Reviews (1)

Understanding the Artist and his Work
This book was fascinating! Mark Morris' work is brilliant, beautiful and new. This book offers insight into the artist's childhood and early introduction to the arts, traces the evolution of his company from its humble and informal beginnings to its present place as one of the outstanding modern companies in the world, and explores the themes Morris' work so often addresses. The insight into his complex character makes watching his work still more rewarding. Includes many great photos. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's a bit of a stretch to suggest, as Peter Kurth does in his biography of the expatriate artist, that Isadora Duncan (1877-1927) single-handedly invented modern dance, a claim that Vaslav Nijinsky and George Balanchine, among others, would almost certainly contest.

But Kurth has that claim on good authority, namely Duncan herself, who recalled, "I was possessed by the dream of Promethean creation that, at my call, might spring from the Earth, descend from the Heavens, such dancing figures as the world had never seen." Never shy of self-promotion, Duncan captivated audiences wherever she took the stage, earning a following--but also stirring controversy--in her native United States, and even greater exaltation and stormier criticism in Europe, where she made her home for most of her adult life. There she emerged as a textbook bohemian, avidly practicing and preaching free love and other convention-flouting doctrines, breaking hearts, taking up with political radicals and some of the great artists of the day, and drinking far too much. She also defined the figure of the artist as celebrity, living each day, as one Russian critic remarked, "as though bewitched by music" and unconcerned by the mundane. She even died spectacularly, done in by a fashion accessory and bad timing.

Toward the end of her life Duncan remarked, "I am not a dancer. I have never danced a step in my life." She was a dancer, of course, and one whose influence has endured. She was also an original, self-aware and certain of her greatness. Kurth tells her story well in this vivid biography, one of value to students of modern dance and the history of the Lost Generation. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This book brings her back to life
Isadora Duncan was a larger than life figure of the first part of the century. Both her work and her lifestyle guaranteed her the attention of the world. Mr. Kurth's biography brings the innovative dancer back to life clarifying many details at the same time. Ms. Duncan tended to either gloss over or sensationalize various aspects of her history and this book separates fact from fantasy. The photographs are very good, as is the narrative.

She Was Large...She Contained Multitudes
Here is an excellent biography of someone whose life combined artistic achievement with personal dysfunction. Arguably the creator of what we now refer to as "modern dance," Isadora Duncan certainly filled her "sensational" personal life with a series of adventures and misadventures while struggling to sustain a career during which so many of her knowledgeable contemporaries praised her artistic talents and achievements. Consider these comments:

"I got an impression of enormous grace, and enormous power in her dancing -- she was very serious, and held the audience and held them completely." (Frederick Ashton)

"She moved with those wonderful steps of hers with simplicity and detachment that could only come through the intuition of genius itself." (Tamara Karsavina)

"She incarnated music in her dance." (Serge Kousevitsky)

"The soul becomes drunk with this endless succession of beautiful lines and groupings [of movement]." (Ernest Newman)

"The greatest woman I have ever known....Sometimes I think she is the greatest woman the world has ever known." (Rodin)

Impressive accolades indeed which, for me, increase the poignancy (at times the tragedy) of her poor judgment and irresponsible behavior when not performing before an always adoring audience. Even for those who know little (if anything) about dance, Kurth has written an absorbing, at times compelling biography of a woman who (in the words of a contemporary, Janet Flanner) embodied "the grandeur of permanent ideals...[but was] too expansive for personal salvation."

By the time I approached the final chapter of Kurth's biography, I had observed a number of similarities between Isadora's life and the lives of Edna St. Vincent Millay and Sylvia Plath. For example, their original and substantial talent, their excessive self-indulgences, their passion for experiencing (both physically and emotionally) as much as possible each day, and their vulnerabilities which so many others exploited shamelessly. With Whitman in mind, Robert Gottlieb observes: "For Isadora there were no rules, there was only the Song of Herself; she lacked the discipline, the emotional and moral resources, to keep liberty from lapsing into license." Such is often the fate of a genius which, by most accounts, Isadora Duncan was. "Sensational" indeed. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Wow
I have done a heritage fair project on Karen Kain. I used this book to help me and it gave me so much info. Thanks

A beautiful book
I saved every penny I came across for 3 months to buy this book when I was in high-school; it was worth it! It is an amazing book that outlines the life of Karen Kain, in my opinion the best ballerina in Canada, and the trials and tribulations that she went through in her everyday life. It is very well written; it never provides a dull moment. I would read it again and again. I would recommend this book to any dancer or anyone interested in dance.

the grace of a feather
I absolutely loved this book. I recieved it as a gift, and being a dancer i sat down and read it right away. It was amazing!! Karen Kain is such an exciting dancer, with new bounds at every jump. It made me remember that i can achieve my dreams!!! *S*

Great Book
I enjoyed this book and being a Canadian it's interesting to hear about how she grew up in Ontario. I thought it was good, and was very well written. response to the person who said she was stucvk up i met her to and while she waws getting mobbed walking down a hallway by kids she stopped to sign each and every one of there pointe shoes or paper and even let me take her picture so it was probably that she was just having a bad day. but the book displays her well .

