Talk about contemporary dance

This engaging and unpretentious introduction explores the discipline in all its facets, from opera ballet to hip hop to modern flamenco; as well as the influences that shape it, from the circus, to fashion, to the visual arts. A glossary of key words gives meaning to the jargon, and the reader is invited to identify personal tastes for concepts from minimalism to virtuality. A chronology of the key dates in the history of dance, from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present, provides context on how the art form has evolved over time. As contemporary dance breaks down borders and mixes genres, this book shatters preconceptions that contemporary dance is highbrow, that it is more a sport than an art, that it is performed bynon-professionals, and that it has no real stars.A chapter is devoted to illustrated profiles of contemporary dance's thirty most influential exponents and choreographers-from Akram Khan to Merce Cunningham, and Trisha Brown to Pina Bausch. A list of dance venues, companies, and festivals, and a selected bibliography complete this valuable resource; the only book of its kind currently available.