Book Description

From adagio to voyage, over 800 steps, movements, poses and concepts are fully defined. A pronunciation guide, cross-references to alternate names for similar steps and positions that vary from the Russian to the French or Italian schools, are also invaluable aids.
... Read more

Reviews (12)

Excellent resource!
This book has served as an excellent resource for me in my ballet classes. I am a ballet teacher, even though it's not my strength. With this book, I was able to ensure I was instructing my girls accurately. This is a great dictionary of ballet terms. This a must-have to carry in your dance bag.

Another note, a number of my students frequently looked up terms in my book. Eventually, a few of them purchased it for their reference too. A good buy, in our opinions.

A great help for any dancer!
As a 13-year-old intermediate/advanced ballet dancer, I found this book very useful. I bought it at the first master class I ever went to about 5 years ago, because it was then I realized that there was more to ballet than just "tendu close degage plie". I wasn't familiar with some of the terms the teacher was using, and it helped immensely, especially with the body positions (croise, efface, etc) and pronounciation. Also, my dance teacher recommends this book to us constantly!

Pre Ballet to Advanced Classes
I work with the Center for Dance and Palmetto Dance Theatre. We refer to this book regularly. Oftentimes, we give our beginning students die cut figures with the French term on one side and the simple definition on the other side. We start with our Pre Ballet students and they quickly learn the terminolgy. It is an invaluable resource for teachers and students alike. All Ballet teachers could benefit from the use of this inexpensive but informative book.

Great resource
I used to have a copy of this when I was taking ballet classes as a teen and found it a great way to improve my technique when I wasn't in class. I refered to it frequently when I wondered if I was doing a step correctly or if I couldn't place a movement to a name. At the price, you really can't go wrong.

Wonderful Reference
This book is a wonderful source for the technical names of classical ballet steps. I have used it over and over for checking my spelling of movements for papers and for writing dance syllabus. It covers the variations of both steps and names for the French, Russian (Vaganova) and Ceccetti schools. A wonderful resource for teachers and students both. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (9)

Very Worth Buying...
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing is a very good investment for those who would like to approach dancing. Jeff Allen knows what he's doing and describes the steps clearly. The only reason I gave this book 4 stars is because the text is rather small, making it seem too similiar to a textbook (bad memories from school). That's a minor problem though. Also, the CD that came with it was a great help too. The music on it was very easy to dance to. I highly recommend this book (along with a video too for those who are visual learners) to all the beginning dancers out there.

Editor of Amateur Dancers Loves CIG to Ballroom Dancing
The delightful premise of this book is to knowledgeably enter the enjoyable scene of social dancing with its "social, psychological and physical improvement of lifestyle." This it does! Anyone entering social dancing, and those having entered and not become competitively focused, can do well to buy this cleverly written book.

Scattered throughout the text, Jeff very effectively uses logo-symboled information boxes to add interest and pointed tips. Eschewing the usual foot diagrams for patterns, text and pictures do the job. The excellent introductory diagram of Line of Dance and the 11 dance music CD is arguably worth the cost of the book.

Beginning with the history of the original "close" dancing position of partners, the author traces the evolvement of ballroom dancing in a very unique way - the impact exerted by national economies, mores and wars.

The ceremonial wedding dance is covered as the point of beginning for many people and it traces natural evolvement from that point. Reasons to dance for men, women and the shy are given through to the relationship and foreplay factors.

Physically and mentally meeting the challenges of ballroom dancing are listed, then music, timing, rhythm, movement and position.

"The Plain Truth about Practicing, Expectations, and Prioritization" is a section not usually covered in dance books, but should be; the discussion of "Creating a Dance Couple" is quite germane to those not locked in a high-level partnership.

The author approaches Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Rumba, Merengue, Samba, Cha-Cha, Mambo, East Coast Swing, and Hustle very practically with descriptive text and pictures that do the job of getting you in the dance.

Competitors, Silver level and above, will find the book's historical notes and the personal side of dancing a good read, all others can favorably and profitably use the book to help getting their heads and feet straight on the floor.

Conclusion: Buy it, for your personal improvement and attitude.

Review of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing
Published in Amateur Dancers; Issue #139 Sept/Oct 2002
By Robert Meyer, Editor

The Final Word
If you think a book like this might nicely supplement dance instruction at a local studio or class, then you're a realistic person. Best of luck to all prospective dancers.

