The Body of the People is the first comprehensive study of dance and choreography in East Germany. More than twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall; Jens Richard Giersdorf investigates a national dance history in the German Democratic Republic; from its founding as a Communist state that supplanted the Soviet zone of occupation in 1949 through the aftermath of its collapse forty years later; examining complex themes of nationhood; ideology; resistance; and diaspora through an innovative mix of archival research; critical theory; personal narrative; and performance analysis. Giersdorf looks closely at uniquely East German dance formsmdash;including mass exercise events; national folk dances; Marxist-Leninist visions staged by the dance ensemble of the armed forces; the vast amateur dance culture; East Germanyrsquo;s version of Tanztheater; and socialist alternatives to rock lsquo;nrsquo; rollmdash;to demonstrate how dance was used both as a form of corporeal utopia and of embodied socialist propaganda and indoctrination. The Body of the People also explores the artists working in the shadow of official culture who used dance and movement to critique and resist state power; notably Charlotte von Mahlsdorf; Arila Siegert; and Fine Kwiatkowski. Giersdorf considers a myriad of embodied responses to the Communist state even after reunification; analyzing the embodiment of the fall of the Berlin Wall in the works of Jo Fabian and Sasha Waltz; and the diasporic traces of East German culture abroad; exemplified by the Chilean choreographer Patricio Bunster.
#465511 in eBooks 2012-12-04 2012-12-04File Name: B00BIVP9II
Review
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Only for avid fansBy nadav haberNo book can reflect even part of the beauty that is in the music of Kind Of Blue. The problem intensifies as the only living member of the musicians who made KOB is the drummer - Jimmy Cobb. The authors bring us all the details concerning the technical aspects involved in the project. We can read about the use of microphones; the positioning of the musicians and more. The book also describes some of the aspects of modality that were used in the music. There are exerpts from interesting interviews that shed more light on the whole context of the music. I love the music of KOB so I was interested in the process and anything involved. I could not imagine anyone who is not crazy about this music remotely enjoying the book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. kind of casual fan of miles.By C. Zimmermankind of blue is one of my top 3 records of all time. i own many miles records but have never read his autobiography or anything else about him.this book is a nice introduction to the man and his career. even has geeky technical recording details which i love.its well written and i guess; well researched.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One StarBy Customerhighly pedantic. got irritated with repetition