Robert Tracy

Over the course of 45 years, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has evolved from a small group of young, African-American dancers traveling the country in a station wagon to what is widely considered the premier modern dance company in the world. Today, the Ailey is also a national cultural institution, comprising two performing companies; an accredited school with classes for children, pre-professional students and dance enthusiasts; and community outreach programs. Ailey Spirit pauses to reflect on the company's incredible journey as it nears its midcentury mark. An eye-opening array of photographs from the best dance photographers illuminates the performances and artistic creations of every decade; the dancers and choreographers; the travels and challenges; and the creation of new work. The insightful text draws on previously unpublished interviews with more than 50 key individuals. Ailey Spirit offers readers a vision of the energy that infuses every season; the commitment to artistic excellence and education; and the artists through whom the Ailey legacy continues to evolve in a new century.--Publisher description.

"Using materials that ranged from stone, marble, wood and cast iron to wire, rope, burlap and space itself, Noguchi created carvings, constructions, gardens, architectural projects, playgrounds and, inevitably, theater designs. It was especially the theater of dance - the movement of bodies in relation to forms and space - that Noguchi saw as sculpture brought to life.". "This book celebrates Noguchi's contributions to dance with photographs of and commentary on 37 of his set designs, mainly for Martha Graham but also for such other choreographers as George Balanchine, Erick Hawkins, Merce Cunningham, Yuriko, Kei Takei and Ruth Page. The photographs, mainly by Arnold Eagle, Philippe Halsman, Barbara Morgan, Nan Melville and Max Waldman, capture the movement and mood of the dances and their interaction with Noguchi's settings. The commentary, from original and revival program notes, author Robert Tracy and Noguchi himself, recalls the content of each of the dances and the vision behind each of the sculptor's creations."--BOOK JACKET.