Dance Books

This is a MUST read for any leader who wants to reach organisational effectiveness beyond command and control performance limitations. The author is making leadership style once again a critical success factor in developing competitive fitness.

This book is about theory developed from experience. The format of the book is basically a recall of events leading to a new leadership theory, theory expanded into operational models and those models applied to the practice of leadership.

The author first creates a personal contextual picture through a fascinating recall of exciting events in the chemical industry that shaped his perspective on leadership. Right through the book there is an honest discourse of the author's own inner struggle to make the paradigm shift from being a command and control leader to a leadership role in a self-organising enterprise.

The author presents several models for leaders to navigate the seas of a self-organising enterprise. The process enneagram is presented and applied as a coherent self-referential guiding tool that shifts the paradigm from command and control leadership to self-organisation. The process enneagram provides guidance but the author's understanding of rhythms of change, the emergence of meaning and the will to act, brings passion and soul to the process enneagram solution. Lastly the author expands beyond short term performance improvement by introducing sustainability ratios that is a prerequisite self-organisation.

The power of this book is embedded in the way the author combines depth of practicality with depth in theoretical expansion. Both the practical hands-on leader as well as the visionary leader will find direction and guidance in this book of how to improve organisational effectiveness.

Dr. Knowles gives a thorough and logical explanation of the science and systems involved in leadership. He takes the additional unusual step of describing his personal journey which led him to these revelations. It is riveting reading! Parents, pastors, CEO's, governmental officials, school leaders and managers on all levels should read this and adopt these strategies.

Dr. Knowles reveals not only the science and systems involved in leadership, but takes the unusual step of providing a thorough and riveting review of his personal struggles and successes. It is in that story he made me believe that I, too, can embrace the "process enneagram" concepts and become a better manager. He makes it understandable. This book should be in the hands of leaders everywhere: parents, pastors, CEO's, elected officials, business managers.

This book describes very useful tools for bringing about constructive organizational change, based on a view of organizations as living systems. The 'process enneagram' at its core is a remarkably effective and compact tool for mapping the elements needed to bring about desired change in a way that is transparent for all stakeholders. It will be valuable to anyone concerned with organizational effectiveness.
How you should approach the book, and in what sequence, depends heavily on your own learning preferences. It is written for those who like to move from (very lengthy and detailed) anecdotal examples to principles and concepts. If you prefer to move from concept to such brief example as you feel you need (as I do), you could easily reject a valuable book - as I very nearly did. For example, the thesis depends on a particular use of the enneagram, a tool that will be unfamiliar to many readers. The first systematic explanation of what the process enneagram is, its origins and uses and its dramatic difference from the much more familiar form of enneagram which the author calls 'the enneagram of personality', occurs 2/3rds of the way through the book in Chapter 7.

When I read the fine book, The Soul at Work, by Roger Lewin and Birute Regine, my favorite example involved Dr. Knowles in his role as a plant manager before he became a consultant. The Leadership Dance takes that anecdotal evidence and expands it into a deep understanding of how to define and continuously improve management processes.

Anyone who thinks that leadership cannot be carefully defined and described will find this book to be a revelation. What makes it all the more remarkable is that Dr. Knowles is extremely humble and bends over backward to give everyone else as much credit as possible. When was the last time that you read a business book like that?

Let me caution you that this book is not for the casual reader. It's more like a dissertation done by a Ph.D. candidate in management. Dr. Knowles does a brilliant job of combining many sources of theory and practice into constantly developing examples that make the two sides of the perspective come together well.

The fundamental insight he had was that in times of crisis things get done effectively through self-organization. People pitch in, and the work gets done. When the crisis is over, people go back to being hierarchical and ineffective. A typical approach in most companies is to wait for a crisis or try to cause one to reinstitute that effectiveness. Dr. Knowles shows how self-organization can be working effectively all the time. And it's not just theory. He actually did it himself. Nice going!

Actually, Dr. Knowles has a bigger idea here than he realizes. In the examples, he is looking at narrow issues such as replacing damaged equipment quickly, improving safety, or cutting operating costs. His same concepts could be applied much more productively to the entire enterprise for processes such as continuous business model innovation, which Carol Coles and I address in our new book, The Ultimate Competitive Advantage.

