Sign-In
Cart
I Want to Be Ready: Improvised Dance as a Practice of Freedom
Paperback
ISBN13: 9780472050840
Publisher: Univ Of Michigan Pr
Published: May 28 2010
Pages: 186
Weight: 0.65
Height: 0.70 Width: 5.90 Depth: 8.90
Language: English
Danielle Goldman's contribution to the theory and history of improvisation in dance is rich, beautiful and extraordinary. In her careful, rigorously imaginative analysis of the discipline of choreography in real time, Goldman both compels and allows us to become initiates in the mysteries of flight and preparation. She studies the massive volitional resources that one unleashes in giving oneself over to being unleashed. It is customary to say of such a text that it is 'long-awaited' or 'much anticipated'; because of Goldman's work we now know something about the potenza, the kinetic explosion, those terms carry. Reader, get ready to move and be moved.
In this careful, intelligent, and theoretically rigorous book, Danielle Goldman attends to the 'tight spaces' within which improvised dance explores both its limitations and its capacity to press back against them. While doing this, Goldman also allows herself---and us---to be moved by dance itself. The poignant conclusion, evoking specific moments of embodied elegance, vulnerability, and courage, asks the reader: 'Does it make you feel like dancing?' Whether taken literally or figuratively, I can't imagine any other response to this beautiful book.
---Barbara Browning, New York University
This book will become the single most important reflection on the question of improvisation, a question which has become foundational to dance itself. The achievement of I Want to Be Ready lies not simply in its mastery of the relevant literature within dance, but in its capacity to engage dance in a deep and abiding dialogue with other expressive forms, to think improvisation through myriad sites and a rich vein of cultural diversity, and to join improvisation in dance with its manifestations in life so as to consider what constitutes dance's own politics.
---Randy Martin, Tisch School of Arts at New York University
I Want To Be Ready draws on original archival research, careful readings of individual performances, and a thorough knowledge of dance scholarship to offer an understanding of the freedom of improvisational dance. While scholars often celebrate the freedom of improvised performances, they are generally focusing on freedom from formal constraints. Drawing on the work of Michel Foucault and Houston Baker, among others, Danielle Goldman argues that this negative idea of freedom elides improvisation's greatest power. Far from representing an escape from the necessities of genre, gender, class, and race, the most skillful improvisations negotiate an ever shifting landscape of constraints. This work will appeal to those interested in dance history and criticism and also interdisciplinary audiences in the fields of American and cultural studies.
Danielle Goldman is Assistant Professor of Dance at The New School and a professional dancer in New York City, where she recently has danced for DD Dorvillier and Beth Gill.
Cover art: Still from Ghostcatching, 1999, by Bill T. Jones, Paul Kaiser, and Shelley Eshkar. Image courtesy of Kaiser/Eshkar.
Also in
Dance
Muévelo: The Enduring Legacy of Latin Music Across Borders
Bayetti Flores, Verónica
Zoila Pérez, Miriam
Hardcover
Infinite Steps: Thirty-Three Dancers and Their Lives in Ballet
Larsen, Gavin
Schiavone, Gene
Paperback
Rock Steady for Life: Bringing Breakdancing to the World
Crew, The Rock Steady
Colón, Richard Crazy Legs
Hardcover
The Taylor Swift Book: The Ultimate Guide to the Music, Life, Eras, and Legacy of an Icon
MacKenzie, Malcolm
Hardcover
Feel the Floor: Restoring the Life and Legacy of Jazz Choreographer Buddy Bradley
Footer, Maureen
Hardcover
Appreciating Dance: A Guide to the World's Liveliest Art
Editors of Dance Horizons
Lihs, Harriet
Paperback
Critique Is Creative: The Critical Response Process(r) in Theory and Action
Borstel, John
Lerman, Liz
Paperback
Applied Anatomy of Aerial Arts: An Illustrated Guide to Strength, Flexibility, Training, and Injury Prevention
Scherb, Emily
Paperback
Modern Watercolor Botanicals: A Creative Workshop in Watercolor, Gouache, & Ink
Simon, Sarah
Paperback
The Artistry of Merce Cunningham: Choreography, Technique, Creativity
Roberts, Daniel
Eliot, Karen
Paperback
Barre Fitness: Barre Exercises You Can Do Anywhere for Flexibility, Core Strength, and a Lean Body
DeVito, Fred
Halfpapp, Elisabeth
Paperback
100 Lessons in Classical Ballet: The Eight-Year Program of Leningrad's Vaganova Choreographic School
Kostrovitskaya, Vera S.