For the Record: Terrific for Beginners!!
Part I of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing begins at the "beginning" with a whirlwind trip through history and the history of ballroom dancing -very interesting reading!- and ends with a chapter entitled "What Makes Us Dance" , a fun and interesting socio-anthropological look at...well...what makes people dance! Definitely food for thought.
Part II of the book as well as Allen's "Quickstart Method," found in chapters 10 & 11 are really what's revolutionary about his approach. To analogize these sections would be to say that they are to the beginner dancer what learning about the basic functions of an automobile are about to the new driver. All of them necessary before an individual (or couple) are ready to learn where to go. Having Been an Instructor for many years, it never ceases to amaze me how teachers and the public at large are deceived into thinking that if you just learn "the steps" you'll dance. Wrong, dancing is more the quality of your car than where you are driving. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing unravels the how's, why's, and where's for the novice.
I have reviewed most of the books in the marketplace; sadly most of them are filled with unforgivable technical error. If I were Allen I would not refer to them either. In this book Mr. Allen references his own work where the subject matter is different from the present topic or where the reader may want to expand upon the topic at hand. For instance, if you want more Ballroom Tango (or Argentine Tango which is very different from the ballroom style) than the Idiot's Guide provides, then read Quickstart to Tango. If you want more Swing, Allen has written an encyclopedia of Swing steps & technique called, Quickstart to Swing.
The wedding section mentions another of Mr. Allen's books & video called "The Complete Guide to Slow Dancing," another type of dancing not covered in the Idiot's Guide. This book is meant to cover ballroom dancing and Allen gives the reader plenty to work with covering 11 different dances.... For goodness sakes he has created a combination in the Foxtrot section that really does have a stroke of genius called "The Emergency Wedding Routine," that can be easily worked out in less than two weeks. There is also instruction for presenting the bride by the groom and "The Wedding Dip," (including terrific pictures). ...this book is a masterpiece!

For beginners?
Jeff Allen has impressive dance credentials and his approach to teaching is supposed to be revolutionary, but I noticed that he constantly references books written by himself and rarely those of others. That's what I call a new age dance master. The history section is interesting, and his brief discussion of why men and women dance was pretty fascinating--I'd definitely like to see that examined further. There's plenty of realistic advice about the challenges of partner dancing, but repetition becomes a problem and the text is incoherent at times. Ultimately, it's hard to learn dancing from a book under any condition. The commentary on technique and styling is valuable once you have a little experience under your belt, but for beginning social/ballroom dancers, I'd recommend a video. Arthur Murray's 'Let's Dance' or Margot Scholz's 'Introduction to Ballroom Dancing' are both excellent. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Sound Advice.... Really!!
I bought this book wondering what I would find. Too many of the reviews here would like to make this book out to be a guide to starving oneself thin. The book is very complex, offering the physiology of how food breaks down in the body, how starvation and very low calorie consumption adversely effects the body, and how to calculate proper caloric intake based on weight and activity level. The recommened diet is the Exchange Program, that would be the American Diabetic Assoc. diet. The very same one physicians instruct persons with type 2 diabetes to use. This diet ensures that you eat a variety of foods (starches, meat, veggies, fruits, milk/dairy, and fat) and do not have to directly count calories. This is not a quick weight-loss plan, in fact the book testifies to the fact that this is a slow proccess. I couldn't find anything in this book that recommended unhealthy practices to lose weight.
Bottom Line:This diet WILL work and is not encouraging dangerous behavior in dancers or everyday folks!

i'm in love
Finally a book for dancers. all ballerinas KNOW we have a different set of standards to adhere to, and FINALLY, theres a book that pops up and helps us instead of attacking. I think the skinnyhaters need to calm down and understand dancers live on a whoole different PLANET. To Chmelar and Fitt - i adore you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Chmelar is Stellar!
I found it shocking and irresponsible that in his review of Chmelar and Fitt's Diet for Dancers, Matthew McCarthy chose to take a few phrases out of context to paint a completely inaccurate portrait of what is the best book I've read on diet and nutrition for dancers.

Chmelar and Fitt are not telling dancers they have to be thin; rather they are reporting the realities that face most dancers who pursue careers in theatrical performing dance and encourage dancers who do not fit the body composition standards for being a professional ballet dancer to seek a style of dance that suits their bodies. Chmelar and Fitt are the only authors I know of who have assembled actual research on the body compositions of15 female professional and university, ballet and modern dancers and compared them to those of five kinds of female athletes. These results show that such dancers need to fit into a pretty narrow range of percent body fat and weight relative to height. For example, university female ballet dancers have a percent body fat range of 9.6% to 20.5% , an average weight of 117.7 +/- 10.4 pounds, and an average height of 65.3 +/-2.0 inches. Similar values are given for female university modern dancers as well as professional ballet and modern dancers. These values are substantially below what is considered an average healthy weight for nondance women. Yet the values for these same categories of male dancers are very similar to those of healthy nondance men. So it is the research that shows that female dancers have to maintain a lower than healthy average body weight; Chmelar and Fitt are simply reporting the facts. Mr. McCarthy seems to be shooting the messenger.

