Description
Book SynopsisDancers as Diplomats chronicles the role of dance and dancers in American cultural diplomacy, telling the story of how these tours in shaped and sometimes re-imagined ideas of America in unexpected, often sensational circumstances-pirouetting in Moscow as the Cuban Missile Crisis unfolded and dancing in Burma in the days just before the country held its first democratic elections.
Trade ReviewSmoothly written with strong, coherent narrative, Dancers as Diplomats confirms the importance of dance in US cultural exchange. Researching across Cold War and Post-9/11 ideologies of nation and cultural diplomacy, Croft demonstrates how the international exposure of American dance remains inextricably bound up with Washington-based political economies. An essential offering for anyone interested in cultural studies, dance history, or international affairs, Dancers as Diplomats proves that performance might always exceed governmental guidelines and intentions. * Thomas F. DeFrantz, Duke University *
Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Chapter One: Ballet Nations: The New York City Ballet on Tour in the Soviet Union in 1962 ; Chapter Two: Refusing Modernist Formulas of Second-Class Citizenship: Arthur Mitchell and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ; Chapter Three: Too Sexy for Export or Just Sexy Enough: Martha Graham Dance Company ; Chapter Four: Negotiating Community and Diaspora: Twenty-First Century Dance Diplomacy ; Chapter Five: Never A Solo ; Appendix A: List of Interviews ; Appendix B: List of US State Department Tours ; References ; Index
