There are a few ways to search for books and ebooks in the University Libraries collection. One way to begin your search is to use the "Search Almost Everything" box on the left hand side of this page.
A second way to search is using the "Classic Catalog."The Classic Catalog is a bit different from the main search bar. The main search bar will bring up everything in the library's collection, but will also show results from databases, journals, etc. The Classic Catalog, however, searches only the collections owned by the University Libraries and its affiliated local libraries.
All books in the library are given subject terms and headings. These words describe the topic of the book, and books with the same subject terms are going to be about similar topics. If you can find one book on your topics, look at its listed subjects and use those to identify new search words. Subjects are also hyperlinked. Clicking on a linked subject will take you to a list of titles that share the same one! Some of the examples in the Books by Topic section might help you identify subject terms and headings.
You can also browse subjects related to performing arts below!
Getting Started in Ballet by
Many children dream of being a ballerina. Chin raised with purpose, arms high above head, they twirl clumsily around the living room and leap tirelessly in the air. Sooner or later they're bound to say, "I want to dance." Now what do you do? How do you know if the time is right? Where's thebest place to start? In Getting Started in Ballet, Anna Paskevska draws from her training at the Paris Opera Ballet School and and the Royal Ballet School in London and her career as a professional dancer and teacher to offer a step-by-step introduction to dance education for parents with childrenstarting ballet.Paskevska begins with a historical overview of dance and discusses the fundamental virtues and many life-long skills it imparts. Dance teaches children how to cooperate and support each other's efforts; encourages them to work in harmony with others; helps establish a child's spatialrelationships; and promotes discipline and responsibility. Paskevska outlines the proper sequence for training in ballet based on a child's physical and mental development. She clearly demonstrates how ballet's early training, focusing on repetition of simple motion such as exercises at the barreand basic jumps, establish pathways for all later movements not only in ballet, but in modern dance, jazz, and tap as well.Written in a clear and accessible style and full of anecdotes from Paskevska's long professional dance-related career, Getting Started in Ballet offers helpful information on types of dance schools and how to select the right school for your child. Included is valuable information on choosing adance instructor, the role both parents and teachers should play in a child's learning experience, and the qualities the ideal teacher should possess. Also discussed are more practical matters such as the appropriate clothing to wear while practicing, the importance of shoes that fit properly, howto secure pointe shoes, tips for avoiding injury, and how to balance training and performing experience during the formative years. A special chapter covers proper diet, eating disorders, and ways to recognize symptoms of imbalance. Finally, Paskevska touches upon the professional world of dance,attending college as a dance major, and advice on choosing careers that benefit from a background in dance.With forewords by Violette Verdy, a preeminent ballerina affiliated with the New York City Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet, and Sybil Shearer, a pioneer of American modern dance, as well as an extensive appendix of performing arts schools and dance programs throughout the United States, GettingStarted in Ballet gives parents the advice they need to make their child's dance experiences both enjoyable and constructive.
The Oxford Dictionary of Dance by 
Dance by
Dance's galvanizing and transformative presence in art and theory over the last decade becomes part of a broader investigation of its dialogue with modernism's legacies.This collection surveys the choreographic turn in the artistic imagination from the 1950s onwards, and in doing so outlines the philosophies of movement instrumental to the development of experimental dance. By introducing and discussing the concepts of embodiment and corporeality, choreopolitics, and the notion of dance in an expanded field, Dance establishes the aesthetics and politics of dance as a major impetus in contemporary culture. It offers testimonies and writings by influential visual artists whose work has taken inspiration from dance and choreography. Dance-because of its ephemerality, corporeality, precariousness, scoring, and performativity-is arguably the art form that most clearly engages the politics of aesthetics in contemporary culture. Dance's ephemerality suggests the possibility of an escape from the regimes of commodification and fetishization in the arts. Its corporeality can embody critiques of representation inscribed in bodies and subjects. Its precariousness underlines the fragility of contemporary states of being. Scoring links it with conceptual art, as language becomes the articulator for possible as well as impossible modes of action. Finally, because dance always establishes a contract, or promise, between its choreographic planning and its actualization in movement, it reveals an essential performativity in its aesthetic project-a central concern for both art and critical thought in our time. This title is published in collaboration with Sadler's Wells, London.