Yet C&F do more than simply report the facts; they also give their opinions on how to promote healthy weight expectations for female dancers. In the section "Professional Realities and Ethical Considerations" p43 C&F write, "In no way can this or any other book dictate what a school or company's weight standards should be...We can offer guidelines based on our current knowledge, but any dancer who reaches professional status is bound to be met by strict standards.... Directors, faculty, and students in university programs should ask themselves a number of questions (some of which mighght also be considered by professional companies) such as: Should we have weight standards? If so, how strict should they be for performing-emphasis students? Should we have weight standards for students going into nonperformance dance fields? What kind of policy should we have for students who don't meet weight standards? Are we familiar with appropriate referral sources for students with eating disorders? How do we strike a health balance between ensuring our dancers are healthy yet meet the aesthetic standards of dance? And what are those aesthetic standards?
There are obviously a variety of answers to these questions; however, the important thing is that they be discussed openly among faculty and student representatives." To me this shows an exceedingly responsible attitude on the part of the authors for both recognizing the pressures of the real world in certain areas of dance and in encouraging dancers, instructors, and directors to recognize their responsiblities in shaping healthy aesthetic expectations for body weight among dancers.

Also, in the section "Genetic Influences on Body Composition" C&F advise dancers who don't fit the ballerina mold. On p44 they write: "Research conducted by former New York City Ballet dancer Linda Hamilton....underscores the pivotal role genetics plays in determining a person's body composition. For those dancers seeking a career with a professional ballet company, this issue should be carefully considered. Dancers who do not naturally tend towards such thinness can certainly use appropriate diet and exercise measures to help get them to their desired body weight; however, sooner or later they may have to choose between battling their inherited body traits and modifying their dance goals. For those dancers not born with sylph-producing DNA, energy can be refocused toward dance careers that do not require an ultra-thin body, and also toward maintaining a healthy, fit body composition rather than trying to force an unhealthy skinny one. [Emphasis added.]."
This is as far from "shocking and irresponsible" as I can imagine. It's easy to make a book seem like something it's not by taking a few phrases out of context. Mr. McCarthy's review makes me wonder if he read the same book I did.

Mr. McCarthy recommends that dancers "buy a book about healthy nutrition instead." I know no other book that explains the way diet and exercise interacts as it applies to dancers, lists the functions of all vitamins and minerals, and notes those nutrients in which research has shown dancers to be deficient. If dancers want a book that is both about healthy nutrition and also applies to their specific dietary needs, this is it. I'm only sorry that the dancers at the London Contemporary School of Dance will not have access to this book in their school library.

shocking and irresponsible!
I am outraged that this book exists - how dangerous are sentences like "to be thin and healthy is a necessity for dancers", "How to attain the ideal slender body", "to maintain below normal weight"???

Does that not wave a big warning sign? Encouraging "BELOW NORMAL" weight!

Language like this is very very dangerous considering the huge problem that eating disorders cause in the dance world as well as generally.

Buy a book about healthy nutrition instead. There is no way I would buy and stock a book like this in my library, in an important dance institution.

Matthew McCarthy, Librarian, London Contemporary Dance School

A Wonderful Tool
Chmelar & Fitt have created a wonderful tool for the professional and amateur dancer, and for those who dance just for fun, who want to learn how to maintain good eating habits for a lifetime and be happy with their individual body shapes. Whether you would like to lose a little or gain a little or simply maintain your body shape, this book teaches you how to see for yourself the eating habits that need to be learned and unlearned in order to reach your ultimate goal! The difference here is with Chmelar's and Fitt's positive writing style, which makes the reader feel as if anything is possible! Great Stuff! ... Read more

