Performing Cities is an edited volume of contributions by a range of internationally renowned academics and performance makers from across the globe; each one covering a particular city and examining it from the dynamic perspectives of performances occurring in cities and the city itself as performance.
#2047292 in eBooks 2014-08-18 2014-08-18File Name: B00NB5FJ2K
Review
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Did you ever think youd find a book with TOO MUCH nudity?By Tom TuerffThis book is positively fascinating for about the first half. You find out about the "nude dance" craze of the Weimar Republic and the dancers/dances/movements it inspired.However; Toepfers work is SO complete; SO intricate; it comes off more like a doctoral thesis than a book.As pure reportage; its a fine volume. But I kept waiting for some kind of idea of what the author thought about all of this; was it fascinating or does he just think it was weird? We never really find out.Still; some of the images he leaves you with makes you wish you could transport yourself back to some of these obviously sensual and often bizarre performances to see them for yourself.If youre a fan of dance history; or a nudist; I recommend this book. But dont be surprised if you put it down long before you finish; this is definitely more than most people would really want (or need) to know.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A valuable book for dance researchBy Satu Mariia HarjanneEstimated contributions in Carina Ari Librarys large collection of dance literature in Stockholm; [...]6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Sculpting Space with Naked Human FleshBy D. C. DoranThis meticulous investigation into the Weimer Republics naturist movements and its concurrent naked dance training/choreographic styles (together with the criticism/photography associated with them) will surely stand as the definitive study of these complex issues for many years to come. The dense chapters of this book serve up a most original interpretation of the ways in which "liberating divestiture" entered into the construction of the "identity of the avant-garde intelligentsia" through the visual presentation of the "modern body." Toepfer argues that both naturism and naked dance/ gymnastics aimed to break through the rationalizations for mass culture in a search of "transcendent" possibilities. In doing so; he takes advantage of much unpublished archival material and rare photographs. Quite a few of both are reprinted here. Perhaps one of the most interesting findings of this study is the central role played by women in the aesthetic enterprise between the Wars. A 23 page bibliography completes this important achievement. Toepfer is Professor of Theatre Arts at San Jose State University (California).
