Spreading the gospel of the modern dance: newspaper dance criticism in the United States, 1850-1934

Abstract

In the fall of 1927, newspaper dance writing in the United States evolved from a haphazard and largely throw-away subspecies of music criticism (covered by music and drama critics and sometimes sports and society columnists) into a specialized field of arts reporting and commentary. Lynne Conner investigates the watershed moment when New York City's three leading daily newspapers -- the New York World, the New York Herald Tribune, and the New York Times -- all hired full-time dance writers. Her investigation reveals the relationship between the rise of American concert dance, the solo and modern dance movements, and the emergence of its corresponding critical discourse, dance writing in American dailies.Conner analyzes the social, economic, and cultural issues affecting both forms, and presents a more complex interaction between the modern dance and its critical discourse than has been previously understood. At the center of her research is the work of three pioneering dance writers: Lucile Marsh, Mary E Watkins, and John Martin. pioneering book in its own right, the Gospel of the Modern Dance is the first comprehensive history of American dance criticism. Spreading the Gospel of the Modern Dance intertwines a history of modern dance with a history of newspaper publishing in a way that sheds new light on both histories. It is persuasive in the argument that the growth of an art form depends not simply upon the creation of innovative works by artists but also upon the education and cultivation of its audience, through the medium of mass journalism. Noel Carroll, University of Wisconsin A fascinating account of American newspaper dance criticism.... Offers apanoramic view of changing styles in the format and content of American newspapers, and is therefore of interest not only to dance lovers, but also to anyone concerned with trends in the media. Jack Anderson, New York Times