Great and captivating read.
I loved this book, and in defense of the person that said Kain is rude and stuck up....you have to remember that you may have caught her at a bad time. We can only wonder what it would be like to have fans constantly in your face. I thought the book was wonderful, and very insightful. Karen Kain remains a charismatic performer in my eyes. ... Read more

Book Description

A moving account of one dancer's career and life on Broadway. ... Read more

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Well written story of an exquisite dancer-simply beautiful
Dorthy Bird was a gifted dancer, and with Joyce Greenberg's assistance the reader is given extraordinary insight into the world of Martha Graham. Ms. Greenberg captures the exquisite world of modern dance and the life of a beautiful person, Dorothy Bird.. Brian Lamb should interview her on Booknotes. ... Read more

Book Description

In these sparkling exchanges with seven leading figures from the world of dance, Janet Lynn Roseman gets to the heart of her subject: how a dancer or choreographer envisions creation and performance, the person's dreams and rituals, fears and disappointments. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a brilliant survey
Janet Lynn Roseman's interviews are an essential look at the living history of dance and will be valued by fans, students, practitioners, and scholars in the years to come. (By the way, the Amazon.com price is absurd; order it directly from the publisher. And, BTW, the binding is not a "library binding" as Amazon.com insists; it's paperback.)

Conversations with seven dancers and choreographers
These interviews with legends of dance assembles conversations with seven dancers and choreographers, providing interviews which reveal the process of translating a dance to stage. From achieving mental states during dance to choosing music for dance and interpreting dance, Dance Masters provides many important insights. ... Read more

Book Description

José Limón is universally recognized as one of the most important modern dancers of the 20th century.His technique is still taught at major colleges and dance schools; his dance company continues to revive his works, plus presents new works.His most famous work, The Moor's Pavanne, has been presented around the world by ballet and modern dance companies.This book presents a series of essays about Limón's life and works by noted scholars and dancers who were associated with Limón.It serves as a perfect introduction to his choreography and legacy.The book should appeal to fans of modern dance. ... Read more

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Book Description

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An engrossing history of a most important American dance co.
A fascinating, incredibly well-researched history of the Joffrey Ballet -- and its place in American dance. I myself had worked as an intern backstage there when I was younger, and I must say it really captured the company's spirit and the personalities of the major players, such as Mr. Joffrey and Gerald Arpino. Answalt has a knack for presenting the complexities of running a dance company in the US and for fairly examining the disputes between artists and board members that nearly destroyed the Joffrey. If I have any quibble at all, and it is small, it is that from time to time certain events are a little rushed and merit more detail. But that's a small problem, indeed. ... Read more

Book Description

Now in paperback: The first comprehensive biography of the American cultural giant who changed popular theater and dance forever with her choreography for Oklahoma!, Carousel, and Brigadoon

Pioneering a distinctly American style that combined modern dance and ballet with a traditional folk idiom, Agnes de Mille popularized what had been an elitist art and irrevocably changed the American musical theater. During a life that spanned most of the twentieth century, de Mille worked and played with a fabulous cast of characters, from her uncle (the legendary Cecil B. de Mille) to Charlie Chaplin, Martha Graham, Cole Porter, Nol Coward, Rebecca West, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Drawing on unpublished papers and extensive interviews with friends, colleagues, relatives, and de Mille herself, Carol Easton takes us behind the scenes of de Mille's extraordinary life: struggling to establish a reputation, surviving a series of disastrous love affairs, meeting the conflicting demands of ambition and motherhood, dealing with a devastating illness. She unforgettably brings to life the combination of intelligence, artistry, and humor that was Agnes de Mille. ... Read more

Book Description

Inspired by the life of a glamorous American heroine who divided her time between a lush Caribbean island and a New York lakeside retreat, and set against the vibrant backdrop of the 1920s and '30s, The Flamboyant evokes the romance of early aviation, particularly as it was experienced by women of that courageous generation.

Lenora Demarest -- the only daughter of a wealthy American doctor turned grapefruit plantation-owner -- is a complex ingenue whose sensibilities, ambitions, and desires are often contradictory. She yearns for love and cherishes traditional values, yet longs for independence and seeks to break away from the restrictions of Victorian norms. During the course of her unusual life, Lenora falls in love with George Hanson, a dashing aviator, and also befriends Amelia Earhart. In very different ways, these two individuals help to sharpen her self-understanding and set her on a path of exhilarating single-minded achievement.

Reviews (2)

A story that never takes off...
I bought this book to take on a trip because of the gorgeous cover picture and intriguing book flap description. I was hoping for something more dynamic and challenging but the story and characters never really come to life. I would recommend this novel to readers who want a sugery dose of sappy fluff.

