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في أهمية الرقص
ميندي ألوف، صحفية وكاتبة مقالات وناقدة للرقص، تحلل الرقص باعتباره التعبير النهائي عن الطاقة الإنسانية والشعور. من حكاياتها الشخصية، أو مجموعتها الجذابة من القصص حول الرقص من جميع أنحاء العالم، أو وصفها للصورة الآسرة التي التقطتها هيلين ليفيت لطفلين يرقصان، والتي تعتبرها أحد تجسيدات الغموض والبهجة التي يمكن أن يثيرها الرقص، إن لعملية استكشاف التأثيرات الجمالية والاجتماعية والروحية للرقص ستكون مذهلة.
تأخذنا ألوف في رحلة عبر أشكال مختلفة من الرقص - الطقوس، والشعائر الدينية، وسرد القصص، والتفسيرات الموسيقية - لإظهار أهمية الرقص للبشر. يعتمد هذا الكتاب، المتشابك مع التجارب الشخصية، على التحليل ليكشف عن العلاقة الحميمة التي تربطنا بالرقص - الشخصية والروحية والبحث عن الذات والطبية والترفيهية. الأفكار تتحدث إلى كل من القراء المتخصصين والعامة.
تأخذنا ألوف في رحلة عبر أشكال مختلفة من الرقص - الطقوس، والشعائر الدينية، وسرد القصص، والتفسيرات الموسيقية - لإظهار أهمية الرقص للبشر. يعتمد هذا الكتاب، المتشابك مع التجارب الشخصية، على التحليل ليكشف عن العلاقة الحميمة التي تربطنا بالرقص - الشخصية والروحية والبحث عن الذات والطبية والترفيهية. الأفكار تتحدث إلى كل من القراء المتخصصين والعامة.
332 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2024
6 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Mindy Aloff
15 books4 followersMindy Aloff is an American editor, journalist, essayist, and dance critic. Aloff's writing on dance, literature, film, and culture have appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, and other articles and publications worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
did-not-finish
January 20, 2023I haven't finished this and I probably wouldn't because there is something about the way it is written that puts me off dance entirely.
To her credit, the author IS passionate about ballet as an art form. I especially enjoyed reading her descriptions of Balanchine's choreography and choices that were considered forward, unusual, or inventive at the time of their first stagings. As a non-dancer who is enthusiastic about all kinds of dance but has no formal training or education, I was really looking forward to reading this in the hopes of filling my heart with knowledge that my chronically ill limbs cannot perform. Instead, what I got was a cut direct; an unwelcome reminder that I should have been inducted into the hallowed halls of its art by watching productions in prominent theaters in the US, UK, or Russia. If I don't know these choreographers or these canon ballet scores, then I am nothing. In some of the earlier chapters, the author had the same story: she wasn't a pro dancer, but she loved the art so she pursued it through other mediums and other connections. I had hoped to be the same way, but apparently I wasn't welcome.
In addition, this volume largely focused on ballet and considered it to be the pinnacle of expression, when there are other kinds of dance and their corresponding traditions. I had expected this book to take me on a field trip through other dances and conclude each stop with a universal joy and appreciation for dance, but it didn't. I don't want art to be gatekept like this, and trying to finish this book just felt like inserting myself into a circle where I obviously don't belong.
To her credit, the author IS passionate about ballet as an art form. I especially enjoyed reading her descriptions of Balanchine's choreography and choices that were considered forward, unusual, or inventive at the time of their first stagings. As a non-dancer who is enthusiastic about all kinds of dance but has no formal training or education, I was really looking forward to reading this in the hopes of filling my heart with knowledge that my chronically ill limbs cannot perform. Instead, what I got was a cut direct; an unwelcome reminder that I should have been inducted into the hallowed halls of its art by watching productions in prominent theaters in the US, UK, or Russia. If I don't know these choreographers or these canon ballet scores, then I am nothing. In some of the earlier chapters, the author had the same story: she wasn't a pro dancer, but she loved the art so she pursued it through other mediums and other connections. I had hoped to be the same way, but apparently I wasn't welcome.
In addition, this volume largely focused on ballet and considered it to be the pinnacle of expression, when there are other kinds of dance and their corresponding traditions. I had expected this book to take me on a field trip through other dances and conclude each stop with a universal joy and appreciation for dance, but it didn't. I don't want art to be gatekept like this, and trying to finish this book just felt like inserting myself into a circle where I obviously don't belong.
Read
January 28, 2024For the title of the book I thought will be about the importance of dance in our lives, not only the strict idea of dancing, but the small daily actions that counts like dances. Why movement fill our lives and has been crucial in the development of the society.
But this is a book about some dances, choreographers, more from a critical perspective of the works of some choreographers.
Some of the descriptions of the works of Balanchine are great, and it’s notorious the interest of the author in dance. It’s interesting if you want to review some works while you’re reading.
I think is more a kind of book you need to read slow, stop and do some research (if you don’t know the dance work he is referring).
