Best Dance Notations Books of 2026

Critique Is Creative: The Critical Response Process® in Theory and Action is a comprehensive guide to the Critical Response Process® (CRP), a renowned method for giving and receiving feedback on works in progress. Liz Lerman and John Borstel provide a detailed explanation of the four-step process and its principles, while also including essays from various contributors on the application of CRP in different contexts. The book explores how CRP can aid in change-making, making it an essential tool for artists, educators, and community builders. Overall, Critique Is Creative is a valuable practical guide and a fascinating chronicle of the CRP in action.

Ballet Helps Everything!: Ten Reasons Why (Garage Ballet) is an approachable guide to unlocking the powerful secrets at the core of your training. Bursting with practical information, encouraging anecdotes, and technical support, this book is an expert resource full of quotes and personal stories that highlight the author's message of welcome inclusion. Dawn C Crouch, a former dancer with Houston Ballet and an experienced ballet instructor for over forty years, shares her passionate, comprehensive approach to this incredible art form. Overall, this book is a world-class advice delivered in a down-to-earth way, an investment to step into success today.

My Dance Journal is a four-time award-winning journal that helps dancers set goals, grow, and reflect with gratitude. Written by veteran dance coach, S.R. Fabrico, this journal is a fantastic tool for dancers of all ages to build their skills and character. It includes weekly inspirational quotes, competition memories, affirmations, and adult coloring pages for fun. This journal is a must-have for every dance team member, and it will help dancers appreciate the friendships, practices, challenges, mistakes, successes, and stories that combine to choreograph the experience and attitude of a true dancer. Overall, My Dance Journal is a brilliant and unique book that inspires dancers to thrive with mental and muscular strength.

The Burlesque Handbook by Jo Weldon is a comprehensive guide to the art form, with a foreword by comedian Margaret Cho. The book is perfect for fans of Dita Von Teese and performers alike, providing helpful advice and a feisty attitude. Weldon, a star of the New Burlesque scene, is a skilled teacher and performer, making her the gold-standard for the genre. The book also includes glowing reviews from other burlesque performers, cementing Weldon's status as a true champion of the burlesque world. Overall, The Burlesque Handbook is a must-read for anyone interested in the art of burlesque.

Dance Like No One is Watching is a lined dance journal that is designed to help dancers keep track of their progress and all the exercises they need to practice at home. It is a useful resource to supplement dance education and training. This journal is perfect for young dancers who want to improve their skills and keep track of their progress. The book is an excellent gift for girls who love ballet and dance. Overall, this book is a great investment for young dancers who want to achieve their goals and become better dancers.

Laban for All is a comprehensive guide to Rudolf Laban's movement system. The book offers simplified versions of Laban's techniques that can be used by beginners and professionals alike. It includes illustrations and diagrams that lay out the basic vocabulary of the Laban system and offers specific exercises. The authors, Jean Newlove and John Dalby, have both studied and taught Laban's ideas around the world. This book is a practical and thorough grounding in one of the most important movement systems in use today.

This notebook is a perfect way to show appreciation to a dance teacher. The Thank You For Being An Amazing Dance Teacher notebook is a versatile item that can be used as a notebook, composition book, journal, and more. With a soft cover and college-ruled pages, this notebook is perfect for carrying in a bag and making notes, to-do lists, and shopping lists. The notebook is a great gift for dance teachers, and it is a unique way to express gratitude for their hard work and dedication. Overall, this notebook is a thoughtful and practical gift that dance teachers will appreciate.

Dramaturgy in Motion by Katherine Profeta is a groundbreaking examination of the dramaturg's role in contemporary dance and movement performance. The author explores five key areas for the dramaturg's attention, including text, research, audience, movement, and interculturalism. She develops the foundational concept of dramaturgical labor as a quality of motion, using examples from her collaboration with choreographer Ralph Lemon. This book is a valuable resource for practitioners and scholars interested in the processes of creating contemporary dance and movement performance, and it offers a practical resource for both theatre and dance dramaturgs and choreographers. Overall, this is a nuanced and compelling account of a new role in contemporary performance.

Hiking the Horizontal: Field Notes from a Choreographer by Liz Lerman is a wide-ranging collection of essays and articles that reflects on her life-long exploration of dance as a vehicle for human insight and understanding of the world around us. Lerman's ideas are novel, deep, and challenging and, as such, require time to take in, analyze, and potentially adopt. Her expansive scope encompasses the craft, structure, and inspiration that bring theatrical works to life as well as the applications of art in fields as diverse as faith, aging, particle physics, and human rights law. This book is perfect for anyone curious about the possible role for art in politics, science, community, motherhood, and the media.