Explore dance traditions worldwide through this anthology. "Dance Adventures" includes 19 true stories written by a diverse group of renowned performers, dedicated dance teachers, dance scholars, and other avid dance travelers who: ● Explore their craft in locations tied to their family history and discover how dance helps them connect with their heritage;
● Build bonds and community with locals through a shared love of movement;
● Challenge their assumptions, embrace the unknown and find surprising new truths by saying "yes" to spontaneous opportunities; or
● Reflect on who they are and discover how dance can make them a better version of themselves.
"Dance Adventures" contributors hail from all corners of the world, and the stories take place in 17 different countries: India, China, England, Ghana, Senegal, Indonesia, Philippines, Hungary, Angola, Brazil, Morocco, Cuba, Guinea, China, The Bahamas, Argentina, and Mozambique. They highlight various dance traditions, as well as unique aspects of each country's geography, history, demographics and educational systems.
The book is divided into four parts:
Roots: Join Makeda Kumasi, Ted Samuel, Courtney Celeste Spears, and Kara Nepomuceno as they travel to a country connected to their heritage.
Finding Community: No friends? No problem! Connecting with others through a shared love of movement helped Damilare Adeyeri, Carolyn McPherson, Tina Shield, Gabrielle Brigida Macalintal, and Melaina Spitzer find their place.
Unexpected Experiences: In these stories, Alex Milweski, Nneya Richardson, Laurie Bonner Baker, Peter Benjamin, and Natalie Preddie are surprised and enriched by what they discover through their dance travels.
Personal Development: Lisa Josefsson, Khalila Fordham, Zsuzsi Kapas, Helen Styring Tocci, and Megan Taylor Morrison share stories about how dancing abroad challenged us to live with more self-expression, grow our self-love, heal old traumas, or otherwise evolve in positive ways.
**Please note that only the ebook and hardcover versions of "Dance Adventures" have color photos. To make this book less expensive (and hence more accessible to a wider audience), the paperback contains black and white photos.
PRAISE FOR "DANCE ADVENTURES"
This book is indispensable in light of the current social momentum with regard to Black lives and the dismantling of violent systems. Many of the stories portray the experiences of individuals in whom multiple languages, customs, and spaces coexist, and for whom dance is the unifying factor."
--Moncell Durden, Assistant Professor of Practice, USC Kaufman School of Dance
"A heartwarming, humorous, and enlightening anthology, Dance Adventures is a pivotal text capturing rich narratives that can help students prepare for the unknown and integrate their own life-changing experiences from dancing abroad."
--Rick Southerland, MFA, Associate Professor of Dance, Goucher College, past president of the National Dance Education Organization (2016-2018)
"In a pandemic-gripped world full of restrictions and uncertainties, Dance Adventures offers readers an escape. This diverse collection of stories encourages us to dream of embodied explorations, and once more to discover human connectivity through dance and movement."
--Jen Peters, dance writer, performer, and teacher