But this is a book about some dances, choreographers, more from a critical perspective of the works of some choreographers.
Some of the descriptions of the works of Balanchine are great, and it’s notorious the interest of the author in dance. It’s interesting if you want to review some works while you’re reading.
I think is more a kind of book you need to read slow, stop and do some research (if you don’t know the dance work he is referring).
October 26, 2023
I have always loved dance--classical ballet, modern dance, swing dance, African dance, hip-hop, all of it--for its beauty. I've also found it difficult to remember individual performances due to lack of knowledge of the steps, history, details, or something else to anchor my memory in. My husband gave me one of the best gifts he possibly could have: Why Dance Matters, by the erudite, knowledgeable, excellent dance historian and critic Mindy Aloff. I had to read the book in shortish sections, 15-20 pages at a time, so I could look up the many dances, steps, types of choreography, and media she mentions.
She shares her wide-ranging knowledge in loosely organized chapters on themes she sees repeated in many different types of dances: playing, walking, steps, floating, fighting. In the first chapter, "Child's Play," she begins by discussing a photograph by Helen Levitt of young children dancing on a street in Harlem in 1940. She then moves on to the far more choreographed example of children dancing in the "Waltz of the Golden Hours" in Coppelia and the Children's Polonaise and Mazurka in Paquita. Aloff refers to performances by New York City Ballet, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute, and points out that even though she has seen the dances she refers to many times, she watches them again on YouTube for detail and nuance when writing this book. I haven't seen the dances many times or some of the companies at all. I was inspired to watch multiple videos of the "Waltz of the Golden Hours" by several different companies.
"Walking and Dancing," the second chapter, led me to watch a snippet of Bert Williams' cakewalk in Lime Kiln Field Day, "the oldest known feature film to feature African American actors." (I also won a debate with my film student son about it being the oldest known feature film with Black actors--a bonus.) I also bought a ticket to the NYCB to see "Glass Pieces," in which walking turns into dancing over the course of the piece. I watched several performances of Awassa Astrige/Ostrich, which I had seen before but not remembered, as well as several renditions of "Man Walking Down the Side of a Building" by Trisha Brown. Aloff talks about how walking becomes dancing, as exemplified in these works.
Why Dance Matters is a wonderful survey history of dance, going all the way back to a Dance of Death mural drawn on a cemetery wall in Paris in 1425 which lasted until 1669, which Aloff links to 1929 5-minute Disney film, The Skeleton Dance, by Ub Iwerks. She also mentions Volodymyr Zelensky's turn in the Ukrainian Dancing with the Stars in 2006. There are many, many more references I look forward to exploring. Aloff does refer to why dance matters in culture and to individuals, but the most important part for me was how she conveyed her passion for and knowledge of the art. I hope to read her work again and again.
She shares her wide-ranging knowledge in loosely organized chapters on themes she sees repeated in many different types of dances: playing, walking, steps, floating, fighting. In the first chapter, "Child's Play," she begins by discussing a photograph by Helen Levitt of young children dancing on a street in Harlem in 1940. She then moves on to the far more choreographed example of children dancing in the "Waltz of the Golden Hours" in Coppelia and the Children's Polonaise and Mazurka in Paquita. Aloff refers to performances by New York City Ballet, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute, and points out that even though she has seen the dances she refers to many times, she watches them again on YouTube for detail and nuance when writing this book. I haven't seen the dances many times or some of the companies at all. I was inspired to watch multiple videos of the "Waltz of the Golden Hours" by several different companies.
"Walking and Dancing," the second chapter, led me to watch a snippet of Bert Williams' cakewalk in Lime Kiln Field Day, "the oldest known feature film to feature African American actors." (I also won a debate with my film student son about it being the oldest known feature film with Black actors--a bonus.) I also bought a ticket to the NYCB to see "Glass Pieces," in which walking turns into dancing over the course of the piece. I watched several performances of Awassa Astrige/Ostrich, which I had seen before but not remembered, as well as several renditions of "Man Walking Down the Side of a Building" by Trisha Brown. Aloff talks about how walking becomes dancing, as exemplified in these works.
Why Dance Matters is a wonderful survey history of dance, going all the way back to a Dance of Death mural drawn on a cemetery wall in Paris in 1425 which lasted until 1669, which Aloff links to 1929 5-minute Disney film, The Skeleton Dance, by Ub Iwerks. She also mentions Volodymyr Zelensky's turn in the Ukrainian Dancing with the Stars in 2006. There are many, many more references I look forward to exploring. Aloff does refer to why dance matters in culture and to individuals, but the most important part for me was how she conveyed her passion for and knowledge of the art. I hope to read her work again and again.
January 8, 2023
Why Dance Matters is part of the "Why X Matters" series from Yale University Press, and based on the blurb, I expected a more sociological analysis of the role dance has in our lives, and how dances from diverse countries and cultures both express and form a part of who we are. This impression was not accurate — although it does mention a variety of dances, the book primarily focuses on western concert dance (especially ballet and modern dance) and analyzes specific works, choreographers, and performances in detail.
