A Measured Pace

by Sparshott, Francis

• ISBN13: 9780802069467
• ISBN10: 0802069460
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-04-01
• Publisher: Univ of Toronto Pr

Summary

Although the theoretical importance of dance has always been recognized, dance has been relatively neglected in the philosophy of art. In this sequel to Off the Ground, in which Professor Sparshott focused on the concept of dance in general, A Measured Pace considers the recognized classification of dance as art, its values, and relationship to the other arts.Sparshott begins with an explanation of the philosophical importance of the major classifications of dance and their basis. He examines dance as a mimetic and expressive medium, and reviews the major dimensions of dance form. He then explores the relationship of dance to three related fields: music, language, and theatre. Sparshott also discusses the major philosophical problems of dance as an art: the specific values of dance; the relation between the way the audience perceives dance and the dancer's self-perception; the ways in which dancing and dances are learned; the division of artistic creation between choreographers and performers; and the ways in which dances are identified and retain their identity through time. A concluding chapter on how dances are recorded considers how the media may change the nature of dance. A Measured Pace is a wide-ranging and substantial contribution to a philosophical understanding of dance.

Author Biography

FRANCIS SPARSHOTT is University Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction	p. 3
The Problem of Classification	p. 13
Classification by Context	p. 25
Mimesis	p. 61
Expression	p. 84
Formal Principles of Movement	p. 102
Anatomy	p. 126
Units and Systems	p. 134
Rhythm	p. 154
One and Many	p. 183
Modes of Dance Organization	p. 202
Dance and Music	p. 215
Dance and Language	p. 242
Dance and Theatre	p. 264
Dance Values	p. 301
Dancer and Spectator	p. 342
Learning to Dance	p. 350
Dance and Choreography	p. 373
The Identity of a Dance	p. 397
Recording Dance	p. 420
Conclusion	p. 453
Afterword: The Three Graces	p. 459
Notes	p. 463
References	p. 545
Index	p. 561
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