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This is the personal story of the creation of a ballet, of a woman's come-back and of the pressures of stardom. Gelsey Kirkland gives an account of her struggle and the passionate energy that she puts into creating the two most demanding roles in ballet - as Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" and as Princess Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty". She also describes the terrible battles with her body, her fellow dancers, her morale and faith in herself and her triumphs.

The Y located at 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue in New York City is the largest and oldest continuously operating YM-YWHA in the US. Many of the most important figures in modern dance premiered on its stage, but until now no one has thought to ask why this should have been so. As Naomi Jackson shows in Converging Movements, the Y's particular conception of Jewishness laid the groundwork for the establishment of a center for dance in the 1930s. William Kolodney, who served as the Y's education...

Antony Tudor's achievements in ballet choreography are comparable to those of Frederick Ashton and George Balanchine. Working with Marie Rambert at Sadler's Wells in the 1930s, he created "Jardin aux Lilas" and "Dark Elegies", before moving to New York shortly after the outbreak of the World War II. Considered an emotionally powerful ballet master, his works tended to have dramatic plots, with music drawn from a great variety of sources. His masterpieces, "Pillar of Fire", "Romeo and Juliet", an...

Although little-known in the West, Fedor Lopukhov was a leading figure in Russia's dance world for more than 60 years and an influence on many who became major figures in western dance, such as George Balanchine. As a choreographer, he staged the first post-revolutionary productions of traditional ballets like ""Swan Lake"" and ""The Sleeping Beauty"" as well as avant-garde and experimental works, including ""Dance Symphony"",""Bolt"" and a highly controversial version of ""The Nutcracker"". Thi...

This absorbing book is ballet's 'biography' -- a revealing examination of a closed world, its competition and camaraderie, sexual politics, intimacies, pressures and, not least of all, its magic. Ballet companies have endeavoured to hide what is going on backstage lest the reality of highly strung nerves, constant fatigue and pain from injuries tarnish the illusion of ethereal figures and seemingly weightless steps in polished performances. But the audience's perceptions of fairy-tale worlds ons...

This book commences with the history of Indian, Egyptian, Arab, and flamenco dance, then compares and contrasts the history of both classical ballet and flamenco. The book outlines the early roots of flamenco in India, and the journey of the Romani through the Middle East and Europe up to their final destination in Spain. Alongside this, the history of classical ballet is detailed from its beginning in Italy to its later development in France. The book spans the period from the temples of India...

This volume traces the activity of dance from its earliest beginnings to its current form on the stages of the modern western world. The book places dance within its cultural context, and shows how complex formal techniques and creative theories have developed. The contributions of major choreographers and performers are set against the background of period styles and the historical processes which influenced them, and the issues of psychology and physiology which dance involves are given consid...

Surveys the history of black dance in America, from its beginnings with the ritual dances of African slaves, through tap and modern dance to break dancing. Includes brief biographies of influential dancers and companies.

Other new features include: .updated pointe shoe size charts .new information about pointe shoe fitting .innovative ways to sew on ribbons .new shoes that compliment dark skin .the subject of touching and sexuasl harassment is addressed .new interviews with famous and highly respected teachers 'an extensive list of colleges and universities that offer ballet and pointe classes .entirely new chapter on sample pointe classes .extensively updated medical section with surprising revelations about an...

Providing an understanding of the history, evolution, and universality of dance as an art form, this guidebook explores the significance of dance in culture, the relationship of dance to other art forms, the contributions of great pioneering choreographers, dancers, and teachers, and the creative process. Highlighting an extensive range of types of dance—including ballet, modern, jazz, tap, folk, ethnic, and social—this comprehensive collection features a variety of engaging essays written by ex...

Exposes every aspect of the world of dance -- from different dance styles from around the world to tips on choreography, costume design, performance, staging, and even managing a potential career.

The Body of the People is the first comprehensive study of dance and choreography in East Germany. More than twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Jens Richard Giersdorf investigates a national dance history in the German Democratic Republic, from its founding as a Communist state that supplanted the Soviet zone of occupation in 1949 through the aftermath of its collapse forty years later, examining complex themes of nationhood, ideology, resistance, and diaspora through an innovative...

Serge Diaghilev (1872-1929) was an extraordinarily gifted impresario, curator, director and animator of the arts. He was perfectly at home in the wave of creative energy that pushed theatrical performance to the forefront of the arts in the early twentieth century - and perfectly placed to export Russian culture to Western Europe. Active in Europe and America between 1909 and 1929, Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company expanded the frontiers of theatre. Many of its acclaimed productions were true c...