Why Dance Matters

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Mindy Aloff

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

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.

Mindy Aloff’s writing on cultural topics has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and the Threepenny Review. She is the editor of the anthology Dance in America and the author of Hippo in a Tutu: Dancing in Disney Animation.

“Mindy Aloff mines her decades of expertise as a dance critic, writer, and teacher to answer the question of why—and how—dance functions in our world. Why Dance Matters is a compelling, multi-faceted guide that elucidates dance’s integral connection to human experience.”—Marjorie Folkman, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Barnard College

“If dance is a language, then Aloff has decoded its nuances in a book for the ages. She could not be more on pointe. I loved it.”—Allegra Kent, author of Once a Dancer . . .

“Animated by her acute intelligence, Mindy Aloff’s way of looking at the dance reminds me of that of Edwin Denby, our greatest dance critic, whose ‘imagination was huge.’”—David Lehman, author of The Mysterious Romance of Murder: Crime, Detection, and the Spirit of Noir

“When it comes to blending the poetry and history of dance, there’s no better writer than Mindy Aloff. With Why Dance Matters, Aloff’s writing pours forth with a finesse comparable to that of a Fred Astaire dance variation.”—Justin Peck, Resident Choreographer, New York City Ballet

“Mindy Aloff has written a marvelously wide-ranging yet warmly personal book, rich with experience and insight. Her knowledge is deep; her enthusiasm is irresistible. The effect is of a tour of the dance world with a wise and witty friend.”—Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker

ISBN: 9780300204520
Publication Date: January 17, 2023

280 pages, 5 x 7 3/4
1 b/w illus.

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