Scholarly Articles

Moore, K. (2004). A Commitment to Clubbing. Peace Review, 16(4), 459-465.

Karenza Moore is a research associate at Salford University. Her main focus is on clubbing culture and some work on gender and technology. This journal gives an overview of clubbing culture in the United Kingdom and America. It discusses the club atmosphere with reference to social dance and its sexuality, DJs and club music and drug consumption. It highlights the negative perception of club culture and its financial and physical toll as well as the recreational enjoyment of clubbing. This journal supplies useful description of social dance and the conflicting views of club culture that hinder the progression of its perception as an art form.

Dixon, B. (1990). Black Dance and Dancers and the White Public: A Prolegomenon to Problems of Definition. Black American Literature Forum, 24(1), 117-177.

Brenda Dixon is an associate professor in the dance department at Temple University and a critic for Dance Magazine. This journal discusses the conflict associated with American social dance because of its strong foundation in Black culture. It details consequence of exoticism and other issues faced when white dancers are exposed to the black genre of dance and compares it in the same manner to when a black person is seen performing a dance form dominated by whites. It also explains how this social association hinders black choreographers of dance theatre in their creations and acceptance in any genre. For journalists concerned with social dance, this article gives insight into racial reasons for its struggle to gain respect in America.

Risner, D. (2007). Rehearsing masculinity: Challenging the 'boy code' in dance education. Research in Dance Education, 8(2), 139-153.

Doug Risner, Ph.D., is Chair and an associate professor of dance in the Maggie Allesee Department of Dance at Wayne State University. His article discusses the social stigma placed on male dancers. It provides information on how the reputation that comes with being a male dancer can hinder men from being open to any genre of dance and how that relates to perceptions of success of different dance genres. It also discusses gender norms and dominant culture in relation to dance training and education and the difference in pleasure men receive from dancing. The concepts of this article spark interesting issues when juxtaposed with gender issues of social dance since it is a male dominated dance genre. This provides good background information for an angle on social dances struggle in relation to how each gender receives the concept of dance as a whole.

Newspaper or Magazine Articles

Ulrich, A. (2004). Who’s Dancing? Who’s Watching? Dance Magazine, 78(8). 27-27.

Featured in Dance Magazine, this article details the analysis of the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts taken by the National Endowment for the Arts. It draws conclusions from the survey’s findings to establish the differences between those who are watching dance and those who are doing the dancing. It also describes the demographic for the ballet audience, and differentiates how ballet is received compared to all other forms of dance as a whole. The article serves as a rare reference to statistical findings relating to the pursuit for the reason behind the separation between the dances people watch and the dances that they do.

Sherman, S. (2000, February). The History of Black Dance in America. New Crisis(1559-1603), 107, 60.

This periodical gives an overview of the history of black dance in America. It explains how today’s American social dance is rooted in plantation dances and the rhythm embraced by black slaves. It also discusses how the form was not readily accepted by whites or any upper class and therefore resonated with a lower class stigma. The point of physical difference hindering blacks from taking part in prestigious forms of dance such as ballet is also analyzed. For a journalist researching social dance, this article provides history on the long time struggle of black dance in relation to economic and racial status and how that has still carried on in how American social dance is perceived today due to its black influence.

Conover, K. (1997, April). Social Dancing Sweeps America. Christian Science Monitor, 98, 1.

The social dance this article refers to is ballroom and other sorts of partner dancing. It notes the open acceptance to social dances of this style and their increasing growth as a favorite American pastime. The article discusses ballroom’s appeal as a chance for competition, method for physical fitness and playful hobby to take up with family or friends. The differentiation between the American outlook on ballroom dance versus the more commonly practiced club social dances is important because it highlights the varied characteristics like competition, fitness and sharing of a social experience that can interest people in dance. It also raises the question of why these characteristics are not more easily related to club social dance as its sexual stigma is and points out the difference organized classes could make in legitimizing this genre as it has worked for other social dances.

