Throughout its history; the United States has become a new home for thousands of immigrants; all of whom have brought their own traditions and expressions of ethnicity. Not least among these customs are folk dances; which over time have become visual representations of cultural identity. Naturally; however; these dances have not existed in a vacuum. They have changedmdash;in part as a response to ever-changing social identities; and in part as a reaction to deliberate manipulations by those within as well as outside of a particular culture. Compiled in great part from the authorrsquo;s own personal dance experience; this volume looks at how various cultures use dance as a visual representation of their identity; and how ldquo;traditionalrdquo; dances change over time. It discusses several ldquo;parallel layersrdquo; of dance: dances performed at intra-cultural social occasions; dances used for representation or presentation; and folk dance performances. Individual chapters center on various immigrant cultures. Chiefly the work focuses on cultural representation and how it is sometimes manipulated. Key folk dance festivals in the United States and Canada are reviewed. Interviews with dancers; teachers; and others offer a first-hand perspective. An extensive bibliography encompasses concert programs and reviews as well as broader scholarly sources.
#1031919 in eBooks 2009-11-03 2009-11-03File Name: B002XNUWC8
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Genius!!!! Best book on how to design your home yourself... EVER!By Susan M WernerLove Elaine Griffins work. love this book. think shes a genius. I refer to this book all the time. and I have hundreds of design books that I read once and never refer to again. ever. This is good practical advice from someone who is clearly one of the best in the business. How far apart should your coffee table be from your sofa? Elaine tells you. What are your best window treament options for your style windows. and why? Elaine tells you. What details in your home should you "play up" or "play down" in your home... yep. she tells you that too. She addresses things in this book that I have not seen brought to attention before. And her writing style is fun too.I just wish shed write another book!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Good enough to get a replacement copyBy MarianGot it in hardback. loaned it out. and it never came back. So good that I got a Kindle copy so that I can carry it with me and always know where it is. If you are decorating a room or remodeling a house. you need this book. The best that I have found - and I looked at a LOT of design books.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. I actually fixed a few mistakes before they happened with her good advice. This is a book I will keep ...By JULESMVery.very helpful. She is darling ! I am in the middle of a big addition to our house and needed a little friendly advice. This book was just the ticket. I actually fixed a few mistakes before they happened with her good advice. This is a book I will keep for future reference.