Book Description

This is the basic book for recreational dance. It is the eighth edition of the best-selling introduction to dance, one whose unique combination of dance instruction, descriptions of major forms of dance, and directions for over 260 individual dances provides future dance instructors with the background needed to be successful teachers.The cultural background of dance for each country is presented along with specific suggestions for developing style. It reflects the most recent trends in dance, and includes a wealth of suggestions for dance resource materials. The methods teacher has an all-inclusive textbook for students, the teacher in training has a reference book that will last a lifetime. Coverage includes the Rumba, Cha Cha, Fox Trot, Waltz, Swing, Hustle, Tango, Salsa, and Country-Western dances. Detailed illustrations and diagrams clarify techniques throughout, making learning each dance as easy as 1-2-3. For beginning and experienced teachers of dance, or for the dance enthusiast. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A great resource book for physical educaion teachers
If you want to teach your class something about partner, folk, social, contra, and ballroom dance, it is here. This book covers everything from A to Z. It even gives you a glossary just in case you did not know some of those square dance calls. And, its many indexes and other additions at the back of the book are fabulous to help you plan and find all kind of relevant material. I wonder what happened to Ms. Pitman and Ms. Walker, co-authors of earlier editons. Yes, I have used Dance A While for years. It was recommended to me in college during the 60's. I lost it and am so happy to see it is still in print. Because, what ever other books I looked at when I needed information never came close to providing what I needed to find out. Thank you Jane Harris for updating and improving a great book.

A great book for dance teachers
This is the best book I used for learning how to teach dancing. It contains a good selection of simple dances which are suitable for novice dancers, and provides detailed dance descriptions and good advice for the teacher. The only drawback is that it doesn't come with music, so you have to track down a suitable recording for each dance. I have used this book for teaching recreational folk dance groups and school classes, and find it to be an excellent resource. ... Read more

Book Description

The legend of Margot Fonteyn has touched every ballet dancer who has come afterher,and her genius endures in the memory of anyone who saw her dance. Yet until now,thecomplete story of her life has remained untold. Meredith Daneman, a novelist andformerdancer, reveals the fascinating story of Peggy Hookham, a little girl fromsuburbanEngland, who grew up to become a Dame of the British Empire and the most famousballerina in the world.

This completely riveting and definitive biography chronicles Fonteyn’s earlyyears andher intense connection to her mother, the "Black Queen"; her loves in bohemianthirtiesand forties London; her relationship with her balletic Svengali, FrederickAshton; herconquest of New York with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet; and her final years inPanama withher husband, Roberto Arias. Daneman reflects on Fonteyn’s "lyricism and limpidpurityof line, so potent with theatrical moment that even film cannot capture it" andthe worldof ballet from the birth of the British Royal Ballet to Rudolf Nureyev, herfinal partnerand rumored lover.

Balletomanes and readers of biography alike will applaud Daneman’s vivid,insightful,and highly entertaining work. Based on more than ten years of research andlavishlyillustrated with beautiful and evocative photographs, Margot Fonteyn isanexquisite biography that is supremely worthy of its alluring subject. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Best Astaire Book
Probably the best book on Fred Astaire's career, this has everything, including frame-by-frame analyses of each of his dances. Mueller is obviously a fan, and sometimes finds things to praise in films that are actually pretty dull ("The Sky's the Limit," "Belle of New York"). But unlike most movie books, this one is fully thought-out, beautifully written, and just about exhaustive. Even the footnotes and appendices make entertaining reading. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Must-read for every dancer and parent of a dancer
This book is the most comprehensive guide to the physiology of dancing. It answers important questions about what is normal and what can cause problems. It also deals with correcting technique problems and preventing injuries by proper strengthening exercises. It covers the entire body from head to toe. In my opinion every dance teacher should read this book so they can responsibly develop young dancers. This book should be reprinted --- anyone who dances should read it and keep it handy as a valuable resource.

You don't have to be a dancer to love this book!
Dancing Longer, Dancing Stronger is for anyone who desires to understand their body and how to make it work more effectively. Along with detailed anatomical descriptions of all the bones and muscles in the body and how they interact, are exercises for both strengthening and lengthening each muscle set. You don't have devote a fortune in expensive equipment or a large amount of time doing repetive, boring movement. Suggestions in the Question and Answer sections help you define your structural weaknesses and suggest exercises within the program for overcoming them. Plus you never have to count past 8! Each exercise is done to one of four 8 count rhythms with most exercises being either 4 or 8 reptitions each. As a figure skater, this book has provided me with the best off-ice training I've found to date. Even my coach wants a copy! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Inspirational, but Flawed
Wendy Buonaventura obviously loves raks baladi ("country" or folkloric belly dance) with a passion. As sometimes happens with authors passionate about a subject, she unfortunately treats her opinions as facts upon occasion. As a dancer, I love the glorious Orientalist pictures, early 20th-century photos and fascinatingly slanted accounts from Western travellers, and I love her feelings for the dance. It's a beautiful book to peruse, and you can get some marvelous ideas for theatrical costuming from it. But like the Orientalists she reviews, Buonaventura presents an exotic and monolithic Middle East, where Egypt represents this entire diverse region and where nothing changes over time. She also perpetuates the popular myth that this is a *women's* dance, whereas in truth both sexes dance at private functions, and in both Egypt and Turkey, men historically performed as well. (Western tourists just weren't interested!) Read this for its lovely artwork and, if you're a dancer, for a feel-good spiritual connection with earlier dancers--but if you're interested in the subject of dance history, do some further research. And if you are involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism, PLEASE don't use this book for costume documentation. Egyptian clothing pre-1600 was very, very different.