Paperback
The Ballerina Mindset: How to Protect Your Mental Health While Striving for Excellence
Fairchild, Megan
Paperback
Dancing in Petersburg: The Memoirs of Kschessinska - Prima Ballerina of the Russian Imperial Theatre, and Mistress of the future Tsar Nicholas II
Kschessinska, Mathilde
Paperback
Mura Dehn: Champion of Black Social Dance and the Traditional Jazz Dance Company
Vaccaro, Kim Chandler
Paperback
Caught Falling: The Confluence of Contact Improvisation, Nancy Stark Smith, and Other Moving Ideas
Koteen, David
Smith, Nancy Stark
Paperback
Handbook in Motion: An Account of an Ongoing Personal Discourse and Its Manifestations in Dance
Forti, Simone
Paperback
Inside Ballet Technique: Separating Anatomical Fact from Fiction in the Ballet Class
Grieg, Valerie
Paperback
The Creative Screenwriter: 12 Rules to Follow--And Break--To Unlock Your Screenwriting Potential
Hoxter, Julian
Paperback
Solkattu Manual: An Introduction to the Rhythmic Language of South Indian Music
Nelson, David P.
Paperback
Musical Theatre Choreography: Reflections of My Artistic Process for Staging Musicals
Sabo, Linda
Paperback
Conditioning for Dance 2nd Edition: Training for Whole-Body Coordination and Efficiency
Franklin, Eric
Paperback
Ballet for Life: Exercises and Inspiration from the World of Ballet Beautiful
Bowers, Mary Helen
Hardcover
K-Pop: The Ultimate Fan Book: Your Essential Guide to the Hottest K-Pop Bands
Croft, Malcolm
Hardcover
Martha Graham's Greek Myth-Based Dances and Her Collaboration with Isamu Noguchi
Ancona, Ronnie
Hardcover
Dancing Freedom: Modern Dance in Late Imperial Russia and the Early Soviet Union
Sirotkina, Irina
Hardcover
The Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet: Theory and Technique
Idzikowski, Stanislas
Beaumont, Cyril W.
Paperback
The Souths in Her: Black Women Writers and Choreographers and the Poetics of Transmutation
Morris Johnson, Nicole M.
Paperback
Aesthetics of Displacement: Movement, Archives, and Performance in Contemporary Colombia
Blanco Borelli, Melissa
Paperback
The 1st Three Years of Dance: Teaching Tips, Monthly Lesson Plans, and Syllabi for Successful Dance Classes
Evans, Gina
Paperback
Dance Pedagogy for a Diverse World: Culturally Relevant Teaching in Theory, Research and Practice
McCarthy-Brown, Nyama
Paperback
Made in Nuyorico: Fania Records, Latin Music, and Salsa's Nuyorican Meanings
Negrón, Marisol
Paperback
Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna: Chants, Music, and Sacred Practices of the Great Goddess
Belloni, Alessandra
Paperback
Still Moving: Conversations with Senior Professional Dancers Still Performing
York-Pryce, Sonia
Hardcover
Starting in First: Finding your sparkle and learning to shine on and off the stage.
Jurczak, Shauna Allyn
Paperback
Dance Studio TRANSFORMATION: Build a 7-figure studio, increase your community impact and GET BACK YOUR LIFE!
Salter, Clint
Paperback
Grandmother's Secrets: The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dancing
Al-Rawi, Rosina-Fawzia
Paperback
The Color of Dance: A Celebration of Diversity and Inclusion in the World of Ballet
Wallace-McMillian, Takiyah
Hardcover
Line Dancing Made Simple: Learn Steps, Timing, and Confidence One Dance at a Time
Fink, Michael
Paperback
Dissenting Through Dance: Folk Dance, Gender, and Political Protest in Turkey
Bayraktar, Sevi
Paperback
Belly Dancing for Fitness: The Ultimate Dance Workout That Unleashes Your Creative Spirit
Dallal, Tamalyn
Paperback
Flamenco Dance for Beginners: Learn Passionate Arm Styling, Footwork Technique, and Spanish Rhythm
Fink, Michael
Paperback
Ballet Russes: The Great Ballet Russes and Modern Art: A World of Fascinating Art and Design in Theatrical Arts
Unno, Hiroshi
Paperback
The Dancer's Toolkit: A Step-By-Step Guide for Navigating Your Dance Career
Mécène, Virginie
Paperback
The Complete Guide to Professional Dance Teaching (Teacher's Manual)-PART-1
Rout, Guru Jyoti
Paperback