The Knowing Body: Elements of Contemporary Performance and Dance

by Louise Steinman

Book by Steinman, Louise

162 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 1922

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading this book at the suggestion of my son the actor / dancer / singer / scenic designer as it was used as a text in one of his classes at university & he loved it! I am quite new to performance art. I was exposed to it 1-2 years ago & was totally intrigued but also wondered what place it had in the 'real' world & what it was really all about. I was open to being educated about the creative process & this book is the perfect tool. The writing is engaging & deeply personal. It is at once very accessible & also profound. There is so much to take in that you have to read it just a bit at a time. I have come away with the understanding that performance artists are explorers, storytellers, transformers who share their experience with skill & passion. They reaffirm life in all it's processes & challenge us to feel, experience, evolve, live!

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a few years ago and quite honestly I don't remember much of the details, but I do remember how it made me feel and the environment where I was while digesting it: I read a great chunk of it on the bus/train. I recall seeing the human body as an instrument. Steinman focused not just on teaching and choreography but also on live theatre. I think I gave this book to someone I thought would also really enjoy it and now I'm hungrily craving for my own copy again. I remember feeling a pure delight in recognizing my body as my first and most stable home and also how movement can be a vehicle of expression, on and off the stage.

[Rissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, an amazing book for anyone interested in creating performances.