Dancing Women: Female Bodies Onstage

Dancing Women: Female Bodies on Stage is an exceptional creation that explores women in dance. Banes gives in-depth historical and social reference for the dances in this book. This context allows the reader to more fully understand the characters on stage and the women off stage. She shows us the significance of the ever-changing "marriage plot" and how it affected choreography and influenced women to break through the social barriers in their lives. It is very educational and inspiring to read about women changing the course of art in Europe and America during the 19th and 20th centuries. I recommend Dancing Women: Female Bodies on Stage to anyone interested in dance history and the woman's rising power in the arts.