Summer time is a great time to catch up on all that reading we were eager to get to but were too exhausted to after late nights in the studio! Below, I have compiled a list of some of my favorites to get you started; whether you are interested in a little beach reading, a general overview of certain topics, interested in starting a faculty book-club or wanting to build a reference library at the studio for your students! Hopefully from this list you will continue to add your own favorites and pass this along to other dance educators to keep the knowledge and discussion flowing within our beloved field! Remember, the more you know, the more your students know and the more information we are able to pass along to them, the more mindful, well-rounded and knowledgeable they are as dancers! Enjoy!
See you in the dance studio,
Jessie
BIOGRAPHIES:
Bird, D. & Greenberg, J. (1997) Bird’s eye view: Dancing with Martha Graham on Broadway. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press.
Copeland. M. (2014). A Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Dunning, J. (1996). Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance. Reading, MA: DeCapo Press.
Gottfried, M. (1990) All his jazz: The life and death of Bob Fosse. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.
Grubb, K. B. (1991). Razzle dazzle: The life and works of Bob Fosse. New York, NY: St. Martins’ Press.
Kent, A. (2009). Once a dancer: An autobiography. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.
Kurth, P. (2002). Isadora: A sensational life. New York, NY: Little Brown & Company.
Schwartz, P & M. (2011). The dance claimed me: A biography of Pearl Primus. Yale University Press.
Vaill, A. (2006). Somewhere: The life of Jerome Robbins. New York, NY: Broadway Books.
DANCE HISTORY:
Anderson, J. (1992.) Ballet & modern dance: A concise history. Hightstown, NJ: Princeton Book Company.
Lihs, H. R. (2002). Appreciating Dance: A guide to the world’s liveliest art. 3rd edition. Hightstown, NJ: Princeton Book Company.
Alford, M. (1991). Jazz danceology: Teaching and choreographing jazz dance. Marietta, GA: Dance Press.
Mordden, E. (1998). Everything’s coming up roses: The Broadway musical in the 1950’s. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
EDUCATIONAL THEORISTS:
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Gardner, H. (2004). The Unschooled Mind. New York: Basic Books.
H'Doubler, M. N. (1998). Dance, a Creative Art Experience. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.
Smith-Autard, J. (1994). The Art of Dance in Education. London: A&C Black.
Mosston, M. (1998). Teaching from command to discovery. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Publishing.
IMPROVISATION & CHOREOGRAPHY COMPOSITION:
Albright, A. C. (1997). Choreographing difference: The body and identity within contemporary dance. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.
Anderson, J. (1998). Art without boundaries. Iowa: University of Iowa Press.
Blom, L.A. & Chaplin, L.T. (1994). The intimate act of choreography. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press.
Bremser, M. (1999). Fifty contemporary choreographers. London: Routledge.
Butterworth, J. & Wildeschut, L. (2009) Contemporary choreography: A critical reader. New York, NY: Routledge.
Franklin, E. (1996). Dance imagery for technique and performance. Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics.
Hackney, P. (2002). Making connections: Total body integration through Bartenieff Fundamentals. New York, NY: Routledge.
Hayes, E. R. (1955). Dance composition and production. New York, NY: A.R. Barnes.
Hodes, Stuart. (1998). A map of making dances. United Kingdom: Ardsley House.
Morgenroth, J. (1987). Dance improvisations. Pittsburgh, Pa: University of Pittsburgh Press.
Smith-Autard, J.M. (2004). Dance composition: A practical guide to creative success in dance making. New York, NY: Routledge.
*MISCELLANEOUS NOTE-WORTHY READING TOPICS:
Curriculum Building
Injury & Prevention
Anatomy & Kinesiology
Laban Analysis & Notation
Nutrition for Dancers
Dance for the Special Child
Child & Adolescent Development
Creative Dance
Dance & World Cultures
