.Cynthia DuFault.
Associate Professor
(9/1/2022)
03. SCHOLARLY & CREATIVE
BOOK REVIEWS
Normally, I have spend my summers teaching in the heart of the Rocky Mountains at Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School. However during the 2020 summer, after the school has operated summer programs for 107 consecutive years, it was canceled because of the pandemic. Like many cancelations during this time, it was crushing, but I decided to replace my time by writing article reviews, contributing to the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). I am a member of NDEO and have written articles in the past for its official publication, Journal of Dance Education — a publication that presents both scholarly and practical articles relevant to dance education in the U.S. and abroad. During these 'stay at home' times, reading books and writing about them seemed like an ideal match, especially as one book in particular was about the life story of my former New World School of the Arts boss and long-time friend — not to mention a legendary figure in the dance world, Danny Lewis.
2020
JOURNAL OF DANCE EDUCATION
OCTOBER 2020, BOOK REVIEWER, NATIONAL DANCE EDUCATION ORGANIZATION
“Choreography Invisible: The Disappearing Work of Dance”
Book by Anna Pakes
Book Abstract: Dance is often considered an ephemeral art, one that disappears nearly as soon as it materializes, leaving no physical object behind. Yet some dance practice involves people trying to embody somethingthat exists before - and survives beyond - their particular acts of dancing. What exactly is that thing? And (how) do dances continue to exist when not performed? Anna Pakes seeks to answer these and related questions in this book, drawing on analytic philosophy of art to explore the metaphysics of dance making, performance and disappearance. Focusing on Western theater dance, Pakes also traces the different ways dances have been conceptualized across time, and what those historical shifts imply for the ontology of dance works.
JOURNAL OF DANCE EDUCATION
OCTOBER 2020, BOOK REVIEWER, NATIONAL DANCE EDUCATION ORGANIZATION
“Daniel Lewis: A Life in Choreography and the Art of Dance”
Book by Donna H. Krasnow and Daniel E. Lewis
"Loved your review. You really captured what the book is about.
Thanks, Danny" — Daniel Lewis, Author, President of Miami Dance Futures & Founding Dean of Dance, New World School of the Arts
Book Abstract: Daniel Lewis's legacy as a hugely influential choreographer and teacher of modern dance is celebrated in this biography. It showcases the many roles he played in the dance world by organizing his story around various aspects of his work, including his years at the Juilliard School, dancing and touring with the Jose Limon Company, staging Limon's masterpieces around the world, directing his own company (Daniel Lewis Dance Repertory Company), writing and choreographing operas and musicals, and his years as dean of dance at New World School of the Arts. His life has spanned a particular period of growth of modern and contemporary dance, and his biography gives insight into how the artistic and journalistic perspectives on modern dance were influenced by what was occurring in the broader dance and arts communities. The book also offers rarely seen photographs and interviews with unique perspectives on many dance luminaries. See My Review
2019
JOURNAL OF DANCE EDUCATION
JULY 2019, BOOK REVIEWER, NATIONAL DANCE EDUCATION ORGANIZATION
“Eat Right Dance Right: A Nutritional Handbook for Today's Dancer”
Book by Maria Scioscia
Book Abstract: Eat Right Dance Right Is The "How To" Nutritional Handbook For Dancers. This book is supported by the renowned Alvin Ailey Dance School and uses graphs, recipes, and real-life dancer experiences to illustrate how today's dancers can nourish their bodies. Marie Scioscia, M.S., R.D., is a Luigi trained former dancer, registered dietitian, and certified fitness professional. She is currently the nutritionist at the Alvin Ailey School and has worked with the New York City Ballet's wellness group. See My Review
2018
JOURNAL OF DANCE EDUCATION
MAY 2018, BOOK REVIEWER, NATIONAL DANCE EDUCATION ORGANIZATION
"Inside The Dancer's Art"
Book by Rose Eichenbaum
Book Abstract: Inside the Dancer's Art is now available! With a foreword by Lar Lubovitch, Inside the Dancer's Art is a journey through thirty years of elegant photographs of the mysterious and complex world of dance. This book showcases intimate portraits that reveal and celebrate the world of the dancer, and provides words of wisdom and guidance from dancers themselves. Sensual and mesmerizing, these images will entrance dancer and non-dancer alike—as well as anyone who loves fine photography—with their powerful depiction of the human body. See My Review