1st Edition

Milestones in Dance History

Edited By Dana Tai Soon Burgess Copyright 2023
288 Pages 11 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

288 Pages 11 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

288 Pages 11 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This introduction to world dance charts the diverse histories and stories of dancers and artists through ten key moments that have shaped the vast spectrum of different forms and genres that we see today. Designed for weekly use in dance history courses, ten chosen milestones move chronologically from the earliest indigenous rituals and the dance crazes of Eastern trade routes, to the social... Read more

1. Indigenous Dances: Lakota Bodies and Lands on and as the Frontlines

Tria Blu Wakpa

2. Silk Road: Commerce, Conquest, and College

Laurel Victoria Gray

3. Dance in the African Diaspora

Joanna Dee Das

4. Ballet: From Louis XIV to Misty Copeland

Sekani Robinson

5. Modern and Postmodern Dance: War and Choreography in the 20th and 21st centuries

Kate Mattingly

6. Dance and Social Justice: Retracing the Steps of Michio Itō

Dana Tai Soon Burgess

7. Dance as Healing: Unearthing Therapeutic Modalities

Giselle Ruzany 

8. Dance on Film -- From Busby Berkeley to Bollywood

Kathryn Boland

9. Intersecting body and machine: tracing the emergence of dance technology

Maria Francisca Morand

10. The Future of Dance: Moving Through Time and Space

Monique George

Biography

Dana Tai Soon Burgess is the Smithsonian Institution’s first ever choreographer in residence based at the National Portrait Gallery. He is the artistic director of Washington, DC's premiere modern dance company, Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, now in its 30th season. He is a professor of dance at The George Washington University and host of The Slant Podcast.

"Milestones in Dance History is an important resource for challenging dominant approaches to dance history, useful for classroom instruction and beyond. The textbook is a valuable addition to any dance history course and its content might also contribute to learning in history, cultural studies, ethnic studies, and area studies fields. Its accessible language, straightforward structure, and compelling chapter content would make for an excellent entry point into the field of dance studies."

Miya Shaffer, Dance Chronicle, USA