Shall We Dance?

by Brian Lanker (Photographer), Maya Angelou (Foreword)

From the controlled beauty of classical ballet to the vivacity of salsa, dance can be found in nearly every culture on Earth. Shall We Dance is the result of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Lanker's year of travel across the United States, documenting the huge variety of styles (from tap to tango, salsa to swing) and dancers he encountered. What began as a photo-essay for National Geographic soon expanded into a vast documentary project, which includes interviews with dancers from all corners of the globe. Shall We Dance celebrates dance's diversity of culture and capacity to express every emotion imaginable. Featuring a foreword by legendary writer, and former dancer, Maya Angelou, this volume is a treasure trove of dance from around the world.

177 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2008

Reviews

[Evanston Public Library]

Don't let the ballroom dancer in the hot, hot pink, backless dress fool you. This book is not merely a flashy promo piece for the über-popular "Dancing with the Stars" TV show. Rather, it's a declaration in pictures of love for all things dance, especially as expressed by the diverse American take on it. From the baby ballerina struggling to master a balance on one leg to the Vegas showgirl balancing an enormous, other-worldly feathered headpiece, Lanker has captured the drama, excitement, and artistry of dance as well as the pain, hard work, and exhaustion. Along with wonderful photos, there is accompanying commentary to each shot where the performers, choreographers, and just plain folk offer their thoughts and feelings on what dancing means to them. Maya Angelou penned the introduction, and admits that she wouldn't say no to a spin on the dance floor with the right partner to the right music. (Barb L., Reader's Services)

[Ariel Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful portraiture, interesting captions. There are so many other forms of dance that (I'm sure) had to be left out - time, money, distance - but the emphasis is on the fact that dancing is a human thing to do. I brought this home for inspiration, and the dance I'm most drawn to based on these photos is the tango. I'm not going to be a lindy hopper anymore. :)

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely collection of photos.