Physics and the Art of Dance: Understanding Movement

From Book News, Inc.
Including much of the photos and text from his earlier works (The Physics of Dance and Physics, Dance, and the Pas de Deux), Laws (emeritus, physics, Dickinson College) demonstrates how principles of force, gravity, and other physical phenomenon can enhance understanding of the way the body behaves in ballet and can aid the ballet dancer in training. He explains the mechanics of ballet dance moves, beginning with the easier motions and advancing to partnered turns and lifts. A final chapter explains the effects of body size. Physical equations and analysis are reserved for appendixes.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


Book Description
Written by a physicist with professional dance training, Physics and the Art of Dance explains how dancers can achieve better, safer performances through an understanding of physics in motion. Using simple, non-technical terms, Kenneth Laws combines his knowledge of both physics and dance to describe how the laws of gravity, momentum, and energy affect dancing bodies. The book explores the natural laws that govern the subtleties of balance, the techniques of leaps and pirouettes, and the impressive lifts and turns executed by ballet partners. Finally, Laws offers insight into two current discussions in the dance world--the effect of body size on ballet technique, and the relationship between science and the art of dance. Beautiful, original stop-action photographs by Martha Swope, along with clear diagrams, illustrate the concepts described in the text. Plus, an intriguing "puzzler" at the beginning of each chapter provides an engaging entree into the topics presented. For those who want a more advanced understanding of the physics, extensive appendices are provided. This new book combines the best features of Laws's widely acclaimed The Physics of Dance and Physics, Dance, and the Pas de Deux by Laws and Cynthia Harvey. Its expert application of the basic principles of physics to the art of dance will be an invaluable resource for dancers and dance instructors and will open a new level of appreciation for lovers of the form. It will also appeal to physicists who seek to include the arts in their scientific pursuits.


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