Anyone who loved Leadership and the New Science, The Goal, The Fifth Discipline, or The Soul at Work will add greatly to their knowledge if they read and apply this book. Be prepared for some challenging reading and thinking though. But it's worth it!

Anyone who wants to be a truly effective leader must master these disciplines. By repeatedly studying and applying this book, anyone can do it! In the process, you will learn to banish all those thoughts about needing to become a hero leader.

Donald Mitchell, co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

since mid 80s i have been a big admirer of Bowery..he was always the most brilliant thing in FACE or ID magazine. This book is everything one needs to know and have about him. Must for disco historians !

Leigh is a genious on several arts. Clothes Designer, make-up artist, hostes, actor, performer, a MIND on the London Scene. This book is a perfect image memorablia, but not enough. Sorry my ridiculous english If someone loves Leigh Bowery too, please drop me a line. Danilo

Special man. Special book. i will forever be inspired by the delicious pages in this picture book that could change your life.

it did mine.

Beautiful job from start to finish. Highlights include the collages of stills from the films of Charles Atlas, the interview with Nicola Bateman, and Leigh's tres sexy postcards. Comprehensive, revealing the many layers of his greatness, and ever-reminding us of our miserable loss.

After the disappointing bio by Sue Tilley, Leigh Bowery can finally wink at us down here at earth. This book gives a great view on his work, throughout the eighties and nineties. Leigh was a chameleon in ideas and appearances. Allthough some of his looks were almost frightening, looking trhough the pages of this book one cannot escape from his originality and creativity. Leigh lived too short to get acknowledged for his ideas. Instead designers like Westwood, Gaultier and van Beirendonck use his ideas. But as Leigh claimed during his life: "Even my ideas filter through. The publics idea of beauty is fed to them." He fed them with something else. Thanx for that.

Bamber Delver, Amsterdam - the Netherlands journalist/writer (1984; Bowery at Farell House) website under construction with Bowery-department a.o. interview, articles, unknown pics

When I left England to live in the United States for one year last August, there was only one book I took with me - Alistair Cooke's `Letter From America'. What else could I have taken? Cooke saw into America like no other Brit (or no other non-American, for that matter).

Starting at the mid 1940s, the book winds its way through post-war America nearly right up until the authors death in 2004, picking out the best of his weekly broadcasts. The subject matters range from politics, history, current affairs, entertainment and the topics from the New England fall, jazz, Robert Kennedy's assassination and O.J Simpson.

But it is not the subject matter that makes this book so special (for we already know about most of them anyway) it is none other than Cooke's insight and writing style. The articles flow like the finest novel or poem (which is probably attributed to Cooke's background in theatre). Each time you come back to read the book again it feels as though you are receiving the opinions of a familiar friend, and not some distant journalist.

There are drawbacks. Cooke was often criticised, and quite rightly so, for ignoring the darker side of the American dream. The other possible drawback, depending on your viewpoint, is that Cooke was a committed conservative, especially in the latter half of his career. Many of the final articles from the late 90's and early 00's lament the current position of America and (what he saw as) the sliding standards of journalism. Maybe, but you also can't help feel that he was by this point slightly out of touch.

These minor quibbles, however, cannot undermine Cooke's overall achievement of helping us better understand this important nation, which could be described as love letters to America.

Alistair Cooke is an observer of the American social fabric, of our heros, of our blemishes, of our short history and sense of place. His first hand accounts of American and Americans is not unlike a nation looking at itself in a mirror. He is at times generous with his observations. At other times he is very British in his ability to be critical with a smile. He can describe a familiar person and make us see the person anew. The book is a pleasure to read, each chapter a new adventure of wit and insight. He wanders a bit but his style makes you enjoy the journey and look forward to the next excursion.

