Legends of American Dance and Choreography
- Book Review,
by Carin T. Ford
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-10-Brief, fact-filled biographies of Martha Graham, Fred Astaire, George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Katherine Dunham, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. These individuals present a rich portrait of the vitality and the diversity of dance in America throughout the 20th century. The concise, engaging text captures their early years, key moments that led them to dance, as well as their disappointments and triumphs. There are two clear, well-chosen black-and-white photographs of each artist. This collective biography may whet the appetite of young readers and encourage them to seek longer accounts of these luminaries of the dance world.Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
School
...present[s] a rich portrait of the vitality and the diversity of dance in America throughout the 20th century.
Book Description
"Nobody is born a dancer," said Mikhail Baryshnikov. "You have to want it more than anything." The ten dancers and choreographers in this collection shaped their raw talent with passion and intensity. All have made unparalleled contributions to the world of dance, and their stories present an overview of dance in America. Author Carin T. Ford's lively text and delightful anecdotes introduce middle grade and young adult readers to ten greats in American dance -- from ballet to modern dance to Broadway and more.
From the Author
I regarded reading nonfiction as the worst form of torture when I was young. To me, the word "nonfiction" meant dull, dry, and boring. My goal while I was writing this book was to make it not only informative, but fun to read. The story of each dancer unfolds just as it might in a novel. There are lots of anecdotes, lots of quotes. I think readers will find the book as enjoyable to read as it was to research. After all, how else would I have learned that Fred Astaire used to rehearse up to 18 hours a day for several weeks, sometimes losing 15 pounds and leaving his partners' shoes caked with blood, before he was satisfied with a single dance routine?
About the Author
Carin T. Ford has been writing professionally for more than twenty years as a journalist, a fiction writer, and a biographer. She began her career as a newspaper reporter. Her short stories have been published in national and international magazines. Ford lives on the East Coast with her husband, their three children, a kitten, and a very tolerant dog.
Excerpted from Legends of American Dance and Choreography (Collective Biographies) by Carin Ford. Copyright © 2000. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Martha Graham's father put a drop of water on a glass slide and asked his young daughter what she saw. Standing on a pile of books to see better, Martha replied that she saw water. "Pure water?" asked Dr. Graham. Martha said yes. He then put the slide under a microscope and asked Martha to look through the lens. She was shocked to discover that the water had wriggling shapes in it. "Yes, it is impure," said Dr. Graham. "Just remember this all of your life, Martha. You must look for the truth." Known as the mother of American dance, Martha would search for the truth for close to one hundred years. Throughout her long career as a modern dancer and choreographer, she would break rules and shock people in order to find it.
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