Thoroughly enjoyable and informative
I bought this book on the recommendation of my belly dance instructor, who's had a copy for years and says it's a "wonderful resource." I agree wholeheartedly: the author has amassed all sorts of information about the background of Middle Eastern dance, and the historical illustrations (many of which are from private collections) are superb: Dinet's paintings of Ouled Nail dancers made my head spin with costume ideas.
But this volume isn't just for dancers: while dance holds the book together, the author has also created a fascinating study of the uneasy relationship between East and West. The influence has been mutual: Westerners have become obsessed with the seductive East, while Hollywood has had no small influence on Middle Eastern concepts of entertainment.
She also discusses the ambivalent position of the professional dancer in both societies. While Middle Eastern women seem more comfortable with their bodies than Western women, both cultures have historically been conflicted (for religious regions) about the body and sensuality in general. Middle Eastern women may dance in the privacy of their homes for their own entertainment, but a woman who earns her living dancing is viewed with equal suspicion in both cultures.
The illustrations range from the gorgeous (Gerome's beladi dancer entertaining Turkish mercenaries) to the dutiful (stiff studio photographs of early dancers) to the unintentionally hilarious (Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn are a hoot), and the printer renders them well. My only quibble: in the paperbound edition, the binding is so tight that some of the two-page spreads are hard to see as a whole (cf. the Plate Dance!). But in general this is a terrific book, and I'm glad it's back in print.

For the Bellydance Afficionado
Lots of colour pictures ... past & present ...including old paintings, quotes & accounts of the people who actually watched belly dancing...& then tried to describe it!

For those just starting out to find out about Bellydancing & such enthusiasts,there are some pictures of famous older dancers, past & present .. Samya Gamal, Fifi Abdou & Sohair Zaki.
More like a collection of cameos than a real in-depth exploration of the Art Form, or Elucidation of the styles & Expression... but it IS a good coffee-table book & nice, informative read .

FOr the Pictures, if Nothing Else
I can't speak to the accuracy of Wendy Buonaventura's history of belly dancing, though I found no evidence of the most controversial complaint, that she fails to note the role of European Orientalists in fabricating our notions of Middle-Eastern dance. In fact, she discusses this very thing at length.

The treasure in the book is the collection of paintings. Where else can you see Dinet's gorgeous watercolors? I had never even heard of him. Are the pictures accurate? I suspect they are. Are they representative? Of course not. Like Gauguin in Tahiti, the Orientalists saw what they wanted to see.

great pictures but...
The quality and quantity of pictures in this book is wonderful and there is also some good information but unfortunately all the information is not very accurate and there are even many things that are not true. As a book this is nice to watch but as this book has become "a bible of belly dance" when other more accurate documents have been hard to find I can't rate this higher because readers tend to believe everything that is written here. ... Read more

Book Description

Dance Kinesiology reflects modern techniques and includes articles addressing eight important systems of body work: the Pilates Method, Rolfing, the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, Ideokinesis, Body-Mind Centering, the Bartenieff Fundamentals, and Laban Movement Analysis. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fantastic resource for dancers, dance teachers, therapists
This book (in the second edition) is a fantastic resource for dancers, dance teachers, Pilates instructors, and physical therapists in training. It covers a lot of functional anatomy as it relates to dance. The first 2/3 of the book are devoted to anatomy. The last 1/3 is devoted to articles on various topics related to dancer health and conditioning.

There is an excellent article on Pectoralis Minor Syndrome - a condition that I have not seen addressed in other texts outside the physical therapy arena.

The chapter on Somatics, Relaxation, and Efficiency is very useful, with the exception of the article on Pilates, which reads like advertising copy for the Pilates Studio in NY. Mary Bond writes the article on Rolfing which is an excellent article for introducing Rolfing to people who may not have been exposed to the method before.

A must have for dancers who want to know their body
Dr. Fitt's book fills an important gap in the education of all dancers. Anatomical knowledge is of crucial importance to dancers and this book qualifies as both a basic reference for beginners and as an important resource for intermediate/advanced students of the body. It is easy to read but is not lacking in depth. My only complaint (about the first edition) is that all of her dancers are headless (there is no chapter on the head - Alexander would roll over in his grave!). This minor oversight should in no way take away from the monumental acheivement of this most excellent book ... Read more

Book Description

Seven lessons follow a young dancer's development, from basic positions and postures to more advanced levels.

