Women and dance : sylphs and sirens / Christy Adair ; foreword by Janet Wolff.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Foreword / Janet Wolff -- 1. Dancing hierarchies -- dance in society -- 2. Cultured bodies -- the social construction of the body -- 3. Colonised bodies -- the oppression of women -- 4. Viewing women -- the production and reception of dance -- 5. Titillating tutus -- women in ballet -- 6. Revolutionary women -- modern dance -- 7. We say no -- postmodern dance -- 8. Black power -- black dance -- 9. Beginning again -- new dance -- 10. The subversives -- women's dance practice.

"Dance is a marginalized art form which has frequently been ignored in the various debates about cultural practices. This book redresses the balance and opens up some important areas for discussion. Christy Adair argues that dance is an arena for feminist practice, particularly as feminism has recognized the centrality of the arts in shaping our ideas about ourselves and our society." "Women's high profile in dance leads to the popular opinion that it is a female art form. But women tend to interpret rather than create dance images. This book highlights the consequences for female dancers of the development of Western dance technique in a patriarchal society. The constraints placed upon them are revealed in the texture of the dances discussed. Christy Adair shows how women's work which challenges traditional images of women in dance offers us visions for the future. But, she argues, in order for women's perspectives to be clearly established and influential, women need to have access to positions of power as choreographers and directors."--Jacket.

Machine converted from AACR2 source record.