Best Modern Dance

Perpetually ahead of its time, Dancing with Cats presents scores of delightful and inspiring photographs of people and cats engaging in their favorite dance routines as well as moving testimonies of the personal transformations brought about through this uniquely joyous form of human-animal connection. And suffice it to say that in Burton Silver and Heather Busch's hands, Kipling's cat that walked by himself has turned into a deeply codependent dervish. In one photo, the recumbent gray and peach cat raises his left paw to the sky as his ecstatic human does the same. It's difficult to say which is funnier, the photos or the text, as Silver catches pseudo-therapy's mixture of self-affirmation and non sequitur: "Dancing with Zoot helps Sue reenact and come to terms with the joy and sorrow of a brief but painful relationship: when she fell in love with her daughter's father while he was photographing bridges in the neighborhood." While researching their last tongue-in-cheek tome, Why Cats Paint, Burton Silver and Heather Busch came across pet owners with a curious predilection: two-stepping with their tabbies. by Michael Neill People who hate cats—ailurophobes is the ten-dollar word—dismiss our purring friends as cold-blooded, self-centered manipulators with no redeeming social value beyond their all-too-occasional oppression of small rodents. As Silver and Busch know—and cleverly showed in Why Cats Paint, their previous book—kitties are actually multitalented Renaissance critters capable of, heck, just about anything.

From her early enchantment with classical music and poetry to her great successes abroad, to her sensational love affairs and headline-grabbing personal tragedies, Duncan’s story is a dramatic one. “Fascinating, even sensational reading.”. - New York Times “Isadora was a wild voluptuary, a true revolutionary. “For dance aficionados, Isadora Duncan's memoir My Life , with an introduction by Joan Acocella, completes the portrait of one of the twentieth century's most unforgettably Dionysian figures by restoring the bits originally deemed too spicy for print.”. - Megan O’Grady, Vogue.com.

A comprehensive book that covers all aspects of choreography from the most fundamental techniques to highly sophisticated artistic concerns. It is not merely what is presented, but the delightful way the authors stimulate the imagination along the way that sets this book apart from others of its kind.” --Dance Teacher Now.

Holly Shaw, who has mentored hundreds of artists, from composers, to choreographers and directors, shares the fruits of her creative research and examples from her 30 plus years in film, television, and theatre to help you streamline your process and clarify your work so it pops with "you-ness"! Holly Shaw is a leading expert in creativity and performance owing to her thirty year career performing on TV, in film, and on stages all over the world, combined with her experience as a hypno and somatic therapist, creativity researcher and coach.

Al-Rawi has written a strikingly graceful and original book that blends personal memoir with the history and theory of the dance known in the West as "belly dancing." Al-Rawi conveys in this book not only the history and technique of grieving and mourning dances, pregnancy and birth dances, but the spirit of these age-old rituals, and their possibilities for healing and empowering women today. An interesting glimpse into a culture, an art form, and a means for women's healing and self-expression; suitable for most circulating collections, especially those whose readers are interested in Arab culture, dance, and women's studies.ACarolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L.

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•feel overworked and under-appreciated. •sacrifice who they really are so that they look good to the outside world. •hate their bodies. •stifle their emotions. •are in pain: physical or emotional. •are crazy busy but feel that they don’t accomplish anything important or worthwhile. •are terrified of losing control. As a recovering perfectionist and a devoted student of personal transformation, Christina has helped thousands of people get out of their heads (where the misery lives) and into their bodies (where there is only truth) using the most surprising tool: Ugly Awkward Dancing . When you read “How Ugly Awkward Dancing Changes Everything”, you will: •discover the best version of yourself. •find out how to make decisions you can trust every single time. •create a better relationship with your body by learning about body wisdom. •uncover new ways to deepen your spiritual growth. •learn how to lighten up and have more fun. •become more kind and gentle towards yourself. •learn how to manifest your desires in a whole new way. •understand how to be more creative. Follow the advice in this book and immediately shift from ‘running on empty’ to ‘overflowing with love’ . Plus, she can say that without a doubt, she truly loves and values herself thanks to her deep personal work.Although she earned degrees in Kinesiology and Education and taught for several years, Christina left the security of teaching to pursue her passion for freedom, creativity and mindful movement . As a recovering perfectionist and someone who used to think that life was serious business , Christina has learned to lighten up and have way more fun , thanks to the practice she created, called Ugly Awkward Dancing . In her spare time, she loves to create mixed media art, eat brownies and drink Yogi Tea.

August Wilson's Seven Guitars is the sixth chapter in his continuing theatrical saga that explores the hope, heartbreak, and heritage of the African-American experience in the twentieth century. The story follows a small group of friends who gather following the untimely death of Floyd "Schoolboy" Barton, a local blues guitarist on the edge of stardom. "The seven guitars of the title are the seven characters whose straightforward story lines Wilson turns into beautiful, complex music—a funky wailing, irresistible Chicago blues." "A gritty, lyrical polyphony of voices that evokes the character and destiny of men and women who can't help singing the blues even when they're just talking. Bristles with symbolism, with rituals of word and action that explode into anguished eloquence and finally into violence." August Wilson is the most influential and successful African American playwright writing today. He is the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Fences, The Piano Lesson, King Hedley II, Ma Rainy's Black Bottom, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Seven Guitars, Two Trains Running, Jitney and Radio Golf. ; as well as adaptations of Corneille's The Illusion, Ansky's The Dybbuk, Brecht's The Good Person of Szecguan and Goethe's Stella. His collaboration with Maurice Sendak on an American version of the children's opera, Brundibar, appeared in book form Fall 2003.

