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"Square dancing is friendship set to music," says author Betty Casey. Just take four couples, old or young, put 'em on a good floor, turn on the music, and you're all set. Whether you've done it before or you're just starting out, this book tells you everything you need to know--85 basic movements used all over the world, the spirited calls unique to square dancing, the costumes and equipment that are best, and music (from "Red River Valley" to "Mack the Knife") that will set your feet in motion. Down-to-earth details and anecdotes give a taste of the good times in store for you. Find out how native folk dances grew out of European quadrilles, jigs, and fandangos. Open this book and get ready to: "wipe off your tie, pull down your vest, and dance with the one you love best." This book includes: 50 basic movements, 35 advanced movements, variations, dances that are a part of the American heritage, Contra and Round Dances, polkas and reels, and calls, past and present.
From Native American dance rituals to dance in the digital age, American Dance " by critic and journalist Margaret Fuhrer " traces the richly complex evolution of dance throughout American history.
This comprehensive guide to traditional style square and contra dancing, sometimes referred to as "country dancing," covers both music and style and gives background information on various dance types and calling techniques. Ninety dances, presented in chapters according to type (mixers, progressive circles, contra, Southern mountain style, squares and others), in a wide variety of formations are described with drawings and diagrams for many of the movements. A glossary of terms, a directory of addresses (organizations; vendors of books, recordings and audio equipment; and dance camps), and an annotated discography and bibliography are also provided.
Explores the rich history, collections, and significance of the only museum in the United States dedicated solely to the art form of dance. The only museum in the United States dedicated entirely to the art form of dance, the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame opened in June 1987, after a short preview season the summer before. This unique and special place celebrates its thirtieth anniversary in 2017. To commemorate this milestone, Lisa Schlansker Kolosek has created a rich pictorial history tracing not only the museum’s remarkable evolution but the relevance of the museum to the city of Saratoga Springs, New York. Kolosek tells the story of the museum’s origins, from its notable founders’ grand idea to the selection and complete renovation of a historic 1920s bath house as its home. Combining a complete survey of exhibitions presented by the museum and the incredible history of the Hall of Fame, which recognizes dance luminaries across multiple genres, this book offers an in-depth look at the museum’s expansive collection of costumes, visual art, and archival materials. The book also covers the history of the museum’s Lewis A. Swyer Studios and School of the Arts, a leader in dance education. Beautifully illustrated with more than four hundred photographs, this book pays tribute to the immense impact of the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame. “The book illuminates the history of the museum and its founders’ vision for a national repository dedicated to the ethereal art of dance in all its many genres. Readers will grasp the importance of the museum on the Saratoga Springs region along with its impact on the greater dance world both past and present. A lovely journey for all to read, especially the dance aficionado!” — Andrew DeVries, sculptor “Saratoga Springs is a mythical place for dance: Mr. Balanchine parading down the streets with the New York City Ballet performing street theater, tantalizing Saratoga with glimpses of ballets in a freewheeling, improvisational summer parade. And from there it blossomed: the National Museum of Dance was born, giving us the past through exhibitions, providing space for the creative process today, and training the next generation. Dance, the architecture of time, is celebrated by a colorful cast of characters making time flow in tantalizing stories of a one-of-a-kind place.” — Karole Armitage, choreographer “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to walk through and explore the National Museum of Dance. This museum is always ‘in process,’ reinventing itself in an ever-changing world. Museums are the guardians of our culture, keeping the ideas and creations of the human spirit—body and soul—alive. The National Museum of Dance delights in bringing art and history into the present—into the dance of now!” — Paul Kolnik, photographer
This overview of folk dancing in the United States showcases an important historical movement and explains how folk dance communities evolved to fulfill the needs of specific groups of people over time. While the general term "folk dance" encompasses a surprising variety of specific dances, there are three major recreational communities or forms: international folk dance, modern western square dance, and contra dance. Throughout the last century, millions of people have enjoyed folk dancing as an educational and recreational activity, regardless of the particular style. Folk Dancing explains the reasons for the folk dance movement that exploded in Europe and North America in the late 19th century. It describes the clubs, camps, festivals, and communities that sprang up, and examines the culture of the movement—the music, key individuals and events, types of clothing, and influences of technologies and popular culture. The book contains authoritative, original information gleaned from the author's own research conducted with hundreds of folk dance enthusiasts across America.
American folklife is steeped in world cultures, or invented as new culture, always evolving, yet often practiced as it was created many years or even centuries ago. This fascinating encyclopedia explores the rich and varied cultural traditions of folklife in America - from barn raisings to the Internet, tattoos, and Zydeco - through expressions that include ritual, custom, crafts, architecture, food, clothing, and art. Featuring more than 350 A-Z entries, "Encyclopedia of American Folklife" is wide-ranging and inclusive. Entries cover major cities and urban centers; new and established immigrant groups as well as native Americans; American territories, such as Guam and Samoa; major issues, such as education and intellectual property; and expressions of material culture, such as homes, dress, food, and crafts. This encyclopedia covers notable folklife areas as well as general regional categories. It addresses religious groups (reflecting diversity within groups such as the Amish and the Jews), age groups (both old age and youth gangs), and contemporary folk groups (skateboarders and psychobillies) - placing all of them in the vivid tapestry of folklife in America. In addition, this resource offers useful insights on folklife concepts through entries such as "community and group" and "tradition and culture." The set also features complete indexes in each volume, as well as a bibliography for further research.
In Appalachian Dance: Creativity and Continuity in Six Communities, Susan Eike Spalding brings to bear twenty-five years' worth of rich interviews with black and white Virginians, Tennesseeans, and Kentuckians to explore the evolution and social uses of dance in each region. Spalding analyzes how issues as disparate as industrialization around coal, plantation culture, race relations, and the 1970s folk revival influenced freestyle clogging and other dance forms like square dancing in profound ways. She reveals how African Americans and Native Americans, as well as European immigrants drawn to the timber mills and coal fields, brought movement styles that added to local dance vocabularies. Placing each community in its sociopolitical and economic context, Spalding analyzes how the formal and stylistic nuances found in Appalachian dance reflect the beliefs, shared understandings, and experiences of the community at large, paying particular attention to both regional and racial diversity. Written in clear and accessible prose, Appalachian Dance is a lively addition to the literature and a bold contribution to scholarship concerned with the meaning of movement and the ever-changing nature of tradition.