Terpsichore in Sneakers: Post-Modern Dance

Terpsichore in Sneakers examines post-modern dance through profiles of key choreographers who shaped the movement in the 1960s and 1970s. The book details the evolution from modern dance to post-modern dance, with emphasis on the Judson Dance Theater collective and its members. Banes analyzes the works and philosophies of ten influential dancers and choreographers, including Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown, and Steve Paxton. Her research draws from interviews, performance documentation, and critical reviews to reconstruct pivotal performances and trace artistic developments. The text establishes connections between post-modern dance and broader cultural shifts of the era, particularly minimalism and avant-garde art. Each chapter focuses on a single artist while building a larger narrative about the transformation of American experimental dance. The book positions post-modern dance as both a rebellion against and natural progression from modern dance traditions, revealing how these artists questioned fundamental assumptions about performance, movement, and the role of dance in society.

Readers value this book as a detailed record of 1960s-70s postmodern dance history, with many appreciating Banes' first-hand observations and interviews with choreographers. Multiple reviews note its usefulness as a reference text for dance students and researchers. Likes: - Clear explanations of complex dance concepts - In-depth profiles of individual choreographers - Historical context and cultural analysis - Extensive documentation of performances Dislikes: - Dense academic writing style - Some sections feel dated - Limited photographs/visual documentation - Focus primarily on New York dance scene One reader on Goodreads noted: "The writing can be dry but the historical information is invaluable." Another commented: "Required reading for understanding Judson Dance Theater's influence." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.13/5 (46 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (12 ratings) Google Books: 4/5 (5 ratings) Most critical reviews center on the academic tone rather than the content itself.

Moving History/Dancing Cultures by Adrienne L. Kaeppler and Ann Dils This anthology presents dance research methodologies and critical theories that connect postmodern dance to broader cultural and historical contexts.

Dance in Theory by Anthea Kraut and Gay Morris The text examines theoretical frameworks that shaped modern and postmodern dance through primary source materials and critical analysis.

Sharing the Dance: Contact Improvisation and American Culture by Cynthia J. Novack This historical study traces the development of contact improvisation within postmodern dance and its relationship to social movements of the 1960s and 1970s.

Democracy's Body: Judson Dance Theater 1962-1964 by Sally Banes The book documents the radical experiments and innovations of Judson Dance Theater through archival research and interviews with key participants.

The Body Eclectic: Evolving Practices in Dance Training by Melanie Bales and Rebecca Nettl-Fiol This collection explores how postmodern approaches have transformed dance training methods and technical practices.

🎭 The book's title refers to Terpsichore, the Greek Muse of dance, wearing modern footwear—a metaphor for how postmodern dance brought high art down to earth and challenged traditional concepts 📚 First published in 1977 as Sally Banes' doctoral dissertation, the book became so influential that it was republished in 1987 by Wesleyan University Press and is now considered a definitive text on postmodern dance 💃 The work provides in-depth analysis of groundbreaking choreographers like Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown, and Steve Paxton, who revolutionized dance by incorporating everyday movements and rejecting traditional theatrical elements 🎯 Banes coined the term "analytic postmodern dance" to describe the stripped-down, movement-focused style that emerged from New York's Judson Dance Theater in the 1960s 🌟 The author spent extensive time personally interviewing the choreographers and attending performances, making the book both a scholarly work and a first-hand historical document of a pivotal moment in dance history