A WORLD OF DANCERS

Dance can be found all over the world, providing insights into cultures, religions, and history.

Organized in loosely defined categories of ceremonial, folk, and performance dance, the book explores the various dances’ origins, movements, and accompanying music. Colorful stock photos display ethnically and culturally diverse subjects, highlighting the unique appearances of the dancers and their costumes and accessories. Clarke examines the Lunar New Year dragon dance, the Hawaiian hula, the Native American powwow, the dance of the Turkish whirling dervishes, and a dance performed by the Dagon people of Mali. Many folk dances evolved as expressions of cooperation and today are danced to demonstrate cultural pride. When people moved to other parts of the world, their folk dances often moved with them and adapted to their new environments. The polka began in Bohemia (now known as the Czech Republic) and morphed into a new form when emigrants relocated to Mexico. The book stresses that many dances require years of training and practice, such as ballet, kabuki, Bharatanatyam, Khmer, and fan dancing. Clarke employs accessible language, incorporating onomatopoeia to highlight the sounds of the music and the calls of the dancers and exhorting readers to get out there and have fun dancing.

A fascinating worldwide tour.