Dance Writings

by Edwin with Robert Cornfield and William Mackay (eds) Denby

Dance Writings by Edwin with Robert Cornfield and William Mackay (eds) Denby (2008) - Import -Product 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches 090310296X 978-0903102964

Genres: Poetry, Art, Nonfiction

622 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Rodney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost everything Denby says about dancing translates to writing, or any of the arts involving humans, because he’s really less interested in this or that piece than in art as a kind of teaching of living. The Denby ethos includes clarity, sincerity, unpretentiousness, enjoyment, youth, unselfconsciousness, expression over perfection, and individuality within a collective of others allowed to develop as individuals. The fun of reading his reviews of performances over half a century gone is in the way he connects dancing to other registers of life—movies, lindy-hopping at the Savoy, basketball games, musicals, that new billboard in Times Square—so that everything seems part of one thing: “Civilization is really a great pleasure.” More O’Hara than Ashbery, but you can see how Denby set the stage, in his writings on dance, for both.

The poems I'd like to spend more time with. So far they suggest Denby was a little stronger on instruction than execution, but I want to live with them a little longer.

[giuseppe manley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been accustomed to reading a review or two over dinner, but the library wants the book back and I'm not too attached to renew it a third time. pretty exemplary prose. tried to take a shot in that direction for an essay or two and it's certainly harder than it looks. I imagine it's due in part to the spirit of the author and denby's passion for what he was writing about--that is, not just dance, but the human element of it, the art. naturally, I concerned myself only with the stylistic consideration since he's reviewing shows that were for the most part half a century ago.

I did manage to read all of the poetry. I liked the later stuff.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Denby is probably the most important American dance critic outside of John Martin in the 20th century. His writing on ballet are especially interesting but I hadn't read a lot of his reviews or musings on modern dance till this book. I liked the mix of poetry with the book, though if I was the editor I would have mixed the poetry within the reviews section to give the reading a change of pace every now and then. The writing on "The Nutcracker" is hilarious and therefore my favorite piece int he whole book.

[Bruce Baker]

I found it too dry to finish.