International Sites

Dance Tutors. (2007). African Dance. Retrieved Mar. 16, 2008, from http://www.dancetutors.co.uk/african-dance.html

This is a United Kingdom resource created by an organization called Dance Tutors. The mission of this organization is to serve as a reference point for people trying to find a genre of dance they might like to learn. This page highlights the practice of African dance including its technique, importance of emotion and body movements and its ritual and cultural value. It also discusses the common influence African dance has had on many dance forms and the genres status in the dance world today. This source is useful to inform a reporter of the originating style that inspired American social dance. Also, through its analysis a reporter could determine what aspects of African dance are clearly still prominent in American social dance today. This site also includes links to other various genres of dance with the same classifications of information for each.

Salsa and Merengue Society . (1999). Salsa: The Dance. Retrieved Mar. 16, 2008, from http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/revealit/dancesal.html

This is a reference page created by the Salsa and Merengue Society in efforts to inform on Latin music, dance and culture. This site provides information on salsa technique, relation to beat, history and its change in “flavor” as it has spread to other cultures. It also supplies the same technical and historical information for another prominent style of Latin dance, Merengue. For a journalist interested in social dance, this site provides detailed description of a performance dance genre that has had much influence on a variety of culture’s social dance style and especially so on the American practice. It also offers a discussion of how dance grows with the change of music, links to learning Latin dance online and a glossary of dance terminology.

Specialized Print Reference Books

Butler, J. (1975). Encyclopedia of Social Dance. New York: Albert Butler Ballroom Dance Service.

Josephine Butler was a past president of the International Dance Council and former dance professor, historian and author. Although a little outdated, this encyclopedia has quality information on all aspects of social dance up until its publication. It had entries detailing technique, fads, European dance of the 18th and 19th century, court dances, party dances, elimination dances, square dances and more. For a journalist, this source provides important background knowledge on the detailed development, social role and technique of social dance. It would help to forming a theory of how social dance has reached its current position in American society.

Vaughen, D. (1977). The Encyclopedia of Dance and Ballet. London: Peerage Books

David Vaughen was a british dancer, administrator and writer. He studied at the American School of Ballet in New York. This reference too is a little outdated, but once again provides high quality and detailed information available until its publication. It provides articles concerning technique, performance, art and expression, Renaissance dance, and court dance associated with ballet. It also includes reference to other forms of performance dance including modern, jazz and tap. This source serves as a thorough reference on the technique, history and development of ballet and performance dance. Its analysis would be beneficial for use in comparison of the development of the prestigious form of ballet and performance dance to that of social dance.

Specialized Online Reference Sites

Intute: Arts and Humanities. (2008). Music and Performing Arts. Retrieved March 9, 2008 from http://www.intute.ac.uk/artsandhumanities/cgi-bin/browse.pl?id=artifact140

This online reference site provides over 400 links to dance related sources. It initially divides its sources into categories relating to dance history, companies, education, choreography, organizations, sexuality, genre, theory and additional reference. It also allows for a researcher to limit their search to find certain kinds of sources referencing dance and to search for specific topics not mentioned in the above categories in a specific search bar for dance. The site would aid any reporter researching dance or any subtopic relating to it by allowing them to search from a site that is already limited to their topic of interest and has a wide variety of different kinds of sources relating to dance.


Cohen, S. (2008). International Encyclopedia of Dance. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www.oxford-dance.com/?authstatuscode=202

Selma Cohen holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She was also the former editor of Dance Perspectives magazine and studied dance with the likes of Martha Graham and Jose Limón. This encyclopedia covers all aspects of dance. It included almost 2,000 entries that have a relation to theatrical dance, ritual dance, dance-drama, folk dance, traditional dance, ethnic dance, or social dance. With references from scholars from over 50 different countries, it also provides a broad cultural and national overview of dance forms. This is a valuable resource to anyone researching dance because it provides so much analysis in each entry and is very easy to search.

