dance world generally: what it's like to dance; dance for amateurs, children, and professionals; what the options are; what classes are like; what a career may be like. Kerner, Mary, _Barefoot to Balanchine: How to Watch Dance_. Anchor Books, 1990, ISBN: 0-385-26436-4. Contains a brief history of dance, chapters on choreographers, steps, combinations, training, and how performances are mounted. (Summary courtesy of svkeeley@aol.com.) Paskevska, Anna. _Getting Started in Ballet: a Parent's Guide to Dance Education_. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1997, ISBN 0-19-511716-6. An excellent general introduction; a good complement to Barbara Early's book. Robbins, Jane. _Classical Dance_. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1981, ISBN 0-03-048941-5, probably out of print. The other of the two good introductory books. This one is more for spectators; Jacobs is more for aspiring dancers. Strictly ballet; describes some steps in remarkably great detail for an introductory, non-professional book. Summarizes some ballets and provides a concise but exceptionally good history of technique. Terry, Walter. _Ballet Companion_. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1968. 6.1.2. General History ---------------------- Anderson, Jack. _Ballet and Modern Dance: a Concise History_. Second edition. Princeton: Princeton Book Company, 1986, ISBN 0-87127-172-9. Shorter and less comprehensive than either Kirstein or Sachs, but more recent and (IMHO) more readable. This is the history of dance I would have written, if I could. --------. _Art Without Boundaries_. University of Iowa Press, 1997, ISBN 0-87745583-X. A very thorough look at the evolution of modern dance from both US and German perspectives. Au, Susan. _Ballet and Modern Dance_. Thames & Hudson, 1988, ISBN 0-500- 20219-2. Also a college text, slightly less focussed on the US than Anderson, but no primary source materials. Hilton, Wendy. Dance and Music of Court and Theater--Selected Writings of Wendy Hilton. Reprint, Pendragon Press, Dance & Music Series No. 101997, ISBN 0-945193-98-X. Facsimile of 1981 book, Dance of Court and Theater with two other articles added. Includes a complete course in reading dance notation of the period. Kirstein, Lincoln. _Dance: A Short History of Classic Theatrical Dancing_. Princeton: Princeton Book Company, 1987, ISBN 87127-019-6. Covers everything from ancient times to approximately the 1940s. --------. _Four Centuries of Ballet_. New York: Dover Books, ISBN 0-486- 24631-0. Some general historical background followed by discussions of fifty ballets. Generously illustrated. Lawson, Joan. _A History of Ballet and Its Makers_. London: Pitman Pub. Corp., 1964. More narrowly focussed than Sorell, Kirstein, or Sachs but, within its limits, more detailed. Quirey, Belinda. _May I have the Pleasure?_ London: Dance Books, 1976 (in U.S., Princeton: Princeton Books), ISBN 1-85273-000-5. A history of social dancing, apparently based on a BBC television series. Interesting and informative. Reyna, Ferdinando and Jean-Claude Dienis. _Histoire du ballet_, second edition. Paris: Editions A. Somogy, 1981. ISBN 2-85056-151-7. A rather complete little book about dance history (but maybe focusing a bit too much on French dance), with an interesting index of ballets and many photographs and drawings. Sachs, Kurt. _World History of the Dance_. New York: Norton, 1953, apparently out of print. The definitive history in its time, now dated but not yet superseded. Sorell, Walter. _Dance in its Time_. New York: Columbia University Press, 1981, ISBN 0-231-06391-1. A social history of dance. Tatchell, Judy. _The World of Ballet_. Usborne Publishing, 1994, ISBN 0-7460-1692-1. Lots and lots of pretty pictures; at first glance it seems to be ALL pictures, but there's a lot of info crammed in there, too. Gives hints on watching ballets, describes the changing styles from century to century, costumes, scenery, also describes (with photos and captions) the basic moves, gives short bios of some famous dancers and choreographers and companies, short synopses of about 30 ballets. (Summary courtesy of svkeeley@aol.com.) Zorina, Vera. _Vera Zorina_. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1986, ISBN not known. 6.1.3. Biography, Memoirs, and Specific History ----------------------------------------------- Acocella, Joan. _Mark Morris_. