By taking a fresh approach to the study of history in general, Alexandra Carter's Rethinking Dance History offers new perspectives on important periods in dance history and seeks to address some of the gaps and silences left within that history. Encompassing ballet, South Asian, modern dance forms and much more, this book provides exciting new research on topics as diverse as: *the Victorian music hall *film musicals and popular music videos *the impact of Neoclassical fashion on ballet *women's influence on early modern dance *methods of dance reconstruction. Featuring work by some of the major voices in dance writing and discourse, this unique anthology will prove invaluable for both scholars and practitioners, and a source of interest for anyone who is fascinated by dance's rich and multi-layered history.

The need to ‘rethink’ and question the nature of dance history has not diminished since the first edition of Rethinking Dance History. This revised second edition addresses the needs of an ever-evolving field, with new contributions considering the role of digital media in dance practice; the expansion of performance philosophy; and the increasing importance of practice-as-research. A two-part structure divides the book’s contributions into: • Why Dance History? – the ideas, issues and key conversations that underpin any study of the history of theatrical dance. • Researching and Writing – discussions of the methodologies and approaches behind any successful research in this area. Everyone involved with dance creates and carries with them a history, and this volume explores the ways in which these histories might be used in performance-making – from memories which establish identity to re-invention or preservation through shared and personal heritages. Considering the potential significance of studying dance history for scholars, philosophers, choreographers, dancers and students alike, Rethinking Dance History is an essential starting point for anyone intrigued by the rich history and many directions of dance.

By taking a fresh approach to the study of history in general, Alexandra Carter's Rethinking Dance History offers new perspectives on important periods in dance history and seeks to address some of the gaps and silences left within that history. Encompassing ballet, South Asian, modern dance forms and much more, this book provides exciting new research on topics as diverse as: *the Victorian music hall *film musicals and popular music videos *the impact of Neoclassical fashion on ballet *women's influence on early modern dance *methods of dance reconstruction. Featuring work by some of the major voices in dance writing and discourse, this unique anthology will prove invaluable for both scholars and practitioners, and a source of interest for anyone who is fascinated by dance's rich and multi-layered history.

Rethinking the Sylph gathers essays by a premier group of international scholars to illustrate the importance of the romantic ballet within the broad context of western theatrical dancing. The wide variety of perspectives -- from social history to feminism, from psychoanalysis to musicology -- serves to illuminate the modernity of the Romantic ballet in terms of vocabulary, representation of gender, and iconography. The collection highlights previously unexplored aspects of the Romantic ballet, including its internationalism; its reflection of modern ideas of nationalism through the use and creation of national dance forms; its construction of an exotic-erotic hierarchy, and proto-orientalist "other"; its transformation of social relations from clan to class; and the repercussions of its feminization as an art form. This generously illustrated book offers a wealth of rare archival material, including prints, costume designs, music, and period reviews, some translated into English for the first time. Ebook Edition Note: All images have been redacted.

Teacher's imprint-rethinking dance legacy moves with this nomadic memory to record and ask how a dancer participates in the making of a teacher and what in turns makes someone a disciple.--Page 6.

Could something as simple and seemingly natural as falling into step have marked us for evolutionary success? In Keeping Together in Time one of the most widely read and respected historians in America pursues the possibility that coordinated rhythmic movement--and the shared feelings it evokes--has been a powerful force in holding human groups together.As he has done for historical phenomena as diverse as warfare, plague, and the pursuit of power, William H. McNeill brings a dazzling breadth and depth of knowledge to his study of dance and drill in human history. From the records of distant and ancient peoples to the latest findings of the life sciences, he discovers evidence that rhythmic movement has played a profound role in creating and sustaining human communities. The behavior of chimpanzees, festival village dances, the close-order drill of early modern Europe, the ecstatic dance-trances of shamans and dervishes, the goose-stepping Nazi formations, the morning exercises of factory workers in Japan--all these and many more figure in the bold picture McNeill draws. A sense of community is the key, and shared movement, whether dance or military drill, is its mainspring. McNeill focuses on the visceral and emotional sensations such movement arouses, particularly the euphoric fellow-feeling he calls "muscular bonding." These sensations, he suggests, endow groups with a capacity for cooperation, which in turn improves their chance of survival. A tour de force of imagination and scholarship, Keeping Together in Time reveals the muscular, rhythmic dimension of human solidarity. Its lessons will serve us well as we contemplate the future of the human community and of our various local communities.