Nonstop Bodies: How Dance Shaped New York City

by Rennie McDougall

Throughout the twentieth century, in theaters, ballrooms, and nightclubs, dancers blazed trails of resistance and revolution. From the exuberant endurance of dance marathons during Prohibition to the militant precision of the Rockettes through WWII and the strait-laced fifties; from the aloof abstraction of the Judson Dance Theater to the explosive energy of hip hop in the South Bronx; from the elated mingling of discos to the commercialized physicality of Broadway, dance was both a reflection of culture and a backbone for social change. In charting the stories and interconnected histories of these different dances, Nonstop How Dance Shaped New York City reveals how each was fundamentally shaped by the social and historical forces of the time, as movements rumbling through the rest of the country came to a head in the singular density and diversity of New York City.

The iconic contractions of Martha Graham share a lineage with the West African dances being transported to New York stages by Katherine Dunham; the innovations of George Balanchine took inspiration from the acrobatic feats of the Nicholas Brothers and other dancers honing their skills in Harlem's ballrooms; the evolutions in partnered dancing at the Palladium found their way into the Broadway choreography of Jerome Robbins while preceding the individualized revelries of the disco. Writer Rennie McDougall argues not only that dance can act as a mirror to the larger narratives of New York and the nation, but that the city itself has proven uniquely capable of creating innovations in how we move and dance together. Nonstop Bodies is more than a history—it is an exploration of movement that captures the ways in which dance has acted as both a catalyst and reflection of the city's culture, politics, and heart.

384 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

Reviews

[Sacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Banger alert. You had me on page 1. You had me *forever* when Willi Ninja appeared.

Dance was a formative part of my early life and has continued to be a central feature of my joy as an adult with rickety, blown out lower body joints. I'm not even mad at those because I got them going really hard in several of the forms mentioned in this book. Ya, there's a whole percussive section in the knees, the hips, and one ankle. Wouldn't trade it.

While folks who have participated in dance will likely love the historical run through here, I don't at all think that's required. McDougall takes an intriguing but accessible approach that includes big BIG names (Balanchine to Ailey and beyond) but then also takes readers into underground and more subversive spaces and then into commercial content. As I hinted, I was THRILLED by the vogue and ballroom inclusions, and I'm happy to see HBO getting appropriately roasted for their very bad behavior. We see you, HBO, and we direct Leoimy and Law level shade your way.

Prospective readers who have any interest at all in this topic should dive in without hesitation. I expect most will be entertained, learn something new, and find themselves blasting "Deep in Vogue," among other bangers, as a result of this read. I loved this and have been talking about it to everyone from friends to the barista who poured my cold brew earlier. This was a treat. Bravo! Encore!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Abrams Press for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK! Mr. McDougall has written the most exemplary and indelible book on Modern Dance History I have ever!! read. I applaud him on his brilliantly historical and very current perspective! He starts at the very beginning of Modern Dance with the teachings of Francois Delsarte and Emile Jacques Delcroze, then on to Denishawn and its disciples Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, and thank you for mentioning Louis Horst. I always believed that he was the guiding light behind Graham, as Gwen Verdon was to Bob Fosse. Nonstop Bodies covers it all so clearly that one can actually see the lineage as Mr. McDougall takes the reader through the timelines. I loved every word that he wrote and I'm so happy to gain new information that I was not aware of. We have so many heroes in the modern dance world and this book brought them all to life for me. I was so thrilled to see my friend Gregory Huffman and one of my Graham teachers, Tim Wengerd mentioned....sadly, but nevertheless seeing both their names in print made me so happy. This book is a must read for any dance aficionado or anyone who simply loves history. It is so current that the sad state of the Kennedy Center in today's news is mentioned. One more thought....we go from the very beginnings of Modern Dance all the way to the world on voguing and hip hop and RuPaul!

I recommend it with the absolutely highest recommendation I can possibly give.
Thank you to Rennie McDougall and Abrams Books publishing.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can tell that the author did a lot of research for this book from so many different angles. While yes it is centred around New York it talks about the LGBTQ+, the adversities Black people faced during that time period and more.

I loved that it covered such a wide range of dance aspects such as dance marathons, the history of the Rockettes, ballet and hip hop just to name a few. I genuinely learnt so much from it and will be reading it again.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expansive and well researched. Touches on dance performance and social dance and the racialized and marginalized bodies often left out. Whether you are a dance person or not, this is well worth your time.