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1993, ISBN 0- 374-20295-8. Anderson, Jack. _The One and Only, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo_. Princeton: Princeton Books, 1981, 0-87127-127-3, out of print. Before the Ford Foundation money, the Ballet Russes style was American ballet. --------. _The American Dance Festival_. Duke University Press, 1987, ISBN 0-8223-0683-2. History of the festival with a great index to productions and teachers. Ashley, Merrill. _Dancing for Balanchine_. New York: Dutton, 1984, ISBN 0-525-24280-5. A memoir, but full of technical detail as well as the usual reminiscences; explains why Balanchine thought _battement tendu_ so important. Required reading for any serious student. Banes, Sally. _Democracy's Body: Judson Dance Theater 1962-1964_. Duke University Press, 1993, ISBN 0-8223-1399-5. Painstaking documentation of a volatile period. --------. _Terpsichore in Sneakers_. 2nd ed. University Press of New England, 1987, ISBN 0-8195-6160-6. (Make sure to get the second edition; it has an extended introduction with a wonderful pocket analysis/description of postmodern dance.) Bentley, Toni. _Costumes by Karinska_. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, ISBN 0-8109-3516-3. A gorgeous coffee-table book about the extraordinary designer who produced most of the costumes for the New York City Ballet. Lavishly illustrated. Blair, Fredrika. _Isadora Portrait of the Artist as a Woman_. McGraw- Hill, 1985, ISBN 0-07-005598-X, out of print. Probably the best of the biographies. Cohen, Selma Jeanne. _The Modern Dance: Seven Statements of Belief_. Wesleyan University Press, 1966, ISBN 0-8195-6003-0. Interviews seven modern choreographers (including Nikolais, Limon, Sokolow), includes their responses to a hypothetical commission (choreograph a work about the Prodigal Son!) Crowle, Pigeon (pseud.). Moira Shearer: Portrait of a dancer. London, Faber and Faber, 1949, pre-ISBN. De Mille, Agnes. _Dance to the Piper_. Da Capo Press, 1980, ISBN 0-306- 79613--9. From California youth through _Oklahoma_. --------. _Martha: the Life and Work of Martha Graham_. New York: Random House/Vintage, 1991, ISBN 0-679-74176-3 (paper). Dunham, Katherine. _A Touch of Innocence_. University of Chicago Press, 1994, ISBN 0-226-17112-4. Early life, how she got to Haiti, Fokine, Michel. _Fokine: Memoirs of a Ballet Master_. Boston: Little, Brown, 1961. Fonteyn, Margot. _Autobiography_. Warner, 1977, ISBN 0-446-81380-X. Descriptions of early Royal Ballet especially nice. Garafola, Lynn. _Diaghilev's Ballet Russe_. Oxford University Press, 1992, ISBN 0-19-507604-4. Thorough discussion of a complex and influential part of dance history. Graham, Martha. _Blood Memory_. Pocket Books, 1992, ISBN 0-671-78217-7. Green, Martin. _Mountain of Truth: The Counterculture Begins--Ascona 1900-1920_. University of New England Press, 1986, ISBN 0-87451-365-0. Genesis of Rudolph Laban's work (also beginnings of Germany's Green Party). Gruen, John. _People Who Dance_. Princeton: Princeton Books (juvenile), 1988, ISBN 0-916622-74-6, out of print. Guerrier, Claudine. Michael Denard : l'interpre`te et la creation Paris: Chiron, 1992. ISBN 2-7027-0474-3. A book about Michael Denard's career. The author often has a somewhat awkward style, but knows a lot of things about Denard's career, and the Paris Opera Ballet in general. Guest, Ivor Forbes. Le ballet de l'Opera de Paris : trois siecles d'histoire et de tradition. Trans. Paul Alexandre. Paris: Theatre national de l'Opera, c1976. ISBN not known. A very nice book about the POB--very complete, including a list of its repertory until 1976, a list of its ballet masters and main dancers, many anecdotes. Hilton, Wendy. _Dance of Court and Theatre: The French Noble Style 1690- 1725_. Princeton: Princeton Books, ISBN 0-916622-09-6. Some actual instruction in baroque dance as well as historical analysis, the period when ballet detached itself from social dance. Detailed description of 18th-century dance notation. Hodgson, John, and Preston-Dunlop, Valerie Rudolph. _Laban: An Introduc- tion to His Work and Influence_. Princeton: Princeton Books, 0-7463- 0584-2, out of print. Just what it says. Horosko, Marian: _Martha Graham: The Evolution of Her Dance Theory and Training 1926-1991_. Includes