Recent Books

Wright, J. P. (2003). Social Dance: Steps to success (Rev. ed.). Illinois: Human Kinetics.

The author, Judy Patterson Wright, PhD, is an accomplished dancer who has been a professor of social dance since 1971. Dr. Wright's dance experience includes a wide variety of styles: ballroom, social dance, tap dance, jazz, modern dance, ballet, folk dance, square dance, country western dance, line dance, and aerobic dancercise. This book provides information on the technical qualities of moving like a dancer and the aspects incorporated into dance from the music accompanying it. Following chapters also highlight more classic forms of social dances and the attitude associated with each such as the fun in the Polka, romance in the Rumba and flirtation in the Cha-ha. The source could be used to contribute to the analysis of the progression of social dance and the sexual attitude of it as well as the influence classic social dance had on performance dance and modern social dance.

Lihs, H. (2002). Appreciating Dance: A guide to the World’s Liveliest Art. New Jersey: Princeton Book Company.

Harriet Lihs is an associate professor of dance at Lamar University. She is a former professional dancer who performed with the Radio City Balled and Brooklyn Ballet. This book informs of the origin of dance itself and different genres including social, modern and ballet. It also provides specifics on American based styles like tap, jazz, musical and film dance as well as some discussion of careers in dance and dance issues during the early 21st century. This would be valuable for historical reference to the formation of the current social dance style and in describing the foundation of current dance issues.

Mulac, C. M. (2007). Social Dancing in America: A History and Reference. Social Dancing in America: A History and Reference, 132(4),.

Carolyn Mulac is an employee of the Chicago Public Library as a specialist on dance literature. This reference illustrates the progression of social dance throughout the 20th century and the role it has played in America with recreational, religious and socioeconomic effects. It includes an examination of the bias performance dance styles, such as ballet, receive not only in society but in research. This source supplies a time-lined progression of dance and highlights social dance’s unique importance accomplished in contrast to artistic value. It also displays contemporary and period photographs.

Multimedia

kgbrooklyn. (2007). How to Dance 1 [video]. Retrieved March 2, 2008 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEzVOgAZJ7U&feature=related

This video is a visual example of common social dance being broke down into technical steps and being taught as performance dance is. It is the first video in a series of 11 videos which are all linked to this site. The series not only teaches step-by-step social dance techniques but also explains the reasoning behind each with references to the sexual aspects of the movement and the interaction between partners. It also exemplifies the different approaches to dance in general from a female and male perspective.

Kerkoshj. (2007). Save the last dance [video]. Retrieved March 2, 2008 from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9E87c1-aYA

This is a clip from film Save the Last Dance (2001). It is the climactic dance performance where the main character is trying out for a place at the prominent dance school, Julliard. The film showcases the experience of a white suburban girl once she is transferred to a predominantly black school and has to make her own way. The girl regains her former love of ballet while gaining new understandings of hip hop in her new urban environment. This clip showcases the outcome of a dance she choreographed that clearly demonstrates the blending of ballet with social hip hop styling. It resonates as a prime visual example of how the influence from each genre despite its varied level of respect can artistically mesh together with the other into an impressive expression of performance dance. This would be of interest to anyone researching the gap between social and performance dance.

Kinberg, J. (Director & Producer). (2002). Born to be Wild: the Leading Men of American Ballet Theatre [Motion picture]. New Jersey: Kultur Video.

This movie investigates male success in ballet at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. It includes biographies of four of the theatres principle male dancers and tells of the different paths they took to reaching an interest and success in ballet. A number of their performances are included in the video as well. This video provides an important visual display of the technique in ballet, commonly considered the most prestigious form of performance dance. The source is also useful because it can be used as a reference when researching the aspect gender plays in success and practice of dance since ballet is a female-dominated form of dance like most are where social dance is considered a male-dominated dance form.