If you want to read a bad book....
Wrong in constructions, use of the language, presentation of carachters, details such as the celebration of New Years Eves after Jan. 29 are part of this book that mix the rality of the puertorrican society of the first part of the 20 century with the absurds misconceptions of the writter. If someone wants to have superficial, cosmetics and simple ideas of the socio political situacion of Puerto Rico, this is the book to read. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good book on the life of Doris Humphrey
Those interested in and learning the infamous Humphrey-Weidman technique in modern dance get a good overview of the life of Doris Humphrey. The book also has many photos of this incredibly beautiful woman, who not only originated one of the most original techniques of modern dance in the 20th century, but also was a dance theoreticain/philosopher. The only disappointing aspect of the book was that one interested in the influence of the philosopher Friedrich Neitzsche on her dance technique will find only a brief discussion. But the book is fascinating reading, and after reading it one feels even more admiration for this remarkable woman and dancer. ... Read more

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A dancer's piont of view
Well written. Each chapter tends to be quite repetitive. The focus dwells on the hardships of rehearsing and the greuling dancers schedule. Such facts one already knows about dancers' lives, hence one doesn't need to read the book. ... Read more

Book Description

From Greenwich Village to Guadalcanal in just over a year, David Zellmer would find piloting a B-24 bomber in the South Pacific a far cry from his life as a fledgling member of the Martha Graham Dance Company. He soon discovered the unimagined thrills of first flights and the astonishment of learning that an aerial spin was merely a vertical pirouette which one spotted on a barn thousands of feet below, instead of on a doorknob in Martha's studio. Reconstructed from letters home, this captivating account traces Zellmer's journey from New York to the islands of the South Pacific as the 13th Air Force battled to push back the Japanese invaders in 1943 and 1944. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Zellmer's point of view is new and refreshing
Most WWII stories are told with a "gung-ho" American point of view. And although David Zellmer never expresses a problem with U.S. policy, his point of view is so far removed from the general collective, that it becomes inspiring and mind-blowingly real, because of his ability to bring the reader into his young, cynical, and advanced observation of the war machine. He performes his duty without question. But he expresses a distaste for the loss of civilians, and maintains his commitment to his job with a powerfull artists eye. He notices things that anaverage WWII soldier would never dream of. As you read and become involved in this 26 year old's life, you start to forget what the war was about yourself. Ultimately, his visions do not try to downplay the moral and national justifications of the war, but rather let you in on the workings of a mind, sometimes self-absorbed, with the best intentions at heart. His absolute love of the art of flying combined with all of his other observations will stay with the reader forever.

Top notch memoir of a dancer turned bomber pilot
I am grateful for Mr. Zellmer's detailed memoir of his life as a bomber pilot in the South Pacific. Although my own father served in the Army Air Corps fighting the Japanese, he never shared his frightening experiences with our family. This books allows the reader an opportunity to know the sights, the beauty, the fears, the excitement and the boredom of war in tropical lands. In addition to allowing us inside the cockpit during his first flights and later his bombing missions, Zellmer gives the reader a front row seat into the world he came from, the on stage world of Martha Graham's Dance Company. It's apparent that the author spent long years researching the era, as well as putting together his combat experience from letters written home to family and friends. I found this both a compelling and an informative read. ... Read more

Book Description

Angna Enters was one of America's most versatile and gifted artists--dancer/mime, painter, sculptor, costume and set designer, musician, screenwriter, and best-selling author. For over forty years, European and American audiences celebrated her unique and brilliant theatre performances as well as the annual exhibits of her paintings in such cities as New York, Los Angeles, and London. Her travels were documented in newspapers on both American coasts, and her image filled the pages of Life and Vogue. The nation's most respected critics acclaimed her books, and her public watched her comings and goings in Hollywood with great interest. But her private life was her own mystery, kept from her audiences and her readers, even from those few luminaries who felt they knew her well.

Angna maintained her friendships with Alfred Stieglitz and Dorothy Norman solely through her elegant and personal letters. And friends such as Judith Anderson, Greer Garson, Fanny Brice, and Albert and Millie Lewin knew only her business address. Enters' home was a Manhattan apartment which she shared with her secret, lifetime companion, the journalist and art critic Louis Kalonyme, who gave up his own career to serve as her secretary, business manager, confidant, and lover. He retained close contacts with only a few of his friends--Stieglitz and Georgia O'Keeffe, Eugene O'Neill, and John Marin.

Uncommon Eloquence is a meticulously researched portrait of this complex, elusive, and incredibly talented woman. Dorothy Mandel presents us with glimpses of the behind-the-scenes travails of Angna's cross-country tours of the U.S. and her many appearances in Europe, the poverty of her early years as an artist in Greenwich Village, her churning out chapters of books in crowded hotel lobbies and train stations during World War II, her dramatic escape from her home in Malaga at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, and her struggles with the bureaucracy of Hollywood in the 1940s.

Confronted with her diversified and unique talents, critics tried for decades to classify Enters' artistry, but no one ever succeeded. Angna Enters was a loner in the art world, going her own way to create her own special reality in the arts. Mandel has captured the drive, the frustrations, and the strength of this fascinating, solitary performer. ... Read more