Description
Book SynopsisThrough in-depth analysis of musical theatre choreography and choreographers, Making Broadway Dance challenges long-held perceptions of Broadway dance as kitsch, disposable, a dance form created without artistic process. Setting out to demonstrate that musical theatre dance is not a monolith but rather multi-varied in terms of dance styles, aesthetics and methodologies, author Liza Gennaro provides insights into how Broadway dance is made. By examining choreography for musical theatre through the lens of dance studies, script analysis, movement research and dramaturgical inquiry, she treads in uncharted territory by offering a close examination of a dance form that has heretofore received only the most superficial interrogation. She also explores how musical theatre choreographers create within the parameters of librettos, enhance character development and build dance languages that inform and propel narrative. By considering influences from ballet, modern, postmodern, Jazz, social and
Trade ReviewGennaro successfully probes musical theater choreography through the lens of dance studies, script analysis, movement research, and dramaturgical inquiry, offering a closer examination of a dance form that has often been sidelined. * G. King, CHOICE *
For anyone who wants to know what it takes to make Broadway dances, read Making Broadway Dance. * Rosemary Novellino-Mearns, Wendy Perron *
Gennaro's close analyses of Broadway dance numbers, combined with her fantastic selection of photographs, effectively demonstrate how musical theatre dance can augment storytelling onstage. Making Broadway Dance introduces an oft overlooked subject and whets the readers' appetites for further exploration. * Meredith Joelle Charlson, SDC Journal *
A dance history told with precision and authority. * Kevin Winkler, Studies in Musical Theatre *
A meticulous in-depth analysis of musical theater choreography and choreographers, while demonstrating the multifaceted styles, aesthetics, and methodologies of Broadway dance through the lens of dance studies, script analysis, movement research, and dramaturgical inquiry. * Deb Miller, DC Metro Theater Arts *
Gennaro's book contains some of the best academic writing about musical theatre dance I have ever read. * Lisa Jo Sagolla, American Theatre Magazine *
I have always believed that it is up to each one of us to carry the torch and pass on our stories, experiences and knowledge to the next generation to ensure that Musical Theatre History pervades. Liza Gennaro has beautifully crafted a book that not only inspired me but taught me so much about our History, She is a passionate and gifted storyteller, who has always been enamored by Musical Theatre and the gatekeeper of all truths. Thank-you for giving all of us and future generations this enlightening book."-Sergio Trujillo
Precise and lively, admiring and analytical, critical and joyful, and deeply informed by Gennaro's years in the archives, the rehearsal hall, and the theatre, this book brings Broadway musical theatre dance to life and more than that: it makes readers into dancers. Through meticulous and evocative dance reconstructions and brilliant and perceptive dramaturgy, Gennaro recovers, recuperates, and reinterprets choreographers' influences and legacies. Making Broadway Dance is a masterful and groundbreaking demonstration of the importance of Broadway musical theatre dance."-Stacy Wolf, author of Beyond Broadway: The Pleasure and Promise of Musical Theatre Across America and Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical
One of my favorite aspects of Making Broadway Dance illustrates the simultaneous development of Theatre Dance and Jazz Dance. Author Liza Gennaro does this via both robust research and oral history. This book informs you on the how, when, and why many of our iconic dance scenes were staged, often, by way of intimate details from those of direct lineage to the Broadway Titans that populate the book. I especially appreciate, being a lover of early jazz dance, that Liza chose to interweave and not marginalize the stories of the important roles that early Black pioneering choreographers played in the making of Broadway dance."-Kenneth L. Roberson; Broadway dancer and choreographer, and former Professor of Practice at Indiana University's department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance
Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Musical Theatre Dance Training and Choreography in the 1920-30s Chapter 2: The Road to Oklahoma!: Americana and Dance Modernism Chapter 3: Agnes de Mille's Broadway: 1943-45 Chapter 4: Jerome Robbins: "Run of de Mille" The Evening Bulletin, September 16,1947 Chapter 5: Taking the Reigns: Emergence of the Director-Choreographer Chapter 6: Post de Mille/Robbins Chapter 7: Broadway Dance: Plague and The New Millennium Conclusion Index
