Reviews
of Dancetime DVD! 500 Years of Social Dance
Volume II: The 20th Century
Library Journal “DANCETIME! 500 Years of Social
Dance. Dance historian and choreographer Carol Teten takes us on
an educational and entertaining tour of dance through the ages.
Dancers introduce centuries and styles with arch versification
that reveals the soul of each dance (the minuet is formal and quaint,
the sarabande is provocative).
”The dances themselves follow, performed with authentic choreography by
couples or groups on a lighted stage. The dancers… are splendidly costumed
as befits each period, from perukes and beauty spots to poodle skirts to mohawks...Highly
recommended for libraries with collections in history, dance, music, or costume."
The New York Times "DANCETIME! 500 Years of Social Dance. Performances
of 38 dances by the Dance Through Time troupe (in costume) trace history, fashion
and romance from European royal courts in the early 15th century to disco and
hip-hop."
The Washington Post ”Stepping through history, choreographer
and dance historian Carol Teten has assembled a video set, 'DANCETIME! 500 Years
of Social Dance.' Over the years, the group from Kentfield, Calif. has toured
regularly throughout the United States. For these videos, it weaves together
38 dances with interesting costumes and delightful musical selections as well
as facts to please those who enjoy information concerning history, social studies,
cultures, and costumes, as well as dance and music."
Dance On Camera Journal "These instructional videos will be
invaluable to choreographers who create dances for period films or for cotillions
and charity balls. They preserve the art form and provide the story of the cultural
phenomenon, thus making a perfect addition to dance, design, and anthropological
libraries."
Video Librarian ”… bonus features-such
as added options of simultaneous instructive text diagrams and descriptions that
truly take advantage of DVD's expanded capabilities.”
Dancing U.S.A. "The essence of social dance
is courtship. The history of social dance, as presented in the
DANCETIME two video set, reveals much about the changing dynamics
between men and women.
Dancetime is a triple treat, appealing to
scholars, ballroom aficionados and choreographers.”
Dove Foundation Dove Executive Director
Comments: “This
DVD has many special features and is a wealth of information on the 20th Century
of Social Dance. In the Special Features selection you can learn the Dance Descriptions,
Timelines, Bibliography, Credits, Instructional Text and a Preview of Volume
I. On a computer, you can access a Timeline or Bibliography that gives you more
in depth information. You can dive into the text portion of the DVD either with
the video or with just the text being displayed. The text is very informative.
All the steps are explained in detail. There is just a ton of information on
so many 20th Century Dances in this volume. Dance enthusiasts and history buffs
will love it. Dancetime Publications did a marvelous job of putting this DVD
together.”
Library
Bookwatch Official
Newsletter of The Midwest Book Review. “Performed beautifully by the Dance Through Time
dancers, each of these 45 minute DVDs span the entire recorded span and spectrum
of Western dance… Taken together, these two superbly produced, performed,
presented, and recorded DVDs comprise a complete course in Western dance and
would be a welcome addition to personal, professional, academic, and community
library collections.”
Connecticut Post "Entertainment and Education are blended with
great style in a new two-volume video. 'DANCETIME 500 Years of Social Dance'
which takes us from Renaissance Court Dances to 1990s rap and MTV styles...each
of the social dances has been scrupulously researched but there is nothing stuffy
about the presentation. The wonderful performers race us through 500 years of
changes in the ways that people have related to each other on the dance floor.
Helpful subtitles give us background on what we are seeing, but most viewers
will probably be too busy watching the highly skilled dancers to read the titles
during a first viewing."
Back
To Top |
