Background Information
This page highlights some of the sources for background information available through the Rutgers University Libraries and online. These sources are great starting points to understand specific terminology and gain basic understanding of various topics.
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Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
- American Ballet Theatre Ballet Dictionary byAn online dictionary of ballet terms accompanied by short video clips demonstrating the moves.
The Bloomsbury Companion to Dance Studies by
The Bloomsbury Companion to Dance Studies brings together leading international dance scholars in this single collection to provide a vivid picture of the state of contemporary dance research. The book commences with an introduction that privileges dancing as both a site of knowledge formation and a methodological approach, followed by a provocative overview of the methods and problems that dance studies currently faces as an established disciplinary field. The volume contains eleven core chapters that each map out a specific area of inquiry: Dance Pedagogy, Practice-As-Research, Dance and Politics, Dance and Identity, Dance Science, Screendance, Dance Ethnography, Popular Dance, Dance History, Dance and Philosophy, and Digital Dance.Although these sub-disciplinary domains do not fully capture the dynamic ways in which dance scholars work across multiple positions and perspectives, they reflect the major interests and innovations around which dance studies has organized its teaching and research. Therefore each author speaks to the labels, methods, issues and histories of each given category, while also exemplifying this scholarship in action. The dances under investigation range from experimental conceptual concert dance through to underground street dance practices, and the geographic reach encompasses dance-making from Europe, North and South America, the Caribbean and Asia. The book ends with a chapter that looks ahead to new directions in dance scholarship, in addition to an annotated bibliography and list of key concepts. The volume is an essential guide for students and scholars interested in the creative and critical approaches that dance studies can offer.
Call Number: Available ONLINEISBN: 9781350024465Publication Date: 2019-03-21
Dance Words by
First Published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Call Number: Douglass Performing Arts Library Reference GV1585.P74 1995ISBN: 3718656019Publication Date: 1995-07-01
International Dictionary of Ballet by
The International Dictionary of Ballet has as its subject all of ballet, from its beginnings in the Renaissance to contemporary dance.
Call Number: Douglass Library Performing Arts Library Reference GV1585.I57 1993ISBN: 1558620842Publication Date: 1993-09-01
International encyclopedia of dance : a project of Dance Perspectives Foundation, Inc. by Call Number: Douglass Performing Arts Library Reference GV1585.I586 1998ISBN: 019509462X
Modern Dance Terminology by
Modern dance concepts, terms, principles, and movements are defined in the words of the great founders of modern dance.
Call Number: Douglass Performing Arts Reference Reference GV1585.L65 1997ISBN: 0871272067Publication Date: 1997-06-01
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians by Call Number: Available ONLINEISBN: 0333231112This encyclopedia is the premier reference source for music in the English language. It includes many entries on (musical) dance forms, ballets, and some choreographers.
The Oxford Dictionary of Dance by
With over 2,600 entries, the second edition of The Oxford Dictionary of Dance is a unique single volume reference on all aspects of dance performance written by two leading dance writers, Debra Craine and Judith Mackrell. The work covers all aspects of the diverse dance world from classicalballet to modern, from flamenco to hip-hop, from tap to South Asian dance forms and includes detailed entries on technical terms, steps, styles, works and countries, in addition to many biographies of dancers, choreographers, and companies.During the last thirty years the boundaries of dance have been radically redrawn. There has been an explosion of new activity within traditional forms like ballet, a stream of new dance languages invented by fresh generations of choreographers, and there is a growing appreciation of cultural danceforms from around the world. Fans today are likely to attend performances as varied as Spanish flamenco, Indian bharata natyam, Japanese butoh, classical ballet, and post-modern dance. With an emphasis on performance - the dance we see in our theatres today - readers will find both fact and analysison a wide range of subjects, from styles of dance and the history of dance companies and their productions, to dancers, choreographers, and technical terms.With 150 new entries, this new edition charts developments that have occurred over the last ten years, including the rise of new digital technology in the creation and staging of dance and the move to the mainstream of formerly fringe genres such as hip-hop, as well as the arrival of a newgeneration of dancers and choreographers to the scene.
Call Number: Douglass GV1585.C78 2010ISBN: 9780199563449Publication Date: 2010-09-10
Biographies
These reference sources for biographies give short and simple overviews of the careers of major figures in dance. They also point to major research sources for investigating these figures further.
Fifty Contemporary Choreographers by
First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Call Number: Music REF GV1785.A1B74 1999ISBN: 0415103630Publication Date: 2000-05-25
Biographical Dictionary of Dance by Call Number: Music REF GV1785.A1C58 1982ISBN: 0028702603Publication Date: 1982-09-01
- Oxford Dictionary National BiographyThe Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) contains short biographical entries for men and women who have shaped British history and culture, worldwide, from ancient times to the present, including dancers and choreographers
Bibliographies
Bibliographies help guide researchers through the literature of what has been published up to that point. They are useful for understanding the scope of research at a certain point in time, and may highlight resources that you may not discover through keyword searching.
- Dance: An Annotated Bibliography, 1965-1982 byCall Number: Douglass Library Performing Arts Library Reference ; GV1594.F68 1986ISBN: 0824086767Publication Date: 1986-04-01
- A Bibliography of Dancing: A List of Books and Articles on the Dance and Related Subjects byCall Number: Douglass Library Performing Arts Library Reference ; GV1593.M34 1966Publication Date: 1966
Black Dance: An Annotated Bibliography by Call Number: Douglass Library Performing Arts Library Reference ; GV1595.A33 1989ISBN: 0824088085Publication Date: 1989-01-01- Research in Dance: A Guide to Resources byCall Number: Douglass Library Performing Arts Library Reference ; GV1594.B67 1994ISBN: 0816190658Publication Date: 1993-12-01
The Music and Dance of the World's Religions: A Comprehensive, Annotated Bibliography of Materials in the English Language by
Despite the world-wide association of music and dance with religion, this is the first full-length study of the subject from a global perspective. The work consists of 3,816 references divided among 37 chapters. It covers tribal, regional, and global religions and such subjects as shamanism, liturgical dance, healing, and the relationship of music, mathematics, and mysticism. The referenced materials display such diverse approaches as analysis of music and dance, description of context, direct experience, observation, and speculation. The references address topics from such disciplines as sociology, anthropology, history, linguistics, musicology, ethnomusicology, theology, medicine, semiotics, and computer technology. Chapter 1 consists of general references to religious music and dance. The remaining 36 chapters are organized according to major geographical areas. Most chapters begin with general reference works and bibliographies, then continue with topics specific to the region or religion. This book will be of use to anyone with an interest in music, dance, religion, or culture.
Call Number: Douglass Library Performing Arts Library Reference ; ML128.S17R87 1996ISBN: 0313295611Publication Date: 1996-08-23
