Ballet & Modern Dance: A Concise History

by Jack Anderson

Now expanded and updated, this second edition of the original bestseller is an engaging interpretation of dance history—from the Ancient Greeks and European royal courts to the rise of the “American“ ballet and the explosion of modern dance. Short profiles, an extensive bibliography, a helpful index, and selections from primary sources are also included.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Read For School

299 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 1986

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Jack Anderson's previous books include THE CLOUDS OF THAT COUNTRY, FIELD TRIPS ON THE RAPID TRANSIT, and TRAFFIC: NEW AND SELECTED PROSE POEMS. A native of Milwaukee and a longtime resident of Manhattan, Anderson is also a well-known dance writer and critic, for The New York Times, Dancing Times (London) and New York Theatre-Wire, among others. He has written or edited seven books on dance, including The One and Only: The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Art Without Boundaries: The World of Modern Dance. He and George Dorris co-founded Dance Chronicle and co-edited it for 21 years.

Reviews

[Kenzie Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

As dance history books go, this one was good. The only textbook I've felt the need to keep. Provides an impressively comprehensive look at ballet and modern dance history in such a short read. I hope to keep this one around for a while

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another favorite from dance history. This book spans the evolution of dance, again from ballet in the royal courts to Lincoln Center in New York and even further into the realms of Graham's modern technique to William Forsythe's contemporary ballet style. Intriguing and great read for all dancers!

[Allirock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boooooorrring...I guess it is just that, a concise history though. It isn't horribly written, but just not very exciting I thought.