discussion of Graham technique by many Graham dancers past and present from Bessie Schonberg to Christine Dakin and a syllabus from the Graham school as well as a listing of the dancers and works over the years. [Suzie Snyder] Humphrey, Doris. _Doris Humphrey: An Artist First_. University Press of New England, 1972, ISBN 0-8195-6054-5, out of print. Humphrey's autobiography, finished by Selma Jeanne Cohen. Kahane, Martine. Les Ballets russes a` l'Ope'ra Paris : Hazan/ Bibliothe`que nationale, c1992. ISBN 2-85025-249-2. Published in conjunction with the exhibit Les Ballets Russes a l'Opera, held at the Bibliotheque-Musee de l'Opera in 1992. A very nice book, quite similar to Richard Shead's book, except that it focuses on Paris seasons (Shead's deals more with London seasons), and it includes pages about all the ballets they danced (first cast, plot, etc.) and many excerpts of reviews or books (of people such as Cocteau, Rodin, etc.) Kain, Karen. _Movement Never Lies: An Autobiography_. (with Stephen Godfrey and Penelope Reed Doob). Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1995, ISBN 0-7710-4575-1. Her training and career with National Ballet of Canada. "Rich in details of the dancer's life."--Steve Keeley Karsavina, Tamara. _Theater Street_. 2nd ed. Princeton: Princeton Books, 1981, ISBN 0-903102-47-1. Autobiography, description of life at the Maryinsky as well as early Ballet Russe. Kendall, Elizabeth. _Where She Danced: The Birth of American Art Dance_. University of California Press, 1984, ISBN 0-520-05173-4. With this, the Blair and Shelton, excellent overview of the birth of American Modern Dance. Klosty, James, ed. _Merce Cunningham_. Dutton, 1985, ISBN 0-8415-0372-9, out of print. Hard to find, but great essays by many former collaborators and company members. Kochno, Boris. _Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes_, translated from the French by Adrienne Foulke. Alfred A. Knopf, 1970, no ISBN. Kochno was Diaghilev's personal secretary during the final decade of the Ballets Russes and was the company's official historian. A beautiful large- format book loaded with photos, design illustrations for sets and costumes, and reprints from the original programs, and the text describes the genesis of each of Diaghilev's productions. (Note from Tim Victor.) Levieux, Francette and Duvernoy, Anne. Michael Denard danse l'Oiseau de feu: ballet de Maurice Bejart Paris: Julliard, c1979. ISBN 2-260-00185- 8. A book about Bejart's version of "The Firebird" (premiered by the POB in 1970, with Michael Denard in the main role), interesting mostly because of its numerous beautiful photographs in black and white. Lieven, Prince Peter. _The Birth of the Ballets Russes_. Trans. by L. Zarine. George Allen & Unwin, 1936. Reprint with new introduction by Catherine Lieven Ritter. New York: Dover Books, 1973. Livingston, Lili Cockerille. _American Indian Ballerinas_. Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1997, ISBN 0-8061-2896-8. Rosella Hightower, Maria Tallchief, and others. Mannoni, Ge'rard. _Les 'Etoiles de l'Ope'ra de Paris; Paris: The'a^tre national de l'Ope'ra de Paris_. S. Messinger, 1981. ISBN 2-86583-010- 1. (Second edition, 1982, ISBN 2-86583-024-1.) Biographies of all the POB _'etoiles_ in 1981, with photos by Colette Masson. Mason, Francis, editor. _I Remember Balanchine_. New York: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1991, ISBN 0-385-26611-1. Reminiscences of dancers and others who worked with Balanchine. A good view of ballet in general and 20th-century ballet history as well as of Balanchine. Masson, Colette and Mannoni, Gerard. _Maurice Bejart_. Second edition. Paris: Editions Plume, 1995. ISBN 2-84110-033-2. About Bejart (interviews of him, many photographs by Masson, chronology of all his ballets.) Mazo, Joseph. _Prime Movers_. Princeton: Princeton Books, 1983, ISBN 0- 916622-27-4, out of print. History of American Modern Dance. --------. _Dance is a Contact Sport_. Da Capo Press, Inc, 1976, ISBN 0- 306-80044-6. Account of a full year living with and observing the New York City Ballet. A warts-and-all picture, now of considerable historical interest. McDonagh, Don. _Rise and Fall and Rise of Modern Dance_. A Capella Books, 1990, 1-55652-089-1. Some factual errors, but nice description of transition in modern dance in the 