Dance Appreciation

2. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-032-88497-4
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 364 Seiten, Format (B × H): 174 mm x 246 mm

Dance Appreciation is an exciting exploration of how to understand and think about dance in all of its various contexts. This new edition has been revised and updated to include contemporary considerations of the art of dance along with enhanced discussion questions and prompts for the dance student.

This book unfolds a brief history of dance with engaging insight into the social, cultural, aesthetic, and kinetic aspects of various forms of dance. Dedicated chapters cover ballet, modern, tap, jazz, hip-hop dance, and social dance complete with summaries, charts, timelines, discussion questions, movement prompts, and online resources all designed to foster awareness of and appreciation for dance in a variety of contexts. This wealth of resources helps to uncover the fascinating components that makes this art form so diverse and entertaining, and to answer the questions of why we dance and how we dance.

Written for the novice dancer as well as the more experienced dance student, Dance Appreciation enables readers to learn and think critically about dance as a form of entertainment and art.

Online resources are provided for students and instructors, with videos of dance movements, additional online references, PowerPoint slides for each chapter, updated quiz and exam banks, and reflective questions and assignment ideas. These resources are available at www.routledge.com/cw/clark.

Zielgruppe

Undergraduate Advanced and Undergraduate Core

Autoren/Hrsg.

Clark, Amanda

Pecina, Sara

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Theater- und Filmwissenschaft | Andere Darstellende Künste Tanz Ballett, Modern Dance
• Geisteswissenschaften Theater- und Filmwissenschaft | Andere Darstellende Künste Theaterwissenschaft

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Part I: What is Dance?

Introduction

1 Purposes of Dance

What is Dance?

Ceremonial Dance

Political Dance

Social Dance

Therapeutic Dance

Competitive Dance

Promotional Dance

Theatrical Dance

Chapter Summary

2 Viewing Dance Through a Cultural Lens

Bharatanatyam: A Dance of Devotion

Kabuki: From Commoners to Cultural Treasure

Dama: Sacred Rites

Lindy Hop: Breaking Cultural Boundaries

Chapter Summary

3 Crafting the Dance

Choreographic Craft

Elements of Dance

Form

Additional Considerations

Production Elements

Dance Notation

Choreography Copyrights

The Dancer’s Role

Chapter Summary

4 Perceiving Dance

Lens of Perception

The Role of the Audience

Writing About Dance

Chapter Summary

Part II: Exploration of Western Theatrical Dance Forms

Introduction

5 Ballet

Ballet as a Dance Form

The Historical Development of Ballet

American Ballet Companies

Ballet Commercialized

Contemporary Issues within the Field

Chapter Summary

6 Modern Dance

Modern as a Dance Form

Recurring Themes in Modern Dance

Current Approaches

Contemporary Dance

Chapter Summary

7 Tap Dance

Tap Dance as a Form

Tap Dance Roots

American Dance Onstage

Selected Tap Dance Styles

Tap Highlights

Chapter Summary

8 Jazz Dance

Jazz as a Dance Form

Jazz Dance in Show Business

Codification of Jazz Dance

Styles of Jazz Dance

Chapter Summary

9 Hip-Hop Dance

A Culture of Expression

Hip-Hop as a Dance Form

Commercialization of the Art Form

Types of Hip-Hop Dance

Chapter Summary

10 Social Dance

Social Dance as a Form of Dance

Key Influence on Social Dance Evolution

Chapter Summary

Part III: Behind the Scenes

Introduction

11 Dance Media and Technology

Technology in Live Performances

Dance on Camera

Screen Dance

Digital Technology

Chapter Summary

12 Training and Education

Training Opportunities in Dance

Dance in Education

Inclusion and Accessibility

Chapter Summary

13 The Dancer

The Journey to Professional Dancer

Chapter Summary

14 Dance Health

Dance Injuries

Nutrition

Mental and Emotional Health

Chapter Summary

15 Careers in Dance

Performance

Choreography

Teaching

Therapy

Writing and Preservation

Administration

Production

Chapter Summary

Über Autor(innen)

Amanda Clark is a Professor at Western Kentucky University, USA, where she teaches all levels of jazz and tap dance technique, along with dance theory coursework. Amanda received an MFA in Dance from the University of Oklahoma and a BPA in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University. She has taught dance and presented choreography nationally and internationally. Amanda’s primary research interests lie in the history and pedagogy of jazz and tap dance as reflected in her text Dance Pedagogy (Routledge, 2024).

Sara Pecina is the Director of Dance at Berry College, USA. She received her MFA in Dance from the University of Oklahoma and graduated with a BA in Dance from Western Kentucky University. She has presented research on the history and pedagogy of jazz and tap dance both nationally and internationally at various dance conferences, including both the National Dance Education Organization and the Dance Studies Association annual conferences. Sara is a certified mat Pilates instructor and has also trained to teach Dance for Parkinson’s Disease with Mark Morris Dance Group and is in the American Tap Dance Foundation’s Rhythm Tap Teacher Program.