For many years I listened to Alistair Cooke's ' Letters from America'. The calm, erudite voice , the super- civilized tone , the suggestion of great intelligence somehow always promised to provide insight into America that no one else had. The British Tocqueville of the airways who knew more about the Americans than the Americans knew about themselves.
Yet somehow I more often than not felt a certain disappointment in the communications. Reading them without the Cooke tone and pause, without his special emphasis diminishes them further. There is it seems to me a great deal of observation and color , and not enough striving for deep general understanding.
And there is too in the calm of Cooke's tone something strange and distant.The many rich voices of America, its ways of shouting and making itself felt are not transmitted strongly here.
Nonetheless in close to sixty years of reporting there are numerous insights and observations and much that entertains.
I think of Cooke's elegy for his old friend Isaiah Berlin. I think of reports made from all kinds of whistle stops on Presidential campaigns. I think too of his capacity for friendship, and how that does move through these letters and give them a warmer feeling of comraderie.
I think also of Cooke's basic real affection for America, his interest and appreciation of much what is good and beautiful in it.
I think too of how many listeners he delighted with his wit, and dry humor and clear - cut language.
This is a lifetime work of special meaning and value for the many thousands who waited each week for those fifteen minutes of his often most delightful and insightful talk.

Alistair Cooke's wonderful Letter from America broadcasts were heard world-wide and were an institution for close to 60 years. In that time, Cooke - UK born but for most of his life a resident of New York City - sought through his thoughtful pieces to convey the complexity of life, of society and of politics in the United States.

In this collection of essays, organised chronologically, Cooke takes us from post-war America through to mid 2005, and his subject matter ranges from the specific relatively "small" topics (for example McLaren's dogged creation of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park) through to large, world-changing subjects including the Vietnam question and the assassinations of both John and Robert Kennedy. The latter is a riveting account because Cooke was there when it happened and his journalistic and observational skills come through as finely honed, dispassionate yet all the more powerful.

What gives this volume real richness are two things in particular.

First; Cooke has an unfailing grasp of history. In writing each week's snapshot of a changing nation, he manages to contextualise what he sees, and to draw upon both his enormous grasp of history and his unparalled contact with top politicians, writers and artists over 60 years. In today's age of soundbyte editorializing and glib simplifications (history seen through the eyes of Forrest Gump, if you will), Cooke's essays are thoughtful, well researched and highly reasoned. As a reader I'm struck by how prescient his comments are, and I'm also struck at how relevant his thought provoking comments about previous political events resonate in today's unfolding history.

The second facet of this rich gem is Cooke's beautifully crafted writing style. He wrote these essays for radio and perhaps this is why they read so beautifully. In his portrait of Charles Lindbergh, for example, he talks about the man for 500 words - creating a vivid, recognisable picture before he even mentions the name of his subject. In so doing, Cooke furnishes the reader (or listener) with the frisson of a delightful guessing game (he's talking about Lindbergh, right?) that allows us to hear more about the subject matter without letting us backfill the story with our own preconceptions. His humour is delightfully wry, and his ability to choose surprising and sometimes quite earthy quotes from the history makers of the past 60 years provides additional pleasure. Cooke clearly laboured over each and every essay to ensure their seamless recipe of wit, fact and observation.

This volume is a remarkable collection of essays: a format that encourages thoughtful, enjoyable bedside reading. In devouring this marvellous book, you are taken to the heart of a complex nation. An easy 5 stars; I'd add that this book makes an excellent gift, regardless of which way your friends vote.

When I left England to live in the United States for one year last August, there was only one book I took with me - Alistair Cooke's `Letter From America'. What else could I have taken? Cooke saw into America like no other Brit (or no other non-American, for that matter).

Starting at the mid 1940s, the book winds its way through post-war America nearly right up until the authors death in 2004, picking out the best of his weekly broadcasts. The subject matters range from politics, history, current affairs, entertainment and the topics from the New England fall, jazz, Robert Kennedy's assassination and O.J Simpson.

But it is not the subject matter that makes this book so special (for we already know about most of them anyway) it is none other than Cooke's insight and writing style. The articles flow like the finest novel or poem (which is probably attributed to Cooke's background in theatre). Each time you come back to read the book again it feels as though you are receiving the opinions of a familiar friend, and not some distant journalist.

There are drawbacks. Cooke was often criticised, and quite rightly so, for ignoring the darker side of the American dream. The other possible drawback, depending on your viewpoint, is that Cooke was a committed conservative, especially in the latter half of his career. Many of the final articles from the late 90's and early 00's lament the current position of America and (what he saw as) the sliding standards of journalism. Maybe, but you also can't help feel that he was by this point slightly out of touch.

These minor quibbles, however, cannot undermine Cooke's overall achievement of helping us better understand this important nation, which could be described as love letters to America.

