Dynamic Women Dancers.

Anne Dublin’s book, the fourteenth in the Women’s Hall of Fame Series, provides inspirational stories of ten professional dancers. The dancers hail from seven different countries—including two from Canada—span several generations of dance, and represent diverse dance styles: ballet, modern, flamenco, and the South Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam. I appreciate that many of the dancers are not the most famous, as many performers who are less well known are equally talented.

Each 10–12 page biography begins with an account of the dancer’s early life and first experiences with dance, then follows their professional development and careers. Despite the range of styles, eras, and geographic regions represented, there are parallels among the dancers. All achieved very high levels of expertise and recognition through dance despite overcoming obstacles such as poverty, blindness, and racism. Many were politically active during their youths, many used dance as a means of exploring and communicating societal issues, and all made individual contributions to society through such philanthropic activities as establishing homes for refugees, raising funds in support of various charities, or introducing the healing powers of movement to people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to experience it (e.g. orphans, sick kids, and seniors). The number of photographs, all in black and white, in each section varied; additional and/or coloured pictures would have added to the sense of drama by breaking up the blocks of text.

The biographies are followed by a section describing the four “Forms of Dance” represented in the text. The absence of jazz dance, which is so popular in North America, is unfortunate. The glossary seems somewhat sparse; it should have been either expanded or eliminated, with terms identified within the text. There also seemed to be some language dichotomy, with some parts written more accessibly than others. The long list of sources leads the reader to much additional literature about the dancers. Overall, the book provides a great introduction to a number of key women from the dance world.

Recommended.