Like generations of little girls, Lauren Kessler fell in love with ballet the first time she saw The Nutcracker, and from that day, at age five, she dreamed of becoming a ballerina. But when she was twelve, her very famous ballet instructor crushed those dreams -- along with her youthful self-assurance -- and she stepped away from the barre. Fast forward four decades. Lauren -- suddenly, powerfully, itchingly restless at midlife -- embarks on a "Transcontinental Nutcracker Binge Tour," where attending a string of performances in Chicago, New York, Boston, and San Francisco reignites her love affair with the ballet--and fuels her girlhood dream. What ensues is not only a story about The Nutcracker itself, but also an inside look at the seemingly romantic -- but oh-so-gritty -- world of ballet, about all that happens away from the audience's eye that precedes the magic on stage. It is a tale told from the perspective of someone who not only loves it, but is also seeking to live it. Lauren's quest to dance The Nutcracker with the Eugene Ballet Company tackles the big issues: fear, angst, risk, resilience, the refusal to "settle in" to midlife, the refusal to become yet another Invisible Woman. It is also a very funny, very real look at what it's like to push yourself further than you ever thought you could go -- and what happens when you get there.

Finalist, the Arts Club of Washington Marfield Prize A look inside a dancer’s world Inspiring, revealing, and deeply relatable, Being a Ballerina is a firsthand look at the realities of life as a professional ballet dancer. Through episodes from her own career, Gavin Larsen describes the forces that drive a person to study dance; the daily balance that dancers navigate between hardship and joy; and the dancer’s continual quest to discover who they are as a person and as an artist. Starting with her arrival as a young beginner at a class too advanced for her, Larsen tells how the embarrassing mistake ended up helping her learn quickly and advance rapidly. In other stories of her early teachers, training, and auditions, she explains how she gradually came to understand and achieve what she and her body were capable of. Larsen then re-creates scenes from her experiences in dance companies, from unglamorous roles to exhilarating performances. Working as a ballerina was shocking and scary at first, she says, recalling unexpected injuries, leaps of faith, and her constant struggle to operate at the level she wanted—but full of enormously rewarding moments. Larsen also reflects candidly on her difficult decision to retire at age 35. An ideal read for aspiring dancers, Larsen’s memoir will also delight experienced dance professionals and fascinate anyone who wonders what it takes to live a life dedicated to the perfection of the art form.

This book was written by the travel writer Stephen Graham and documents his quest in search of El Dorado, the hidden kingdom made entirely from gold. He voyaged to Spain, Mexico, and Panama to seek this undiscovered empire and though he did not find it in the end, his notes on the places he visited are of great value to those who'd like to follow in his footsteps.

A unique look at Christian biblical interpretation and theology from the perspective of Native American tradition. This book focuses on four specific experiences of Jesus as portrayed in the synoptic gospels. It examines each story as a “vision quest,” a universal spiritual phenomenon, but one of particular importance within North American indigenous communities. Jesus’ experience in the wilderness is the first quest. It speaks to a foundational Native American value: the need to enter into the “we” rather than the “I.” The Transfiguration is the second quest, describing the Native theology of transcendent spirituality that impacts reality and shapes mission. Gethsemane is the third quest. It embodies the Native tradition of the holy men or women, who find their freedom through discipline and concerns for justice, compassion, and human dignity. Golgotha is the final quest. It represents the Native sacrament of sacrifice (e.g., the Sun Dance). The chapter on Golgotha is a discussion of kinship, balance, and harmony: all primary to Native tradition and integral to Christian thought.

