Best Modern Dance Books of 2025

The Black Girl 2023-2024 Monthly Planner is a practical and inspirational planner designed for black women. The planner covers January 2023 to December 2024, with extra pages for contact information, passwords, and birthdays. The yearly reference calendars and goal-setting pages make it easy to plan and achieve goals for the two years. The elegant minimalist design and quality paper add to the planner's appeal. Additionally, the inclusion of inspirational quotes and public holidays makes it a great gift for black women. Overall, this planner is an excellent tool for planning and organizing one's life and goals.

"Martha Graham: When Dance Became Modern" is a major biography that explores the life and legacy of one of the most significant artistic forces of the twentieth century. Neil Baldwin's book provides insight into Graham's colorful life and her pioneering movements that upended dance and propelled it into the modern age. The author delves into her technique, which became the first long-lasting alternative to the idiom of classical ballet. Baldwin's writing is both witty and powerful, making this book an essential read for anyone interested in modern dance or the arts in general."

The Oxford Handbook of Hip Hop Dance Studies is a comprehensive research book that covers a wide range of genres and performance styles related to Hip Hop dance. Edited by Mary Fogarty and Imani Kai Johnson, the book features contributions from prominent scholars and practitioners from around the world. The Handbook addresses individual and social histories of dance, Afrodiasporic and global lineages, and the "studio-fication" of Hip Hop styles. It also covers moves into theatre, TV, and the digital/social media space. The inclusion of practitioners' voices and theoretical insights rooted in critical race theory, anticolonialism, and intersectional feminism make this Handbook unique and a must-read for anyone interested in Hip Hop dance studies.

Dancing with Cats: From the Creators of the International Best Seller Why Cats Paint is a cult classic that has been reissued in a petite 15th anniversary hardcover. The book features scores of delightful and inspiring photographs of people and cats engaging in their favorite dance routines, as well as moving testimonies of the personal transformations brought about through this uniquely joyous form of human-animal connection. Written by Burton Silver and Heather Busch, this book will have a new generation of cat lovers (and their cats) jumping for joy—and cutting a rug—in no time. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves cats and wants to explore their unique bond with humans through dance.

Dark Matter in Breaking Cyphers: The Life of Africanist Aesthetics in Global Hip Hop by Imani Kai Johnson is a compelling study that explores the foundations of Africanist aesthetics in breaking culture. Johnson's interdisciplinary approach centers the voices of practitioners in cities across the US, Canada, and parts of Europe. She highlights the enduring presence of cyphers on the global stage, beyond their spectacular moves, and discusses what they can activate and what lessons they offer about navigating the social world. With over a decade of research, Johnson's book provides a detailed look into the vitality of Africanist aesthetics and the epistemological possibilities of the ritual circle.

Sneaker Mayhem is the ultimate coffee table book for sneakerheads. It features some of the world's most exclusive and controversial shoes, including collaborations from 2020. The book provides insights into the global sneaker culture, making it an excellent resource for sneaker enthusiasts. In addition, it's an excellent conversation starter, as one reader mentioned leaving it in their barbershop for customers to read. Overall, Sneaker Mayhem is a must-have for any sneakerhead looking to add some spice to their interior design and learn more about the world of sneakers.

The Dance Technique of Lester Horton is an authoritative guide to the principles of dance and dance-training by Lester Horton, one of the founders of modern dance in the United States. The book includes a brief foreword by the late Alvin Ailey and reminiscences of early Horton technique by choreographer Bella Levitzky. The authors provide detailed descriptions of each movement, complete with illustrative drawings and photographs, counts and meters, explanatory notes, and recommended student levels. This volume will be enthusiastically welcomed by modern dance practitioners and is recommended for specialized collections.

The Black Girl Planner 2023-2027 is a five-year monthly planner designed for black women to help them organize and plan their lives professionally. The planner includes personal information pages, contacts pages, vision board pages, year calendars, holiday lists, birthday reminders, important dates pages, and notes pages. Its enormous 8 x 10 inch size is printed on high-quality white paper that is compatible with different writing tools. The book has a premium design and a high-quality laminated paperback softcover glossy finish. This planner is perfect for black women who want to keep track of their appointments, activities, goals, and tasks in a stylish and organized way.

Blondell Cummings: Dance as Moving Pictures is a groundbreaking monograph that explores the unique movement vocabulary of African American choreographer and video artist Blondell Cummings. This book draws from Cummings's personal archive and includes performance ephemera, newly commissioned essays, remembrances, and transcripts, contextualizing Cummings's practice at the intersection of dance, moving image, and art histories. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in American dance, postmodern dance experimentation, and Black cultural traditions.

"Dancing for Our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium" is a remarkable book that highlights the present-day Potawatomis' struggle to maintain their cultural heritage in the face of the challenges of modern life. The author, Sharon Hoogstraten, visited all nine nations of the Potawatomi tribe to capture the essence of their traditions and present them in more than 150 formal portraits. The photographs and handwritten statements provide a fresh perspective on Native life, showcasing how they have adapted to contemporary life while still preserving their cultural identity. This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Native American history and culture."