An original and haunting tale set in a uniquely imagined world with mythic and folkloric overtones. Readers will empathize with the heroine's awaking as a young woman, her search for self understanding, and the difficult choices and decisions she must make. I couldn't help but see the movie of LONG NIGHT DANCE in my mind's eye--a visual and mood driven feast! Though I'm no longer a children's librarian, I still love pushing good books into people's hands, and this one went to my fourteen year old niece.

As a children's librarian, I have to say this is one of the best books I've ever read. It is elegant, and as compelling to a middle aged woman as to a teen. I have a curiosity upon discovering it's part of a series, but unlike other books where I'm eager for more, my self is still after reading this. it is complete on it's own, like kat discovers.

I found this story to be compelling and a definite page-turner. Betsy James is a visual writer and her beautifully written story unfolded for me like a movie playing out in my minds eye. Through her descriptive words I felt a kinship to Kat as though I were right there with her through out the book. I felt the cold on the beach as Kat is moved through the dark to the seashore. I sensed the darkness within her compassionless home. I saw myself dancing the Snake Dance along with the others around the fire at the Long Night Dance.

As a forty-year-old woman I still related to 15-year-old Kat's experience of longing to know who she is. Isn't that the goal we all share? And the depth of Kat's emotions reminded me of the intensity of my own first love. And I cheered Kat on in finding the inner strength that she needed to do the right thing.

This is a book for women of all ages much like The Red Tent, and Mists of Avalon. I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy.

As I read the first page of this amazing book I was immediately pulled into Kat's world. This whole book has a distinct flavor. It is lonely, and haunting yet manages not to be depressing. One of my favorite parts is the Rigi's song. After I had read this book the first time(my eyes were glued to the pages and I finished it in one night) I just couldn't set it down . That same night I memorized the whole of the Rigi's song( it was about 2:00 am.) I just love the part when she stands above the sea and shouts the song into the wind. Betsy James does an amazing job of picking EXACTLY the right words to describe a scene or feeling.
Wonderful book!!!
If you enjoyed reading Long Night Dance you might like Quest For A Maid (though it's a bit slow paced) and A Stranger Came Ashore (a slightly more traditional ,though just as haunting, tale of the Rigi or Selkie.

This is one of those books that you read and then spend the rest of your life trying to find again. Kat is a character that resonated with me when I was her age, and now that I am older, she still enthralls me. Her journey to find herself, unlike many other coming of age books, is so delicately nuanced that you never feel as if you are being taught about life, just experiencing it. This story, which continues in Dark Heart, is as windswept and brooding as the land it takes place in, but admist all the hardship Kat struggles to assert herself and her womanhood. Anyone who has ever fought to be allowed to be true to herself (or himself) will find a companion in Kat.

This Bio does not look upon Louise Brooks as sympathetically as other's Bio's do. Here we feel that we are being told the truth - as not everything in her life was perfect, or admirable, or even sympathetic. Louise Brooks was still a person who did things her way. And this books tells us what her was. A wonderful look at a wonderful Actress, Dancer and Writer.

An all-emcompassing book for fans of Louise Brooks. It has interesting stories and beautiful photos.

This is a great biography of an obscure, but fascinating silent film star. Barry Paris has done a great job researching the life and times of Louise Brooks. A must-read for any Brooks fan.

This book was wonderful, before I read it I had no idea in the world who Louise Brooks was or what an impression she had on the motion picture industry. While this book is full of information and well written there are some slow points. A wonderful book for anyone interested in films.

I am one of those who became entranced by Louise Brooks after seeing her in "Pandora's Box". She appeared to be highly sexual, intelligent, and to be marching to the sound of a drummer that she alone heard within herself. It turns out that she was all of this. This is an excellent biography and a lesson about what happens to those who despise the opportunities that life presents to us and to those whose lives are driven by sex rather than common sense. Louise Brooks was a very modern woman despite having been a star of the silent screen. She made only a few films but her performances in those films stand up with the great performances of today and their naturalism makes the acting of most silent screen starlets seem idiotic. While other actresses were concerned with nothing but their looks, Brooks was reading Shaw and Proust. While others did all they could to ingratiate themselves with the movie studios, Brooks had nothing but indifference for them. She turned her back on fame, fortune, and power. She could have had a brilliant career but always sabotaged her chances. She had beauty and incredible sex appeal. She had Chaplin as a lover. She wrote. She lives on today as an image of a woman ahead of her time and also as a tragic waste. Her own difficult personality drove everyone away. Her lack of discipline was childish. She fascinates. This is the best biography we will ever get of her. Recommended.

