Working from the premise that dance history can be studied as it has been created in and through the bodies of dancers, Karen Eliot closely examines the lives and careers of five popular female dancers: Giovanna Baccelli, Adèle Dumilâtre, Tamara Karsavina, Moira Shearer, and Catherine Kerr. Notable dancers in European and Russian ballet and American modern dance genres, these women represent a historical cross section of performance, training, and technique.
By elegantly guiding the reader through the Russian Revolution, stage fright and illness, liaisons with aristocracy, movie stardom, and dancing rivalries,Dancing Livesprovides valuable insight into the culture in which each woman performed. Readers are introduced to each dancer's social and economic status, her education and training, and changing debates about dance and choreography. The resulting stories are packed with intimate personal details, keen descriptions of dance pedagogy and performance, and behind-the-curtain glimpses of popular dance trends.
The private and performance lives of five female dancers in Western dance history
"Eliot . . . chronicles the lives of five female 'underdog' dancers . . . focusing on such details as their social and economic status, education, dance training and how they came to dance professionally. Amusing anecdotes abound. . . . Eliot'sDancing Livesshines a spotlight on the lives of five lesser-known dancers."--Dance Teacher
"This accessible resource offers less experienced scholars of dance easy entry into studying dance as cultural history. Recommended."--Choice
"She has enriched our understanding of dance history. . . . Recommended."--
Library Journal"An engaging read for all those who enjoy the ephemeral qualities of dance."--
ForeWord"Eliot’s writing is a labor of lovlc3
![Dancing Lives: Five Female Dancers from the Ballet d'Action to Merce Cunningham [Paperback]](/itemImage/2/6/3/8/2_5359238.jpg "Dancing Lives: Five Female Dancers from the Ballet d'Action to Merce Cunningham [Paperback]")