Reviews (3)

A great help in my dancing
Since I come from a family that moves around a lot, sometimes it's hard to find a serious quality dance studio. This book was a tremendous help in keeping me toned and in gear. It gives me the help I need to reach the height of my aptitude.

"Great explanations, truly easy to follow" ~Julia Hulia
This book is great for the young ballet dancer. I just started the Royal Academy of Dance at Grade 3, and I wanted to catch up a little, so I got this book and I understand so much more in class! It's great, easy explanations, side reminders, ("Tummy in!") and also character dance tips.

A useful quide for beganing dancers and parents
Step by Step of the Ballet Class follows the RAD training method for the child's first five years. This is a very pleasent companion guide to the dance training. Step by Step explains the major deleopments each year and how to augment the studio training. Beautiful illistrations and well written ... Read more

Book Description

The Heart of America contains the most spectacular photography on the USA ever published. Inspiring, first-person text and photographs by Kevin Fleming take the reader from Florida's everglades to the summit of Alaska's Mt. McKinley. A beautiful photography book that makes for the perfect gift. ... Read more

Book Description

Whether you want to participate in ballet or just watch it, the ballet experience can excite and inspire you. Ballet is among the most beautiful forms of expression ever devised: an exquisite mix of sight and sound, stunning, aesthetics, and awesome technique.

Ballet For Dummies is for anyone who wants to enjoy all that the dance forms offers – as an onlooker who wants to get a leg up on the forms you're likely to see or as an exercise enthusiast who understands that the practice of ballet can help you gain

• More strength
• Greater flexibility
• Better body alignment
• Confidence in movement
• Comfort through stress reduction
• Infinite grace – for life

From covering the basics of classical ballet to sharing safe and sensible ways to try your hand (and toes) at moving through the actual dance steps, this expert reference shows you how to

• Build your appreciation for ballet from the ground up.
• Choose the best practice space and equipment.
• Warm up to your leap into the movements.
• Locate musical options for each exercise.
• Look for certain lifts in a stage performance.
• Tell a story with gestures.
• Picture a day in the life of a professional ballet dancer.
• Identify best-loved classic and contemporary ballets.
• Speak the language of ballet.

Today you can find a ballet company in almost every major city on earth. Many companies have their own ballet schools – some for training future professionals, and others for interested amateurs. As you fine-tune your classical ballet technique – or even if you just like to read about it – you'll become better equipped to fully appreciate the great choreography and many styles of the dance. Ballet For Dummies raises the curtain on a world of beauty, grace, poise, and possibility! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The perfect introduction I have been looking for.
This is absolutely the perfect book for someone wanting to learn (or learn about) ballet. I have seen the other ballet books out there. Most of them are either too simplistic (showing pictures of various pretty moves without telling you how to do them) or too abstract. This book strikes the ideal balance. It is practical and thorough. It doesn't assume any prior experience in ballet, but goes from square 1 to a quite advanced level. It takes you through the same logical sequence of moves that all dancers learn. It offers tons of tips and inside information that only ballet dancers know. It's very well written and easy to read. The expert authors are knowledgeable, patient, and VERY FUNNY. (A laugh on every page -- I didn't expect that added bonus.). And it has what seems like about a million beautiful photographs illustrating each move in great detail. I can't say enough great things about this book. It's the book I've been waiting for. Buy it! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

NOT FOR THE BEGINNER
THIS BOOK ADVERTISED 1300 FULL COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS AND DIAGRAMS. FOOT PATTERNS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN TEACHING SOMEONE TO DANCE THIS BOOK HAS ONLY ABOUT ONE DOZEN (12) DIAGRAMS AND IS MISLEADING. IF YOU LIKE TO LOOK AT PHOTOS OF DANCERS IT IS GREAT BUT TO MUCH READING AND WAY TO CONFUSING FOR A DANCER SUCH AS MYSELF WHO HAS HAD ABOUT 40 HOURS OF LESSONS. I FEEL THIS BOOK IS FOR AN ADVANCED DANCER ONLY. TOM BEHNEY

Good overview of ballroom dance
This book outlines most of the ballroom dances from a pictorial point of view with the assistance of footstep illustrations. Its virtue is it is pretty comprehensive, with most of the ballroom dances discussed. Even some dances considered a little risque, such as the lambada, are discussed in the book. No doubt that professional instructors will find areas of disagreement in the advice and the patterns developed, but no book can cover all the idiosyncrasies of styling that exist in ballroom classes. A good book to have when learning ballroom, and the price is very reasonable.

