Just in Time for the Holidays: Books and Cards from the DNB

In this economy, there's nothing quite as nice as 60% off. And that's what the DNB is offering: 60% on books sold through the DNB -- see the list of offerings here.

Also, if you plan to send holiday cards this year, why not make them Note-8-Cards? They are all designed by DNB staff and friends, and each design incorporates notation symbols in a creative and delightful way. Note-8-Cards come in packets of (surprise!) eight, and you can specify which eight you'd like (all the same, all different, whatever).

Choose your favorite eight from the Note-8-Card Gallery.

On this very cold day in NYC, Snowtation Man is the card that's most speaking to me:

Martha Hill Book - How to Get More Than 60% Off

It's true -- deeeeeeep discounts are available for The Contributions of Martha Hill to American Dance and Dance Education, 1900-1995 by Elizabeth McPherson.

Here's how to get the book for $39.95 instead of $109.95 (more than 60% off!):

Email the author, Elizabeth McPherson, at emm2072000[at]yahoo[dot]com. (Format the email address in the usual way, of course; just trying to prevent spam.) She can give discount flyers to individuals (not institutions, though).

Great deal!

Martha Hill - Important Woman, Important Book

Martha Hill, 1900-1995, was a major figure in dance education and a major supporter of dance notation. Here are just two of her accomplishments, just to give you a sense of her impact: in 1932 she created the first bachelor of arts program in dance (at Bennington), and in 1951 she became the first director Juilliard's dance division. Pretty impressive, huh? Now think about this: she remained director of Juilliard's dance division for 34 years, until 1985.

In a word: wow.

Want to know a little bit more about Martha Hill?
Read her obituary from Dance Magazine.

Want to know more than just a little bit more about her? Read this new book:
The Contributions of Martha Hill to American Dance and Dance Education, 1900-1995 by Elizabeth McPherson

Here is the book's table of contents. It's amazing how the life of Martha Hill is essentially the history of dance education in America (NYU, Bennington, Connecticut College, Juilliard, scores of students who taught scores more students):

1. An Overview of the History of Dance in Higher Education in the United States
2. Hill’s Youth and Early Career: Growing Up in the Bible Belt (1900-30)
3. Establishing a Dance Program in the School of Education at New York University (1930-51)
4. Establishing a Place for Dance in a Liberal Arts Setting at Bennington College (1932-51)
5. Moving Dance into Mainstream American Thought at The Bennington School of the Dance and The Connecticut College School of the Dance/American Dance Festival (1934-52)
6. Creating and Nurturing a Conservatory Program in Dance at Juilliard (1951-95)
7. Through the Eyes of Hill’s Students
8. Hill’s Legacy

The list price is $109.95, but I'm told that it's available at a deep discount. Elizabeth, if you see this, could you possibly leave a comment telling people how to get the discount? I'll then repost the information in its own blog post...thanks!

Yet Another Holiday Idea: Seven Statements of Survival

Dance and Movement Press recently published Seven Statements of Survival: Conversations with Dance Professionals, edited and with an introduction by Renata Celichowska. The hardcover is very reasonable at $24.95, and the paperback is a great deal at $12.95. The book consists of seven interviews with dance professionals, including dance writer Deborah Jowitt, dancers/choreographers Carolyn Carlson and Garth Fagan, dance administrator Andrea Snyder, dance anthropologist JoAnn Keali'inohomoku, dance educator Bill Evans, and dance librarian Madeleine Nichols.

(Personal aside: A former dance librarian myself, I'm delighted to learn that the book features a dance librarian. I remember my first meeting with my advisor in library school: I said I wanted to be a dance librarian, and she looked at me like I was delusional. Once I became a dance librarian, I always wanted to go back and say, "I told you so!")

Below is some praise for Seven Statements of Survival:

"This is a fascinating collection of life lessons that will inspire anyone contemplating a career in dance. The passion and wisdom of these seven outstanding individuals exert a strong cumulative effect on the reader."

-- Norton Owen
Director of Preservation, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

"Seven Statements of Survival is unique and inspiring in its honesty and real-life specificity. It spans the large universe of dance and pinpoints the many unforeseen places where passion and practicality overlap. I recommend it to anyone contemplating a future in dance or those already immersed in the field."

-- Sharon Gersten Luckman
Executive Director, Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation

"Seven Statements of Survival successfully challenges the stereotype of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ path to career success in dance. In this outstanding book, seven very different but equally legendary professionals share with us the ways in which they created and continue to shape a dance life worth living. This book will inspire students, professionals and those in the audience alike."

-- Anne L. Wennerstrand, MS, DTR, LCSW
Author of Advice for Grown Up Dancers

Seven Statements of Survival (and all other Dance and Movement Press books) can be bought at http://www.rosenpublishing.com/dmpress.cfm. As mentioned a few days ago, Dance and Movement Press's mother company, Rosen Publishing, will donate to the Dance Notation Bureau 10% of the price of all purchases made through the above link. (This offer extends into 2008.)

Another Holiday Idea: Note-8-Cards

Bet you didn't know there's a way to sneak dance notation into your holiday greetings. But there is! The DNB sells Note-8-Cards, note cards with clever notation-themed designs. There are 17 all-purpose Note-8-Cards and 12 holiday Note-8-Cards, and you can buy them in any combination you like. See http://www.dancenotation.org/DNB/news/cards.html for details.

Personally, my favorite holiday cards are Deck the Staff, Tree of Laban, and Snowtation Man (thumbnails below):

And my favorite all-purpose cards are Pablova (Pablo Picasso + Anna Pavlova + notation), Cow Jumped (check out her spots!), and Connect the Dots (OK, I admit it, I like that one because I made it...):

But that's just me. Find your favorites at http://www.dancenotation.org/DNB/news/cards.html.

Holiday Gift Idea for Dancers

Here's a great way to do some holiday shopping and support the Dance Notation Bureau! Shop for books from Dance & Movement Press, a small imprint that publishes materials for dancers, students of dance, and interested lay readers.

...and here's how it helps the Dance Notation Bureau:

D & M Press's distributor, Rosen Publishing, will donate to the DNB 10% of the price of ALL purchases made through this link: http://www.rosenpublishing.com/dmpress.cfm!