Derek Hough, the dashing Emmy Award-winning fan favorite, and only five-time champion of the hit ABC reality show Dancing With the Stars , tells the inspiring story of his life and career, and shares insider tips of how he transforms his celebrity dance partners into confident, charismatic champions. Whether he's dancing with an Olympic gold medalist, an internationally renowned recording star, or a celebrated actress, Derek has an undeniable talent for bringing out the best in his partners. Emmy Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Derek Hough is the only five-time champion in the franchise history of the ABC show Dancing with the Stars .

With 150 stunning photographs of ballet stars Maria Riccetto and Benjamin Millepied demonstrating perfect execution of positions and steps, this elegant volume brims with everything today's dance student needs, including: Practical advice for getting started, such as selecting a school, making the most of class, and studio etiquette Explanations of ballet fundamentals and major training systems An illustrated guide through ballet class -- warm-up, barre, and center floor Guidelines for safe, healthy dancing through a sensible diet, injury prevention, and cross-training with yoga and Pilates Descriptions of must-see ballets and glossaries of dance, music, and theater terms. Gaynor Minden, a former dancer who now heads a dancewear company, has been immersed in the world of ballet for much of her life, and in this book shares dancer-to-dancer advice, much of which is aimed at beginning-to-intermediate level dancers, or adults who are either starting or returning to a childhood passion; dancers who have been committed to the art for a couple of years will already know on the finer points of finding a school, how to behave in class and the basic positions and movements, though the crisp photographs of professionals demonstrating steps are quite useful.

With an insider’s passion, Misty opens a window into the life of an artist who lives life center stage, from behind the scenes at her first classes to her triumphant roles in some of the world’s most iconic ballets. An unexpected page-turner...Her story is an inspiration to anyone—man or woman, black or white—who has ever chased a dream against the odds, and the grace with which she triumphs is an example for us all. (Booklist (starred review)). Engaging... [Copeland is] a poised, intelligent writer whose temperament—disciplined, determined, driven—gives the book a special spark… In LIFE IN MOTION, she looks back on the past without bitterness or anger, only gratitude. Hers is an out-of-the-ordinary story about defying stereotypes, and she shares it in an inspiring narrative that’s enlivened by her own grace and generous spirit. Instead of rags to riches, Copeland goes from baggy shorts to leotards as she navigates the whitewashed world of ballet. An unexpected page-turner...Her story is an inspiration to anyone—man or woman, black or white—who has ever chased a dream against the odds, and the grace with which she triumphs is an example for us all. Engaging... [Copeland is] a poised, intelligent writer whose temperament—disciplined, determined, driven—gives the book a special spark… In LIFE IN MOTION, she looks back on the past without bitterness or anger, only gratitude. Hers is an out-of-the-ordinary story about defying stereotypes, and she shares it in an inspiring narrative that’s enlivened by her own grace and generous spirit. Misty Copeland, a ballerina of extraordinary talent and charisma, offers an autobiography as mesmeric as her dancing. She overcame adversity in the studio, in her home life, and in ballet's own traditionalism to become one of its brightest stars — her passion and perseverance will inspire dancers and non-dancers alike. [Misty Copeland's] book is a breezy read for such deep subject matter, but her beautiful and prevailing spirit shines through on every page. Instead of rags to riches, Copeland goes from baggy shorts to leotards as she navigates the whitewashed world of ballet. Reading her memoir...it becomes even more apparent how this 31-year-old woman has parlayed her natural talent along with an uber intense discipline, passion and focus, into a stellar career. She is the Jackie Robinson of the ballet world, and a true role model for an entire generation of new ballerinas. Written naturally, modestly, and conversationally...[readers will] feel her triumphs and tragedies, wincing whenever she falls and cheering her on every time she gets back up….Brava, Misty. Told in graceful prose...[Copeland's] achievements will encourage all those attempting to beat the odds in competitive fields. But when a teacher encouraged 13-year-old Misty to take ballet at the Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles, she discovered a hidden talent. Her natural flexibility and grace had her on pointe within two months, something other ballerinas work years to achieve. She speaks with candor about having to lose her luscious curves and cover herself with white makeup to look more acceptable on stage, but she never places blame on those who asked her to do so. Her story is an inspiration to anyone—man or woman, black or white—who has ever chased a dream against the odds, and the grace with which she triumphs is an example for us all.

the perverse sororities of the Romantic ballet the fairy in folklore, literature, and ballet Tchaikovsky and the making of Swan Lake Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and the emergence of queer modernity the formation of ballet in America the queer uses of the prima ballerina Genet’s writings for and about ballet. 'An interesting and thought provoking read for anyone interested in an alternative version of ballet history.'.