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International Encyclopedia of Dance. New York: Oxford Univ. Pr., 1998. 6 vols. acid free, $1,250/set (ISBN 0-19-509462X/set).
Commenting on the "lack of an inclusive reference work on dance," Agnes de Mille once noted that "nothing is comprehensive, nothing catholic, nothing sweeping, and this we must have" (xxx). Her sentiment was echoed at a 1974 meeting of the Dance Critics' Association. Shortly thereafter, under the sponsorship of the Dance Perspectives Foundation, development of an international dance encyclopedia was begun. After two decades and numerous publishing difficulties, there is now such a work.
In six sturdy, oversized volumes, the International Encyclopedia of Dance provides comprehensive coverage of the full spectrum of dance, including theatrical dance, ritual dance, and folk, traditional, ethnic, and social dance from around the world. More than six hundred experts from fifty countries contributed to this unprecedented work, representing a virtual who's who of dance scholars and critics. The roster also includes anthropologists, philosophers, ethnomusicologists, art historians, and performers.
Arranged alphabetically, the nearly two thousand articles include: extensive surveys of all forms of dance in more than one hundred nations; descriptions of...