This book explains very clearly the warm up exercises of the Luigi technique. This technique allows you to dance Jazz from the inside, what you learn here can be applied to ballet, modern dance, or any other technique plus to your daily life. The pictures and explanations are easy to understand, but it requires time to learn each exercise. If you have been in a Luigi class before this book will help you remember the exercises.

I thought this book was great! Luigi's personal and professional story is truly inspirational. All aspects of this book was well written. I found the content of this book a tremendous help. I highly recommend it to those such as myself who have never taken a dance class, but are interested in signing up for class and need to prepare in advance for flexibility, strength, etc. The book is easy to follow; the photographs give plenty of visual detail and the descriptions are specifically written to be easily followed by a novice. The exercises in this book condition the body wonderfully in preparation for dance.

Very nice and interesting book on Jazz technique and its basis...

easy to read et to follow...

A must for any jazz teacher!

Dany - www.crescendo-danse.ch

Luigi is a miracle. His dance technique grew out of his self-rehabilitation from a paralysis caused by head trauma. The injury forced him to discover how to stand, walk, and dance with perfect balance and alignment...or he wouldn't have been able to stand, walk, or dance at all. That knowledge has been refined into a jazz dance technique that is CORRECT. It won't hurt the body, and it will actually heal many muscle and joint problems. And it looks absolutely beautiful! This book does an excellent job of explaining not only Luigi's technique, but also Luigi's philosophy that underlies the technique. It should be in the library of every dancer, and of anyone interested in proper body alignment and movement.

As a former dancer, now teacher and choreographer, I have been dancing and teaching Luigi's style for many years(without reading his book). I was taught by an amarican dancer, so when I recently read the book, I was surprised how well known the exercises and not less Luigi's philosophy was to me. The book is a perfect way to learn jazz, diff. steps (lots of small photographs) and not to forget his brilliant idea:"take the barre with you" out on the floor. The most complete jazz system I've ever trained.
The book is easy read, easy to follow even for beginners, and not to forget - a perfect way to get strong,long and smooth muscles. I can only recommend the book - a fine supplement to related books and videos.

Wow! What a fantastic story. Characters are clever, intriguing, but somehow familiar. Story keeps you guessing and wanting more. I found it very hard to put down and lost sleep just to finish that last chapter. I can't wait until the next book. Move over John Grissom & Mary Stewart... Tamara Hanson is here and she ROCKS!

Hanson takes us into the heart of Texas. . . and deep into the heart of one of the most memorable characters of our time, Preston Smith-along with his mentors, friends, and enemies. In a tale of bittersweet tenderness and the unexpected turns that life can take, Tamara Hanson, in Mastering the Dance (Skyward Publishing, new release title), is at her very best: warm, compassionate, the author captures the feelings and needs and desires of her characters in a way that possess a reality unique in American fiction.

Preston Smith, a bright and handsome young accountant, who takes a job with Hank Cantrell, a real estate magnate and longtime client, soon finds himself trapped in a downward spiral of tax evasion, embezzlement, and cover ups. As Preston's future hangs in the balance and he faces prison, he is aided by Amanda Hale Young, the attorney who loves him. Preston realizes his irresistible desires for wealth and the love of Kate Cantrell have led him to the edge. To clear his name, he must risk losing everything he's worked for.

Hanson's quick, eager sympathy for her characters, her ability to slip easily in and out of their minds and hearts, and her effortless narrative style all combine to create a story that is as emotionally involving as it is entertaining. . .absolutely satisfying.