60's. Migel, Parmenia. _The Ballerinas: From the Court of Louis XIV to Pavlova_. Da Capo Press, 1980, ISBN 0-306-80115-9. Ballet history in biographic vignettes, a charming read. Mueller, John. _Astaire Dancing_. Random House, 1991, ISBN 0-517-06075-2. Excellent analysis and great photos. Page, Ruth. _Class: Notes on Dance Classes Around the World 1915-1980_ Princeton: Princeton Book Co., 1984, ISBN 916622-29-0 Petit, Roland and Gerard Mannoni. _Roland Petit: un chor'egraphe et ses danseurs_. Paris: Editions Plume, 1992. ISBN 2-908034-38-7. A big book about Roland Petit, including mostly photographs and bios of most of the dancers he worked with (including Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Plissetskaia, Makarova, Fracci, Guillem, Bruhn...) with Petit's comments. Scholl, Tim. _From Petipa to Balanchine: Classical Revival and the Modernization of Ballet_. Routledge, 1994, ISBN 0-415-09222-1. The development of ballet in the 20th century, viewed as a continuation and extension of Petipa's work. Shead, Richard. _Ballets Russe_. London: Quarto Publishing, 1989. Reprint [apparently]. Secaucus (New Jersey): Wellfleet Press, n.d.. ISBN 1-55521-438-X. Lavishly illustrated coffee-table book with intelligent and well-written accompanying text. Shelton, Suzanne. _Ruth St. Denis: A Biography of the Divine Dancer_. University of Texas at Austin Press, 1990, ISBN 0-292-77046-4. She's not taken as seriously as Duncan today, but St. Denis was immensely influential. Siegel, Marcia. _Days on Earth: The Dance of Doris Humphrey_. Duke University Press, 1993, ISBN 0-8223-1346-4. Excellent description of work and explanations of Humphrey's theoretical underpinnings, great sympathies for Humphrey as a humanist. Solway, Diane. _A Dance Against Time: The brief, brilliant life of a Joffrey dancer._ Pocket/Simon & Schuster, 1994. ISBN 0-671-78894-9. Relates the story of Edward Stierle, dancer with the Joffrey Ballet who died of AIDS-related illness in 1991. Sorrel, Walter. _Dance Has Many Faces_. A Capella Books, 1992, ISBN 1- 55652-124-3. Stanciu-Reiss, Francoise _Ecrits sur Nijinsky_. Paris: Editions Chiron, 1992. ISBN 2-906204-09-9. A collective book about Nijinsky--texts of various interest, some very interesting, and nice photographs. Stevens, Franklin. _Dance As Life: a Season with American Ballet Theatre_. New York: Harper & Row, 1976, ISBN 0-06-014103-4. Out of print but available from used-book dealers. This description of life in ABT is prefaced with a vivid memoir of the author's own dance training which brings the experience home to the reader as no other memoir I've read does. Worth the price for that alone. Stuart, Otis. _Perpetual Motion: the Public and Private Lives of Rudolph Nureyev_. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995, ISBN 0-671-87539-6. Life; loves and affairs; how he became a dancer; how he made all that money. Swift, Mary Grace. _A Loftier Flight: the Life and Accomplishments of Charles-Louis Didelot, Balletmaster_. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan Univ. Press, 1974, ISBN 0-8195-4070-6. Very complete, very readable. Draws heavily on Russian sources, especially Yuri Slonimsky. Taper, Bernard. _Balanchine: A Biography_. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984, ISBN 0-520-06059-8. Vivid and revealing; provides some insight into Balanchine's working methods. Taylor, Paul. _Private Domain_. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1988, ISBN 0- 86547-322-6. Autobiography, very anecdotal (lots of good stories!). Tharp, Twyla. _Push Comes to Shove_. Bantam, 1993, ISBN 0-553-37264-5. Autobiography, sounds the way her dances look. Vaughan, David. _Frederick Ashton and His Ballets_. Knopf, 1977, ISBN 0- 394-41085-8, out of print. Great biography and analyis of style, hard to find. Villella, Edward. _Prodigal Son_. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992, ISBN 0-671-79717-4. The story of a tough, ambitious, willful man who worked with, loved, and frequently fought with George Balanchine. Gives a feeling of what it's like to take classes and to find one's way in a world-class company. 