Dance Appreciation is an exciting exploration of how to understand and think about dance in all of its various contexts. This book unfolds a brief history of dance with engaging insight into the social, cultural, aesthetic, and kinetic aspects of various forms of dance. Dedicated chapters cover ballet, modern, tap, jazz, and hip-hop dance, complete with summaries, charts, timelines, discussion questions, movement prompts, and an online companion website all designed to foster awareness of and appreciation for dance in a variety of contexts. This wealth of resources helps to uncover the fascinating history that makes this art form so diverse and entertaining, and to answer the questions of why we dance and how we dance. Written for the novice dancer as well as the more experienced dance student, Dance Appreciation enables readers to learn and think critically about dance as a form of entertainment and art.
"A wonderful combination of readable, user-friendly and important information, without oversimplification."
Karen Reedy, George Mason University, USA.
"This book is an outstanding resource for dance appreciation. It simultaneously covers the history of each form of dance, while discussing the aesthetics of the form, to the practicalities of what that form look like in the studio while taking a class. There is a very thorough discussion of the origins of dance, which also help us understand the relevance of dance in society in the 21st century. Additionally, the movement prompts help the student to understand the concepts presented in their own bodies. I highly recommend this text, it has everything needed to appreciate dance from all perspectives."
Jennifer Mizenko, University of Mississippi, USA