This is a superb book by Tamara Hanson, a new author who has already "mastered the dance" of telling an intricate story. Set in an affluent area of Dallas, Texas, the story seamlessly weaves the corrupting influence of power and greed among the elite and "would be" elite, with intricate family and personal relationships. A real estate deal going bad is at the heart of the events which challenge the ethics and sensibilities of the power brokers, accountants and lawyers directly involved, but ultimately affect the families and lovers of the deal makers. The fallout has suprising, yet believable outcomes.
Ms. Hanson has done a marvelous job of vividly depicting her characters and their emotional and intellectual strengths and weaknesses. I found myself comparing her characters with real life equivalents and how closely the events described in the novel come to the real life situations and challenges we face in our own lives.
This is a must read first book. I anxiously await future works by Ms. Hanson.

Preston Campbell is an ambitious, upright guy. His flaw? Waffling when confronted with conflicts between integrity and love. Hanson obviously knows her stuff: Dallas haunts and hot spots, accounting, taxes (and loop holes), insurance and cigar-smoking, diamond-flashing high-rollers. Her characters are familiar around these parts, yet they never collapse into stereotypes. The good guys' flaws are embarrassingly easy to identify with. The bad guys can be crafty and charming. Minor characters have their own stories that explain their unexpected behaviors. I am so inured to unrealistic endings that this one really surprised me. TV dramas keep you hanging until next week, movies either have a Speilberg "isn't it all nice?" conclusion, or a Tarantino debacle which leaves no one unscathed. At this writing, who knows how the real-life corporate trials will conclude (Enron, World Com and others), but in Hanson's world regardless of power, status, wealth, or influence, the scammers get scammed, the forgivers get forgiven, and family ties matter.
Women who like Nora Roberts, Charlotte Vale Allen and Elizabeth Adler will probably enjoy this. Men who enjoy Sidney Sheldon, and fiction about wheeler-dealers may find entertainment (and instruction) in these pages.

The books characters were very real. We all know the people in one form or another in business. I had a difficult time puting the book down when I started reading, the feeling of having been in the lives of the people before came at the start of the book and was there when I finished. The mystery of the final solution for the bad guys was held in bay until the end. A little spicy and bits of humor was a good touch.

As an artist and art educator, I am enthralled with the photos in this book. The design elements and knowledge of art and dance all combine to create a beautiful presentation of each dance artist. The wonderful part is that the dancers are shown in their own environment. The love, absolute love of what they are doing shows in every face. The text is something you want to sit down and absorb over and over. This book is not only for one familiar with dance, but lovers of photography and the arts also. Can't wait for more!

I love this book. It is esthetically gorgeous. The text reveals the depth and complexity of these amazingly talented choreographers elicited by compelling and often humorous questions. I think Rose Eichenbaum's images and accompanying interviews show tremendous respect for her subjects. And they respond in turn by revealing so much both in front of the camera and as they speak to her of their art. If you are curious about who has been or is responsible for American dance today, you will want to read this book. Bravo!

Never before have I encountered a book with such rich content dealing with the dance field and---photos no less, that truly capture these interesting and provocative dance artists. Not only did the book peak my interest about the field, it inspired me to consider going to the theater for a evening of dance--something I haven't done in years.
I recommend this book to dancers, educators and average people who simply want to be inspired.

Jack Caffrey

I expected to be wowed by the photos in Ms. Eichenbaum's book, as I have attended some of her photography exhibits. What I did not expect was that I would be so entertained by the interviews! I am not very familiar with the world of dance but with her interviews, she has portrayed the spirit, the style and the passions of each individual -- they are all very inspirational. And with the photos and the prose combined she has really captured the essence of these dancers. You do not need to be a dancer to appreciate this book!

Lavish treatment of the American Dance scene. Warm in tone, intriguing and evocative in purpose. Photos are emotional and revealing. A 'must have' for anyone passionate about the art of dance and the dancer.

This was fascinating to read. Three characters deliver a monologue relating to Molly's experiences temporarily regaining her vision through surgery. In addition to the clear & interesting portraits of these people, scientific information is presented in an easy to understand manner.
However, unlike other good plays I have read I have no interest in seeing the play performed. What does seeing this play add to the experience of reading the play? But definitely read it!

