Reinventing Dance in the 1960s: Everything Was Possible

by Sally Banes (Editor), Andrea Harris, Mikhail Baryshnikov (Foreword by)

The 1960s was a pivotal decade in dance, an era of intense experimentation and rich invention. In this volume an impressive range of dance critics and scholars examine the pioneering choreographers and companies of the era, such as Anna Halprin’s West Coast experiments, the innovative Judson Dance Theater, avant-garde dance subcultures in New York, the work of Meredith Monk and Kenneth King, and parallel movements in Britain. The contributors include Janice Ross, Leslie Satin, Noël Carroll, Gus Solomons jr., Deborah Jowitt, Stephanie Jordan, Joan Acocella, and Sally Banes.

248 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2003

Reviews

[Craig Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of critical/historical essays, memoir-style pieces and archival sources (i.e. choreographers' statements) on the avant-garde dance world of the 1960s. Compiled by Sally Banes, who wrote the standard book on the Judson Dance Company, the focus is bi-coastal--mostly New York with a valuable tour to the Bay Area for Janice Ross's essay on Anna Halprin. Banes provides an insightful formulation of the different currents of dance:
1. dance that attempts to render the familiar strange within the work;
2. that renders the strange familiar within the work;
3. that renders the familiar strange beyond the work (i.e. challenging our perceptions of movement in life); and
4. That renders the strange familiar beyond the work.

Other highpoints include Noel Carroll on the intersections of Judson's work and Andy Warhol's art; Jill Johnston's typically amusing and smart tour of her connection with dance performance, and Deborah Jowatt's essay on Kenneth King and Meredith Monk.