Why Dance Matters (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780300204520)

A passionate and moving tribute to the captivating power of dance, not just as an art form but as a language that transcends barriers

"[A] smart, bracing book of reflection, analysis, memoir and history."--Willard Spiegelman, Wall Street Journal

"A veritable master class."--Anne Doventry, Booklist

Mindy Aloff, a journalist, an essayist, and a dance critic, analyzes dance as the ultimate expression of human energy and feeling. From her personal anecdotes, her engaging collection of stories about dance from around the world, or her description of the captivating photograph by Helen Levitt of two children dancing, which she sees as one embodiment of the mystery and joy that dancing can evoke, Aloff's exploration of the aesthetic, social, and spiritual impacts of dance will prove spellbinding.

Aloff takes us on a journey through various forms of dance--rituals, religious observances, storytelling, musical interpretations--to show why dance matters to human beings. Interlaced with personal experiences, this book builds on analysis to reveal the intimate relationship we have with dance--personal, spiritual, soul-searching, medicinal, and entertaining. The ideas speak to both specialist and general readers.

Author: Mindy Aloff
ISBN-10: 0300204523
ISBN-13: 9780300204520
Publisher: Yale University Press
Language: English
Published: 01/17/2023
Pages: 280
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 8.03h x 5.36w x 1.00d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 01/01/2023 pg. 88
Booklist 01/01/2023 pg. 14
Choice 11/01/2023