This year i have had the privalege of not only reading Molly Sweeney, by Brian Friel, But also playing the part of Molly. Never have i read such a brillant work of literature. The heroine,strong willed and enchanting goes through a series of operations to try and restore her vision. Through the sucesses and pitfalls of this procedure Molly shows us what true vulnerability and dreams are made of. She posesses an inner strength that can be understood only by those who have been caught between two worlds, never to re-enter either of them. She has taught me to appreciate everything I see. For she relished the world and all the beauty in it.. while those of us with vision are blind to its miracles. indeed, We are the ones with blindsight. I have never played a character I have loved as much as Molly. She took over my body and soul on stage until i existed only as her vessel.... her unique personality shining through teaching us all to value what we have, to love what we are given, and to venture into the unknown.. even if it means loosing everything we've ever understood. Brian Friel is a modern day shakespeare. Truly my favorite playwright of the 20th century, he is also my mentor, and my inspiration. Molly Sweeney is truly a miracle in print.It will change your life.

I Just finished this play and loved it. In fact, I found it so moving and powerfull that I was anable to close my eyes because of the haunting ramifications described in this play. I had no choice but to write this review at 2:30 AM. This play tells the story of a women who undergoes a surgery in order to regain her sight, and the aftermath of that surgery. It is told in a seris of monologues by the three central characters in the show to brilliant perfection. Read this play, it will change the way you look at the world forever

Anyone interested in the neuropsychology of vision must see or read this play! *Molly Sweeney* is great drama by an award winning playwright. It tells more of the truth about failed attempts to restore vision in those blinded by cataracts in early childhood than "To See and Not See" in *An Anthropologist on Mars*. "Molly Sweeney" should be required reading for anyone interested in "Discourse between Anthropology and Medicine."

Brian Friel, Ireland's premier modern dramatist, produces a minimalist ensemble drama in this 1995 play, presenting a story of immense dramatic power with no dramatic action on stage at all. Molly Sweeney, a forty-year-old woman who lost her sight when she was a baby, is the central character, the two others being her husband Frank, and Mr. Rice, a man whose surgical skill can return partial sight to her. When the play opens, all three characters inhabit their own spaces on stage, and each tells his/her story directly to the audience, the characters having no interaction with each other at all.

In a brilliant example of dramatic irony, the play comes fully to life through their stories and achieves a poignant reality though the audience never actually sees any action. In this way, the play's structure parallels the life of Molly, a woman who sees nothing but fully experiences the joy of life. Molly is fully independent, works as a massage therapist in a local health club, and, in fact, supports her husband, who is unemployed, considering her life completely "normal." When she has the opportunity to regain partial sight, she accepts the surgery at the behest of her husband and the surgeon, a man so dependent on alcohol that he sees the surgery as his last chance to restart his career.

Through the story of the surgery and how it changes the lives of the three characters, Friel forces the audience to consider important aspects of reality and how we interpret it. As he points out during the play, a functioning person without sight has created "engrams" of reality based on the other senses and must be taught how to connect new visual knowledge with the tactile engrams of his/her life if s/he is to be successful in understanding a sighted world. The gaining of sight involves the loss of the blind person's known world and the creation of a world in which everything is constantly moving and changing, "all the consolations of...the familiar" gone forever. Friel brilliantly recreates the drama of all three main characters as they try to cope emotionally with the changes wrought by Molly's surgery.

Ultimately, the play raises complex questions about fantasy vs. fact, and imagination vs. reality and suggests that these concepts may not be the opposites that many of us think them. The unusual format of the play itself is perfectly suited to this subject matter, asking us to imagine each character's invisible, but nevertheless completely real, inner life. Mary Whipple

My children love to do the stories in this book. And it can be used with children much older than the 3-6 group.

Great book with great ideas for the movement activities with kids!!!! Kids really pay attention when you use movement stories.

I love this book! As a Dance Educator I use this book alot to add a fun element to my dance classes. The children love it and look forward to a day that we include a movement story in our dance class.

This is a must have book for anyone who loves or works with children. Not only are the stories usable within an existing curriculum or creative dance class framework, the book enables all educators to use Ms. Landolf's sequencing to create a movement story of his or her own. I have been using this approach within my own creative movement class (Story in a Box) for two years with great success.

Thank you Helen!

Kim

A great book for introducing children to basic movement concepts using imagination and stories. The stories are well written, humorous, and allow children to become immersed in a world of playful and fun movements. Landalf and Gerke's introduction, about 16 pages, covers just about everything a good creative movement teacher needs to know about understanding how to teach movement concepts to young children.