Here Are 5 Dance Books to Read for Major "Dance-spiration"

Learning to dance is mostly achieved through in-person and virtual lessons. But that doesn’t mean you can’t gain valuable knowledge by reading. There are plenty of books that will teach you how to dance better.

Some lessons from professionals have helped define the art form into what it is today. Others touch on dance theories and the anatomy of the human body for correct routine executions. More importantly, these resources help you develop the right mindset.

Make sure to read them during your audition preparation and even when you’re already a bonafide squad member. You can also read them as a form of stress relief before bedtime.

1. Dancing Women: Female Bodies Onstage by Sally Banes

Image source: Amazon

The author of this book is a standard of many dance researchers today. She also is one of the dance academics that applied critical theory to dancing. In Sally Banes’ book, you’ll learn to break down ballet routines, the influences of time for each move, and the importance of women in developing the athletic art.

2. Merce Cunningham: After the Arbitrary by Carrie Noland

Cunningham is one of the most influential choreographers back in the 20th century. A lot of his works weren’t accounted for because other authors focused on his collaborations with other artists. Carrie Noland, however, sheds new light on Cunningham’s genius by exploring the aspects of his choreographic practice that no other dance researcher has looked into before.

3. Keep It Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your Life by Twyla Tharp

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Time isn't the enemy, complacency is. This is how the author answers questions about why she stays active. Keep It Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your Life offers practical advice for dancers on how to stay motivated in being fit. It also teaches various strategies to keep your interest in dancing and various fitness routines to help you stay in your prime.

4. Drawing the Surface of Dance: A Biography in Charts by Annie-B Parson

Less of a textbook and more like a sketchbook. Annie-B’s work aims to teach you the theories of dancing in a more comprehensive way by using charts and scores as well as sketches of recurring routines and favored dance concepts. There is also a chapter that you can cut out for a dance compositional card game.

5. Trisha Brown: Choreography as Visual Art by Susan Rosenberg

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With more than 100 dances, six operas, one ballet, and a significant body of graphic works created, Trisha Brown is one of the prominent figures who defined modern dancing. Susan Rosenberg dives deeper into Brown’s technique by discussing her artistic principles and the cognitive-kinesthetic complexity of the body so that dancers can perform at their best.

We all have our own learning styles. Some learn better through reading and imagination, others prefer to listen, and there are also those who can understand well through visual representations. But at the end of the day, it’s better to use everything for a full learning experience.

Need more tips to become a better dancer? Read these!

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