BEAUTIFUL BOO K - ALMOST USELESS INFORMATION
BEWARE: This book describes the International Style of ballroom dance. NOT the American style. Perhaps 10% of American dance students are learning International.

EXAMPLE: THE WALTZ

American Waltz:
The basic figure is a square in which the man starts by stepping forward with the left foot and the dancers return to the starting position in 6 beats, making a square.

International Waltz:
The basic figure is a zig-zag. The man starts with the RIGHT foot and the dancers travel around the dance floor in a zig-zag pattern.

It would be great if Paul Bottomer would write a similar beautiful book for American ballroom dancers.

Dave Palmer

good complement for beginning international dancers
Many of the dances taught in this book are international style. If you plan to dance in the USA, you should know that social dancing is mainly American style for beginners.

The book is richly illustrated with photos. However, the angle of the photos changes randomly. So if you see a dance couple facing different directions in consecutive photos, maybe they have turned, or maybe the photographer moved. You have to read the accompanying text to tell.

I think this book is a good complement for beginning to advance-beginnning international dancers. You cannot completely rely on the book to learn techniques because while it does touches on them somewhat, it mostly concentrates on dance patterns. It will give you a rough idea of what a particular step looks like and give you the name of the step. If you have learned the step before, this would serve as a good review.

Can't learn how to dance from this book.
It's a good reference book if you know how to dance. If you're a beginner and try to learn from this book, you're in deep trouble. Unless you can translate "move you left foot to left, reflex your right knee, shift your weight on to the left on beat 3" description into movement right away, you'll go through one basic movement in hours. If you want to improve your dance skill, it may be helpful. Since I'm a total beginner, I can't say that for sure. ... Read more

Book Description

Capoeira is a synthesis of dance and personal defense from Brazil. The Little Capoeira Book presents some of the popular theories of how and why capoeira began and profiles the most famous capoeiristas and their contributions to the art. The book contains diagrams showing various positions and movements and discusses attacking and defending strategies and the critical aspects of feinting. Over 100 photographs and illustrations are included. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A great book for beginners in Capoeira.
This is a great book for beginners in Capoeira. It is a complete reference guide on the history, moves, and music in Capoeira. I am a beginner in Capoeira and I have learned a great amount of things from this book. I encourage anyone to BUY IT!!!!

Buy this book!
This book is great!! I was new to the world of Capoeira, but not anymore. This book taught me all about the culture, history and the moves. I totally encourage anyone interested to buy this book. You won't be wasting your money.

Axe Capoeira!
This little book is in fact a big resource of information for the English speaking people about this Brazilian martial arts. It includes a brief history, information on the instruments and music and also in has drawing supported descriptions of moves and sequences.

If you are into Capoeira, this shoule be in your library...

Every capoeirista should own it.
This book could almost serve as "the manual" for first year capoeira students. I only recently began training and it has been very helpful to me in my understanding of capoeira and the culture from which it developed. Brazilian culture is so much a part of what capoeira is all about that you can't separate the two. So for a gringo who has never been to Brazil it is important to learn as much about the culture as you can. I was also fortunate enough to meet the author recently and get him to autograph my copy. His words of wisdom help me get through some of my more difficult training sessions.

love it!
If you yearn to actually practice Capoeira and not just learn its history,buy this book.I have a nice martial arts library and this is my favorite book on Capoeira.Quite a few movements are illustrated here and you get a very good idea of this art form.
Buy it and you'll be pleased with your purchase. ... Read more

Book Description

B> Setting dance within a cultural context that is both understandable and interesting, this insightful reference captures the true art form of dance and traces the activity of dance as it existed down through the ages and all over the world.Beginning with the origins of dance and moving on to what takes place on Western dance stages today, this volume offers a sweeping overview of primitive, ethnic, and folk dance forms ... examines the major branches of Western dance art including ballet from its inception in 16th century Europe, modern dance, jazz, avant-garde, and the international eclectic contemporary scene ... tracks the repertory, technical training of performers, and creative theory of the many traditions that unify this art form ... includes discussions of significant dancers, their contributions, and the performers that inspired them; the background of period styles; pertinent ideas of major choreographers; capsule biographies of outstanding dance artists; effects of music and design on choreography; national characteristics of dance; the psychology of performers; and coverage on such concepts as Classic, Romantic, and Avant-garde to clarify trends and invoke thought on the Dance Art and society ... and makes many comparisons to current day events.Suitable for anyone involved or interested in dance history. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Best Book Ever Written
This book has brought me back from the cusp of darkness to a state of enlightened euphoria in which I shall remain forever. If you do not own this book, you will be condemned to a firey hell.