If you enjoy western dance history and critique, and especially if you're interested in the many ways that dance connects with pedestrian life (quite literally in the extensive analysis of walking and dance), this could be a good book for you. Aloff's nuanced descriptions flow from one choreographer to the next, from one genre to another, and from anecdote to performance in a way that brings these dances to life. I remain disappointed that the book glosses over non-western and social dances, but the analysis that it does offer is well worth it as a deep dive into how these dances connect with the rest of our lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Yale University Press for providing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read on Five Sentence Reviews
If you enjoy western dance history and critique, and especially if you're interested in the many ways that dance connects with pedestrian life (quite literally in the extensive analysis of walking and dance), this could be a good book for you. Aloff's nuanced descriptions flow from one choreographer to the next, from one genre to another, and from anecdote to performance in a way that brings these dances to life. I remain disappointed that the book glosses over non-western and social dances, but the analysis that it does offer is well worth it as a deep dive into how these dances connect with the rest of our lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Yale University Press for providing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read on Five Sentence Reviews
December 21, 2022
Why Dance Matters by Mindy Aloff is an enjoyable look at dance and its many uses, both pragmatic and pure enjoyment.
This book is heavy into formal dance with mention of other places and uses, from religious and cultural ceremony to all around the world. I think I was expecting something that spoke more to the value of dance in every person's life, even those who may never have seen any kind of formal dance, whether ballet, modern dance or even cultural ceremonies. Just the pure joy and release of moving one's body in time to some sound and/or internal catalyst. It isn't that these aren't touched on here, they are, but this reads as much like a broad review of dance performances and productions as about why dance might matter to someone who doesn't care about traditional forms and just loves the joy of movement.
That said, and shifting my expectations to what is offered, this is an enjoyable and educational read. The passion of dance comes through as well as the work that goes into dance as a traditional art form.
While I would recommend this to anyone interested in dance, I am more likely to suggest this for those who love ballet and other modern dance forms that are more regimented and less about just moving.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
This book is heavy into formal dance with mention of other places and uses, from religious and cultural ceremony to all around the world. I think I was expecting something that spoke more to the value of dance in every person's life, even those who may never have seen any kind of formal dance, whether ballet, modern dance or even cultural ceremonies. Just the pure joy and release of moving one's body in time to some sound and/or internal catalyst. It isn't that these aren't touched on here, they are, but this reads as much like a broad review of dance performances and productions as about why dance might matter to someone who doesn't care about traditional forms and just loves the joy of movement.
That said, and shifting my expectations to what is offered, this is an enjoyable and educational read. The passion of dance comes through as well as the work that goes into dance as a traditional art form.
While I would recommend this to anyone interested in dance, I am more likely to suggest this for those who love ballet and other modern dance forms that are more regimented and less about just moving.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
December 5, 2022
Anyone who loves dance will enjoy this title. The author looks at this art form from many perspectives; while many think first of ballet or modern dance, dance can also be part of traditions outside a theater, as in religion and ritual, as the author points out. Ms. Aloff takes on a wide portfolio in this title. She understands the full impact that dance can have upon both dancers and viewers.
On a lighter note, I also enjoyed many of the stories that the author shares. For example, find out why a ballerina said that she always takes a cab if she has to travel more than one block.
The holidays are approaching. Think of promising this title as a gift to a dance aficionado in the new year. They will then have the opportunity to spend time exploring why dance matters so much.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Yale University Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
On a lighter note, I also enjoyed many of the stories that the author shares. For example, find out why a ballerina said that she always takes a cab if she has to travel more than one block.
The holidays are approaching. Think of promising this title as a gift to a dance aficionado in the new year. They will then have the opportunity to spend time exploring why dance matters so much.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Yale University Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
July 25, 2025
في أهمية الرقص - مندي آلوف / ترجمة هناء خليف غني
هناك نوع من الكتب (لا سيَّما الأمريكية) تظل في دوران حول المعنى من دون إصابته أو التساؤل عنه، تطرح أمثلة كثيرة وتخوض في تفاصيل مُملة ولا داعي لها من أجل إثبات مقولات تضيع عن القارئ، فلا يفهم مغزى الكتاب ولا ما يُراد به.
هذا الكتاب مثالٌ على ذلك، لقد خيَّب أملي، عنوانه بعيدٌ جداً عن مضمونه شبه الفارغ.
لا أنصح به.
.
هناك نوع من الكتب (لا سيَّما الأمريكية) تظل في دوران حول المعنى من دون إصابته أو التساؤل عنه، تطرح أمثلة كثيرة وتخوض في تفاصيل مُملة ولا داعي لها من أجل إثبات مقولات تضيع عن القارئ، فلا يفهم مغزى الكتاب ولا ما يُراد به.
هذا الكتاب مثالٌ على ذلك، لقد خيَّب أملي، عنوانه بعيدٌ جداً عن مضمونه شبه الفارغ.
لا أنصح به.
.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews