YOU, THE CHOREOGRAPHER
Creating and Crafting Dance
By Vladimir Angelov 

Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, London and New York

1st Edition, Copyright Year 2023

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 ~  Brief Description ~  

You, The Choreographer, offers a synthesis of histories, theories, philosophies, and creative practices across diverse genres of concert dance choreography. This book is designed for readers at every stage of creative development who seek to refine their artistic sensibility.

For learners and educators, this is a textbook. For emerging professionals, it is a professional-development tool. For established professionals, it is a companion handbook that reinvigorates inspiration. To all readers, it offers a cumulative, systematic understanding of the art of dance-making, with a wealth of cross-disciplinary references to create a dynamic map of creative practices in choreography.

Through a review of major milestones in the field, including contributions to choreography from the humanities, arts, and modern sciences, readers will gain new perspectives on the historical development of choreography. Concise analyses of traditional fundamentals and innovative practices of dance construction, artistic research methods, and approaches to artistic collaboration offer readers new tools to build creative habits and expand their choreographic proficiencies.

 ~ Author’s Biography ~

Vladimir Angelov is a choreographer, author, and the Executive Director of the International Consortium for Advancement in Choreography, Dance ICONS, Inc. – the International Choreographers’ Organization and Networking Services, a global association for choreographers, based in Washington, DC, USA. www.danceicons.org

 ~ Reviews and Endorsements ~

Prominent Choreographers on “You, The Choreographer":

"…a lovely and useful resource for anyone interested in the timeless art of choreography." — Christopher Wheeldon, The Royal Ballet, UK

"…a cumulative reference for understanding the craft of choreography." — Hans van Manen, Dutch National Ballet, The Netherlands

"…a practical guide to a supremely impractical endeavor: dancemaking." — Septime Webre, Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong

"…inspiration to finding your individuality as a choreographer." — Jennifer Archibald, Cincinnati Ballet, and Faculty, Yale School of Drama, USA

"…a meticulous and thoughtful handbook for anyone interested in choreography." — Neil Ieremia, Black Grace, New Zealand

"…advice on how to begin, which is the most important part of the work." — Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Choreographer, The Netherlands

"…an elegantly composed and comprehensive companion book with techniques of dance making." — Amelia Rudolph, BANDALOOP, USA

"…a thoroughly researched manual to understanding choreographic skills." — Pontus Lidberg, Danish Dance Theatre, Denmark

"…an opportunity for emerging choreographers to study the rules so they can stretch the rules." — Yuanyuan Wang, Beijing Dance Theater, China

"…insight into the complexities of the creative process and a roadmap for direction." — Rafael Bonachela, Sydney Dance Company, Australia

"…dance helps you to discover yourself, and this book helps you discover how." — David Dawson, Dutch National Ballet, The Netherlands, and Semperoper Ballett, Germany

"…a compass to explore choreography and direct dance." — Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Ballet of the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Switzerland, and Eastman, Belgium

 ~ Table of Contents ~ 

Part 1: Time Travel – Choreographing Through the Ages 1: Stone Age: The Dawn of Dance – Choreographing Ritual  2. Ancient Age: Gods and Muses in Motion – Choreographing Art  3. Medieval Age: Leaping into Group Identity – Choreographing Symbol  4. Renaissance and Baroque Age: Waltzing Kingdoms – Choreographing Culture  5. Industrial Age: Dancing the Self – Choreographing Expression  6. Information Age: Turning Against the Norm – Choreographing Experimentation  7. Integral Age: Conceiving Progressive Coherency – Choreographing Integration  

Part 2: Mind and Muscle – The Body, Intellect, and Creative Spirit  8. The Moving Body as a Work of Art – Corpus Cognitus  9. Inside the Brain of the Choreographer – Dissection of a Glorious Mind  10. Handling Perfect Imperfections – Intuitive Craftsmanship  

Part 3: Concept and Context – Innovation, Intentionality, and Individuality  11. Inventive Creativity – In Art, Everything is Possible  12. Framing Content and Sorting Concepts – Logistics of the Unlimited  13. Choreographic Individuality and Artistic Identity – The Search for Who I Am  

Part 4: Form and Formlessness - Generating Movement Material  14. The Emergence of Movement – First Crawl and Walk, then Run  15. Dance Improvisation – Embracing Choreographic Adventures  16. Choreographic Phrase – Diving into the Movement Flow  

Part 5: Process and Progress – Developing Movement Material  17. Choreographic Devices and Operations – Growing A Dance Garden  18. Structure and Restructure, Construct and Deconstruct – Architecting A Dance  19. Physical Dramaturgy – Making A Monument Out Of Movement  

Part 6: Sonic Swing – Dance the Music, Music the Dance  20. Are Music And Dance Best Friends Forever? – Melody In Motion  21. Seeking, Choosing and Working with the Music – Attract and Retract  22. Dancing Silence, Noise, Soundscape, and Spoken Word – Body of Sound  

Part 7: Picture Perfect - Venture Follows Vision  23. Nurturing Semantics – Naming a Newborn Dance and Raising a Brand   24. Think Costumes, Lights, and Scenic Design – Piecing A Production  25. A Career in Choreography – Dancing Decisions Moving Forward

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This book was made possible with the resources, support, and funding of Dance ICONS, Inc.