The Routledge Dance Studies Reader represents the range and diversity of writings from the 1980s and 1990s, providing contemporary perspectives on ballet, modern dance, postmodern 'movement performance' jazz, South Asian dance and Black dance.
In an enlightening introduction, Alexandra Carter traces the development of dance studies internationally and surveys current debates about the methods and methodologies appropriate to the study of dance. The collection is divided into five sections, each with an editorial preface, and featuring contributions by choreographers, performers, critics and scholars of dance and related disciplinary fields. The sections address:
* choreographing
* performing
* writing criticism
* the place of dance in history and society
* analysing dance works
Includes selections by: Joan Acocella, Ramsey Burt, Arlene Croce, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Lynn Garafola, Shobana Jeyasingh, Ted Polhemus and Yvonne Rainer.