Attitude!

by Fishman, Katharine Davis

• ISBN13: 9781585423552
• ISBN10: 1585423556
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-09-23
• Publisher: Tarcher

Summary

A fascinating exploration of how artistic talent emerges and develops in the lives of teenagers. At an age when many kids flounder, what does it actually mean to pursue a passion? In Attitude!, Katharine Davis Fishman follows eight young dancers through a year of study at one of our nation's premier dance schools and reveals how, at The Ailey School, it's about "attitude"-a ballet term that dates back several hundred years, but also refers to that precious mettle we all need a little bit of to survive but best not exhibit too much of in order to succeed. Drawing on the literature of adolescence, socialization, and the development of talent, Fishman discovers a very special brand of determination possessed by these dancers. Providing a poignant window into their worlds, she traces the intricate connection between fierce commitment and innate ability. It is during the adolescent years that young people's ideas about their place in the world begin to crystallize. How is the experience different for teenagers who have organized their lives around honing a performing talent? Attitude!is for anyone interested in the world of dance, the psychology of talent, and the nature of adolescence in contemporary America.

Author Biography

Katharine Davis Fishman is the author of Behind the One-Way Mirror: Psychotherapy and Children. She has written for The Atlantic Monthly, New York, Town & Country, Lingua Franca, and numerous other magazines.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xi
PART ONE: SUMMER/EARLY FALL
One: The Ailey World	3	(22)
PART TWO: FALL
Two: Starting the Year	25	(30)
Three: Families	55	(30)
Four: Building an Ensemble	85	(34)
Five: The Sorcerers' Apprentices	119	(26)
PART THREE: WINTER
Six: The Winter of Our Discontent	145	(22)
Seven: Where's Shamel?	167	(22)
PART FOUR: SPRING
Eight: College Time	189	(15)
Nine: Where's Brian?	204	(13)
Ten: Revelations	217	(18)
Eleven: In Conclusion	235	(17)
Epilogue	252	(9)
Notes	261	(6)
Bibliography	267	(6)
Acknowledgments	273	(4)
Index	277