Appreciating Dance: A Guide to the World's Liveliest Art

Appreciating Dance, written for the dance novice, is a concise, thorough, and accurate history and current picture of all forms of dance. It gives a brief biography of many of the notable dancers and choreographers who have contributed to each form of dance, and provides, in a nutshell, the information needed to expand the enjoyment of performance. It also details the development of dance from its earliest beginnings, and covers the intersection of dance and religion, social dance, ballet, modern dance, tap, jazz, film and theatrical dance, and contemporary dance. The chapters include: Origins and Definitions; Dance and Religion; Ballet: From the Royal Courts to Theatrical Dance; Modern Dance: New Voices, New Ideas; Tap, Jazz, Musical and Film Dance: The American Originals; and, Contemporary Dance: Intertwining Threads, Careers in Dance and Current Issues.