This is the greatest book ever
This book has brought me back from the cusp of darkness to a state of enlightened euphoria in which I shall remain forever. If you do not own this book, you will be condemned to a firey hell. ... Read more

Book Description

Covering today's most important modern, ballet, contemporary and post-modern choreographers in Europe and North America, this unique guide is a valuable quick reference for students and critics, dancers and general readers in love with dance.

Each entry includes a biographical section, a chronological list of works, a detailed bibliography and a critical essay. In entries on choreographers such as Richard Alston, Pina Bausch, Laurie Booth, Christopher Bruce, Jonathan Burrows, Michael Clarke, Merce Cunningham, Anna Theresa De Keersmaeker, Eiko and Koma, William Forsythe,Jiri Kylain, Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp and other leading figures, readers can easily locate each choreographer's style and influence within the development of contemporary theatre dance, and swiftly discern the essential facts in his or her career. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Master photography and opinions from a master of dance
One of the great dancers of the twentieth century, and perhaps of all time, Mikhail Baryshnikov's work is captured briefly but magnificently in this volume. Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to see Baryshnikov in a live performance, but only on videos and DVDs. Even in this limited format however, Baryshnikov is brilliant, and a major reason for his superb technique is his attitude. Another dancer could perhaps execute his movements, but Baryshnikov comes across like someone who knows why he is dancing, and not just following the choreography. He creates the impression that he is feeling every movement, and he is celebrating himself to the fullest extent through every execution of such movement.

How fortunate we are that Baryshnikov agreed to tell us his opinions on the works covered in the book. That gives a special insight into his attitudes and general philosophy of dance. Baryshnikov gave credit to his teacher, the great Alexander Pushkin, for teaching him that on stage one must be free, and not just carrying through the techniques learned in class. "Classical technique", he says, "is like any language: it can be correctly spoken in many voices." And it is refreshing to read that Baryshnikov believed that dancing ability is the result of discipline and hard work, that a dancer is (self) made, not born.

Baryshnikov gives detailed remarks on the works Giselle, La Bayadere, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Theme and Variations, Les Patineurs, La Fille Mal Gardee, La Sylphide, Le Corsaire, Vestris, Medea, Shadowplay, Spectre de la Rose, Le Pavillon d'Armide, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Awakening, Hamlet Connotations, Push Comes To Shove, Other Dances, Pas de Duke, Sleeping Beauty, Petrouchka, Le Sacre du Printemps, Once More Frank, and my all time favorite Le Jeune Homme Et La Mort. The photography is all black and white, and superbly done.

One can breathe a sigh of relief that the Soviet government did not choose to eliminate ballet as being too "bourgeois" when it took over in 1917. Baryshnikov and other Russian ballet greats would not have came about if this had been the case. And in addition, the Soviets would have taken away the absolute prerequisite for all healthy civilizations: the dance.

Poetry in motion
A wonderful book that sadly is out of print. Ballet, like professional sports demands youth, strength, agility, and Baryshnikov was the superstar in his time. This book is loaded with photos that capture the beauty, grace, and skill of a man who admired Fred Astaire. And like Astaire, spent countless hours practicing and perfecting their art. Who can forget probably the best ever rendition of the "Nutcracker" with Gelsey Kirkland, and the scenes are wonderfully captured here. I've never lent this book out to anyone cause I knew I'd never get it back. This is a treasure if you can find it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An intriguing 'blurred genre'
Taylor's _Paper_Tangos_ is a great example of how autobiography and ethnography can come together to 'write culture'. The text is introspective, reflecting the nature of the Argentine culture at the time that Taylor lived in South America. In this respect, she was involved in 'participant observation'; it seems that everyone hid from society at the time (lots of scary terrorism going on). In _Paper_Tangos_, she finds refuge in the 'underground' tango culture, and discovers much about her past as she learns about the dance and social practices.

If you become Taylor's 'dancing' partner, and read this book on its own terms--outside of genre traditions and 'rules'--you may, like me, appreciate it for the unique perspective that it offers. This book has inspired my own writing and approaches to both memoir and ethnography. And the little flip book it really cool too!!

An odd little book
An odd little book about a former ballet dancer dancing tango in Buenos Aires. The author describes herself as blonde and beautiful. She marries and divorces an Argentine man, but it's all in the background of her consuming tango obsession. With disjoint time and amost hallucinatory digressions into the emotions brought to the surface by tango, this reads a bit like "Trout Fishing in America" if it were tango instead of trout. There is a flip book built into the pages where a tango turns first into a violent attack and then into sheets of falling paper. This low-tech animation wordlessly caputures the themes in the text. ... Read more