Terpsichore in Sneakers

Drawing on the postmodern perspective and concerns that informed her groundbreaking Terpischore in Sneakers, Sally Bane's Writing Dancing documents the background and development of avant-garde and popular dance, analyzing individual artists, performances, and entire dance movements. With a sure grasp of shifting cultural dynamics, Banes shows how postmodern dance is integrally connected to other oppositional, often marginalized strands of dance culture, and considers how certain kinds of dance move from the margins to the mainstream.

Banes begins by considering the act of dance criticism itself, exploring its modes, methods, and underlying assumptions and examining the work of other critics. She traces the development of contemporary dance from the early work of such influential figures as Merce Cunningham and George Balanchine to such contemporary choreographers as Molissa Fenley, Karole Armitage, and Michael Clark. She analyzes the contributions of the Judson Dance Theatre and the Workers' Dance League, the emergence of Latin postmodern dance in New York, and the impact of black jazz in Russia. In addition, Banes explores such untraditional performance modes as breakdancing and the "drunk dancing" of Fred Astaire.

Autorentext

Sally Banes

Zusammenfassung
A dance critic's essays on post-modern dance. Drawing on the postmodern perspective and concerns that informed her groundbreaking Terpischore in Sneakers, Sally Bane's Writing Dancing documents the background and development of avant-garde and popular dance, analyzing individual artists, performances, and entire dance movements. With a sure grasp of shifting cultural dynamics, Banes shows how postmodern dance is integrally connected to other oppositional, often marginalized strands of dance culture, and considers how certain kinds of dance move from the margins to the mainstream. Banes begins by considering the act of dance criticism itself, exploring its modes, methods, and underlying assumptions and examining the work of other critics. She traces the development of contemporary dance from the early work of such influential figures as Merce Cunningham and George Balanchine to such contemporary choreographers as Molissa Fenley, Karole Armitage, and Michael Clark. She analyzes the contributions of the Judson Dance Theatre and the Workers' Dance League, the emergence of Latin postmodern dance in New York, and the impact of black jazz in Russia. In addition, Banes explores such untraditional performance modes as breakdancing and the "drunk dancing" of Fred Astaire.

Inhalt

List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Preface to the Wesleyan Paperback Edition Introduction to the Wesleyan Paperback Edition Introduction: Sources of Post-Modern Dance Simone Forti: Dancing as if Newborn Simone Forti, Animal Stories Yvonne Rainer: The Aesthetics of Denial Yvonne Rainer, Chart from "A Quasi Survey of Some 'Minimalist' Tendencies in the Quantitatively Minimal Dance Activity Midst the Plethora, or an Analysis of Trio A" Steve Paxton: Physical Things Steve Paxton, Satisfyin Lover Trisha Brown: Gravity and Levity Trisha Brown, Skymap David Gordon: The Ambiguities David Gordon, Response Deborah Hay: The Cosmic Dance Deborah Hay, Excerpts from the Grand Dance Lucinda Childs: The Act of Seeing Lucinda Childs, Street Dance Meredith Monk: Homemade Metaphors Meredith Monk, Notes on the Voice Kenneth King: Being Dancing Beings Kenneth King, from Print-Out Douglas Dunn: Cool Symmetries Douglas Dunn, "Talking Dancing" The Grand Union: The Presentation of Everyday Life as Dance The Grand Union, Q&A Chronology Selected Bibliography Notes Index