Description
Book SynopsisExploring the ballet boom in Britain during WWII, this book asks how art and artists thrive during conflict. Author Karen Eliot shows how ballet in Britain flourished during war, exhibiting a surprising heterogeneity and vibrant populism. The book focuses especially on the roles of dance critics, male and female dancers, producers, audiences, and choreographers.
Trade Review"An enthralling story of how diverse groups of unsung dancers and choreographers changed the landscape of British ballet through their courageous work during the war. With her rigorous and deft handling of the sources, Eliot makes a major contribution to dance scholarship."--Geraldine Morris, Reader in Dance University of Roehampton "A detailed, insightful account of ballet in Britain during World War II, Albion's Dance probes the complexities and paradoxes of wartime - its socio-political and artistic realignments; its grittiness and transcendences - and how ballet contributed to reshaping the cultural landscape. The book is essential reading for dance students, teachers and scholars, and for all of us interested in new histories of ballet and its place on the world stage today."--Angela Kane, Professor of Dance, University of Michigan "Eliot bases much of her study on her extensive investigation of dancers>' memoirs and writings of dance critics, and the result is a book that is both well-researched and fascinating." --L.K. Rosenberg, Miami University, Choice
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Chapter One: The British Ballet and its Critics at the Onset of War Chapter Two: Making Ballet Central to British Wartime Experience Chapter Three: The Dancers' Experience Chapter Four: Propaganda, Publicity, and Social Pressure: Ballet in Discourse and Deed Chapter Five: The Function of the Classics in Wartime Chapter Six: Programming the Repertoire Chapter Seven: British Choreography during the War Afterword Index