Zbornik ('Ponovni premislek o ustvarjanju znanja in vključevanje/izključevanje v plesnih skupnostih, Zbornik 32. Simpozija ICTM Študijske skupine za etnokoreologijo, 29. julij–5. avgust 2022, Brežice, Slovenija') vsebuje izbor prispevkov, predstavljenih na 32. simpoziju ICTM Študijske skupine za etnokoreologijo, osrednji mednarodni konferenci s področja etnokoreologije, plesne antropologije in sorodnih disciplin, ki je potekal v Brežicah od 25. julija do 5. avgusta 2022. Prispevki, predstavljeni na simpoziju in vključeni v zbornik, obravnavajo dve ključni temi: ponovni premislek o ustvarjanju znanja v raziskavah plesa in vključevanje/izključevanje v plesnih skupnostih. Poleg tega je poseben razdelek namenjen plakatom, predstavljenim na simpoziju, dodatek pa ponuja vpogled v utelešeno izkušnjo dogodka, čeprav so ga nekateri doživeli le prek spleta. Zbornik, ki obsega 49 prispevkov 53 avtorjev, sta izdala Mednarodni svet za glasbene in plesne tradicije (ICTMD) in Glasbenonarodopisni inštitut ZRC SAZU.

This book stretches and challenges current canonical configurations of modernism by considering the centrality of black artists, writers and intellectuals as core presences in the development of a modernist avant-garde; and by interrogating 'blackness' as

War rocks Ysstrhm. Palix and her followers—with Snydur by her side—confront Mascar, Chid, and his followers in the opposition confront the wardens in the City. Shat’s followers rise against the gooks in the Par Rrelom, and Chovus leads his blue-clad mounts down from the Enscarf to retake the Town of the Fishers. The formidable army of black-clad warriors led since Jaltran’s death by the unknown one called “the Leader” mass at the fortress at the Crossroads. Caught up in battle, Snydur’s hope of regaining Palix and finding Tisoo dims. For good or ill, his quest is coming to its end.

The Dancer is a simple story of a young woman in love, a young woman who is trying to find out who she is. While the story is simple, the manner in which it unfolds is anything but. And sometimes the ride is so wild it has everyone, including the Author, hanging on to their seats. The Dancer starts on the Stage and that’s where it ends. In between, it goes to the beach, to an Artist’s Studio, to a Native Village. We come to understand that the Artist’s Studio and Native Village are other worlds. Will the Dancer find true love? Will she find her place in the World? Welcome to the wonderful, if somewhat strange and chaotic world of The Dancer.Series: 5 Books – Fantasy – Other Worlds – Love Story Ease: Very Easy; Target Audience – Everybody who is young at heart and who loves stories about those who are in love and about community. Rating G; Reading Level Very Easy 5th Grade; Longest Word: Categorization Sometimes she felt like she was living on a yo-yo. Flown towards the ground, then hovering there – a few inches away from the ground – before being spun back the other way and flown towards the sky, hovering there and then flown back towards the ground. From one extreme to the other – that was her life. That was her love life also between Ramon and Raul, so different, so alike. Some days she couldn’t decide between the two of them. Other days, who cared? They were both Italian, and she liked Italian men. And so, the Dancer’s life is very normal. But then magic comes into the scene. Whose magic? Is it good or bad? Whatever this magic is, wherever it comes from, it turns the Dancers life upside-down.

Odyssey of a Dancer captivates the reader right from the first page as it portrays the insurmountable barriers Vasundhara had to cross during the spirited journey to become a world-renowned Bharatanatyam artiste. Even as the nuances of the dance form are dealt with in depth, the book strives to underscore that tradition is not static. The insatiable urge for improvisations to enhance the aesthetic appeal of Bharatanatyam by incorporating elements of Yoga, the martial arts of Tang-Ta and Kalarippayattu and the sacrifices she had to make in this endeavour, makes the book a class of its own. As for Yoga, her exploits in ferreting out the intrinsic components and further correlating them to the fundamental parameters of Bharatanatyam are path-breaking. On the academic front, they provide enough grist to the research-mill that is unprecedentedly active at present in Indian classical dances. Vasundhara’s artistry is a testimony of the interdisciplinary approach to Bharatanatyam, as vouched by critics across the globe. The book further delves deep into the definition of a Guru and his/her role in moulding and influencing the disciples to get the best out of them in every walk of life – something all GenNext teachers must take note of.

A complete reference library in one volume, the Dance Encyclopedia is brimful of all the essential facts of the dance which have been scattered until now through hundreds of books, many of them inaccessible to most readers because of language and rarity.