Dance, Power and Difference: Critical and Feminist Perspectives on Dance Education, edited by Sherry B. Shapiro Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1998. vi + 194 pp., photographs, appendix, index. $24.00 paperbound.

In Dance, Power, and Difference, eight leading dance educators from around world examine fundamental values and goals of dance and dance education. Using a variety of approaches-including general critique, case studies, and personal histories-Dance, Power, and Difference provides a foundation for reconstructing dance education in light of critical, social, and cultural concerns. This is not an answer book, however. It is a thought-provoking book that encourages readers to question traditional practices and develop a personal philosophy that is both critical and feminist. Dance, Power, and Difference seeks to transform way readers think about dance-not only regarding how it is taught, researched, and critiqued, but also in terms of its purpose and aims. The contributors link dance to themes of human emancipation, multicultural awareness, and gender awareness, prompting readers to contemplate questions like these: - How do we think of and value the body in dance?- What cultural values, if any, should we impart to our students?- What changes might a feminist-oriented pedagogy for dance stimulate?- How should we prepare ourselves to work with students from cultures that are different from our own?- Should we perpetuate old teaching methods?Part I introduces reader to foundational questions concerning curriculum, pedagogy, and research. Part II presents personal stories that place these questions in context of specific situations. Part III discusses role of dance within broader political and social arena. Each chapter includes an abstract, critical reflections, questions to spur class discussion and individual thought, and references.