Hiking the Horizontal: Field Notes from a Choreographer

by Liz Lerman

The unique career of choreographer Liz Lerman has taken her from theater stages to shipyards, and from synagogues to science labs. In this wide-ranging collection of essays and articles, she reflects on her life-long exploration of dance as a vehicle for human insight and understanding of the world around us. Lerman has been described by the Washington Post as "the source of an epochal revolution in the scope and purposes of dance art." Here, she combines broad outlooks on culture and society with practical applications and accessible stories. Her expansive scope encompasses the craft, structure, and inspiration that bring theatrical works to life as well as the applications of art in fields as diverse as faith, aging, particle physics, and human rights law. Offering readers a gentle manifesto describing methods that bring a horizontal focus to bear on a hierarchical world, this is the perfect book for anyone curious about the possible role for art in politics, science, community, motherhood, and the media.

Ebook Edition Note: Two images have been redacted, on page 200, Dances at a Cocktail Party, and on page 201, the bottom photo of Small Dances about Big Ideas.

Genres: Art, Memoir, Grad School

332 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 4, 2011

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read - highly recommended for those interested in the creative process and how the arts make us human. My favorite quotes:

Artists and scientists have a keen understanding that not knowing is fuel for the imagination rather than fuel for humiliation.

Ask a difficult enough question, and you will need more than one discipline to answer it.

It may look as if the artist is behaving like an activist, when actually all she is doing is building a world in which she can live and work.

Once I met a physicist who said to me, "The world exists so that I can do my math." I thought about that for a split second and then said, "You mean the world exists so that I can make my dances?" He grinned and said, "Why not?" Actually I think the dances exist so that I can live in the world.

[Sam Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does it really mean and look like to make art for and in community? I took a lot away from this book and it will guide me in dancemaking and community building for some time to come. A beautiful collection highlighting the tricky nuances of making art in todays complex world.

[wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

whether you dance your dance is your metaphor, this was a thoughtful and thought-provoking read. i had so many insights and sparks.

[Maralee · Rating 5 out of 5]

DANCER MUST READ!!

[Nora Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before you start Lerman's book strap on your thinking cap. The author writes in such a manner that you hike along with her. The book is written in an episodic style as Lerman meanders through her brain listing books, people and experiences that influenced her and how she took these experiences to render her own unique voice and choreographic style. She describes the problems she encountered on this journey, some of which she solved and some of which remained stubbornly inaccessible. She presents these problems as inquiries the reader is invited to explore and resolve (or not) according to their own principles. The author is determinedly inclusive of people and thoughts as she shapes her own path through dance and life.

[Stephanie Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liz's book is a must read for anyone working in the arts and arts administration. Her writing inspired my thinking about new ideas, new ways of working, and new possibilities. My favorite passages are Liz's discussions around structure ( in life and in work) and her ideas around framing community, accessibility, and how the arts fit into it. Her style of writing takes some getting used to, especially if you're a linear thinker like me. But enjoy the dive into the nonlinear world of Liz Lerman, and imagine you are witnessing one of her dances unfolding through words rather than movement.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz Lerman is a genius, a true creative innovator. Her tools have been applicable in every workshop I have taught since discovering her work. About more than choreography, Liz gives us new ways of thinking about and navigating life.