6.1.4. Criticism and Analysis ----------------------------- Acocella, Joan, and Garafola, Lynn. _Andre Levinson on Dance_. Hanover, New Hampshire: Wesleyan Univ. Press, 1991, ISBN 0-8195-5227-5. Selected writings of one of the most important dance critics of the 20th century. Anderson, Richard L. _Calliope's Sisters: A Comparative Study of Philosophies of Art_. Prentice-Hall, 1989, ISBN 0-13-1554125-5. Looks at several non-Western art philosophies. Banes, Sally. _Writing Dancing in the Age of Postmodernism_. University Press of New England, 1994, ISBN 0-8195-6268-8. Collection of recent materials, excellent on postmodern dance. Chazin-Bennahum, Judith. _The Ballets of Antony Tudor_. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994, ISBN 0-19-507186-7. The great choreographer's career and works. Cohen, Selma Jeanne. _Next Week, Swan Lake_. University Press of New England, ISBN 0-8195-6110-X. Excellent introduction to philosophical issues in dance without needing a philosophy background. Copeland, Roger, and Cohen, Marshall, eds. _What is Dance?_. Oxford University Press, 1983, ISBN 0-19-503197-0. Anthology of primary source readings in several areas, good overview. Croce, Arlene. _Afterimages_. Random House, 1977, ISBN 0-394-41093-9, out of print. Her first anthology, great discussion of Balanchine and NYCB. Denby, Edwin. _Dance Writings_. Knopf, 1986, ISBN 0-394-54416-1. Anthology of everything, beautiful writing even if you don't agree with him, considered spiritual father of many contemporary critics. --------. _Looking at the Dance_. New York: Pellegrini & Cudahy, 1949. Some of the best dance criticism written in the 20th century. The first part of the book ("Meaning in Ballet") is a particularly good introduction to ballet for the newcomer. --------. _Dancers, Buildings, and People in the Streets._ New York: Horizon Press, 1965. Collected dance criticism. Emery, Lynne Fauley. _Black Dance From 1619 to Today_. Ayer Co. Publishing, 1988, ISBN 0-88143-074-9. Foster, Susan. _Reading Dancing: Bodies and Subjects in Contemporary Choreography_. University of California Press, 1986, ISBN 0-520-06333- 3. Deconstruction applied to contemporary dance, very influential text. Humphrey, Doris. _The Art of Making Dances_. Princeton: Princeton Book Company, ISBN 0-87127-158-3. Humphrey on choreography. Jowitt, Deborah. _Dance Beat_. Books on Demand, ISBN 0-317-28434-7. Her first anthology, great look at "dance boom" NYC. --------. _Time and the Dancing Image_. University of California Press, 1989, ISBN 0-520-06627-8. Connecting eras in dance to their historical contexts. (Why does Romantic ballet look the way it does?) --------. _The Dance in Mind_. David R. Godine, 1985, ISBN 0-87923-534-9. Anthology of more recent reviews. Kraus, Richard, Chapman, Sarah, & Dixon-Stowell, Brenda. _History of the Dance in Art and Education_. Prentice-Hall, 1990, ISBN 0-13-389362-6. College text, very helpful for dance education history (not always easy to find). Langer, Susanne. _Problems of Art_. Macmillan, 1977, ISBN 0-02-367510-1. One of the first contemporary philosophers to take dance seriously. Lewis, Daniel. _The Illustrated Dance Technique of Jose Limon_. New York: Harper & Row, 1984, ISBN 0-06-015185-4. Matteo. _The Language of Spanish Dance_. Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1990. ISBN not known. McFee, Graham. _Understanding Dance_. Routledge, 1992, ISBN 0-415-07810- 5. British philosopher. Pagels, Jurgen. _Character Dance_. Indiana Univ. Press, 1984. ISBN not known. Siegel, Marcia. _Watching the Dance Go By_. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1977, ISBN 0-395-25173-7, out of print. Her first anthology. --------. _The Shapes of Change_. University of California Press, 1985, ISBN 0-520-04212-3. The history of American dance seen through specific works--excellent description. --------. _The Tail of the Dragon_. Duke University Press, 1991, ISBN 0-8223-1156-9. Recent anthology. Sparshot, Francis, _Off the Ground: First Steps in a Philosophical Consideration of Dance_. Princeton University Press, 1988, ISBN 0-692- 07327-9. Stearns, Marshall, and Jean. _Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance_. Da Capo Press, 1994, ISBN 0-306-80553-7. van Praagh, Dame Peggy, and Peter Brinson. _The Choreographic Art_. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1963, no ISBN. A masterly survey of every aspect of the choreographer's art. -- -- twp@panix.com | The greater the power, | the more dangerous the abuse. http://www.panix.com/~twp | --Edmund Burke