Dance: The Art of Production by
All aspects of organizing a dance performance and managing a company are covered in this book--written by dancers, for dancers. Photos, drawings, and diagrams show beginners how to hang lights, make costumes, design posters, and attract an audience. Readers will discover tips on the business side of a dance production including marketing, fundraising, box office and house management, and much more. New contributors to this edition include Elizabeth Keen, a former dance faculty member of the Julliard School; Barbara Matthews, director of makeup design for the department of theater arts at California State University; and Regina Fletcher Sadono, freelance costumer and choreographer.
The Complete Guide to Modern Dance by 
Dance Anatomy by
Powerful, expressive, and compelling! Now you can see what it takes to be a stronger, more elegant dancer. Featuring over 200 full-color illustrations, Dance Anatomyvisually depicts the unique relationship between muscle development and aesthetic movement as never before. Dance Anatomyfeatures 82 of the most effective dance, movement, and performance exercises, each designed to promote perfect alignment, improved placement, proper breathing, and prevention of common injuries. In stunning detail, the accompanying illustration captures the dancer in motion and highlights the active muscles associated with each movement. You'll learn how to modify exercises to target specific areas to enhance flexibility and reduce muscle tension. You'll also learn to put it all together to personalize a program based on your style of dance, level of expertise, and individual needs and goals. Whether you seek to optimize performance, add a new movement to your repertoire, or minimize muscle fatigue, stress, and injury, Dance Anatomyis your perfect partner.
Foundation by
From deep within the New York hip-hop scene, author and b-boy Joe Schloss takes participant/observer fieldwork to its extreme. The first serious study of b-boying, the pre-eminent form of hip-hop dance commonly known as "breakdancing," Foundation: B-boys, B-girls and Communities of Styleholds to its name, presenting a truly foundational study of the core concepts in the history, practice, and pedagogy of the dance form. The book delivers a powerful new paradigm for the study of hip-hop culture and of popular culture more broadly, and promises to become a seminal text in hip-hopscholarship and dance theory.An Afro-diasporic competitive dance that originated in New York City in the early 1970s as part of the hip-hop movement, b-boying is today a fully developed dance form with a strong sense of its own history, a deep connection to its music, and a complex system of aesthetic principles that arefiercely defended by its practitioners. Within b-boying culture, the term "foundation" refers to a body of knowledge that forms a common basis for individual styles, and is composed of basic moves informed by strategy, philosophy, and history. Based on extensive interviews, ethnographicobservation, and personal study and practice of the dance form, Foundation analyses the symbolism of the dance, its social and aesthetic principles, and its relationship to hip-hop music and culture.Examining the specific practices by which foundation is transmitted, Schloss discusses their more general cultural significance, and reveals how practical considerations reflective of b-boys socio-economic status became encoded into the early aesthetics of b-boying, which themselves haveremained as artistic preferences even after their practical value is lost. Schloss looks at the practitioners themselves as they are organized into "crews," the groups of dancers that compete together as a team, take on a collective identity, and support each other when they encounter conflicts inthe larger community. Of key importance here are the dance competitions known as "battles." As an active competitor, Schloss explores the expectations under which battles are conducted, the aesthetic criteria by which they are judged, the effect that battling has had on the aesthetic of the dance,and the socio-cultural role that battling plays. Finally, in offering his insider's history of b-boying culture, Schloss challenges the widely-accepted historiography of hip-hop scholarship. By suggesting that hip-hop practice evolved from Latino dance styles in Brooklyn, the book decenters theBronx as the birthplace of hip-hop culture--a radical, revisionist approach that will alter the way that we will think and talk about hip-hop from now on.
Beyond the Music by
Beyond the Music: An Introduction to the Music Industry is the rare book that effectively combines an academic approach that is appropriate for serious study with an insider's view of how to achieve professional success in a highly competitive area of the entertainment world. The authors have extensive background experience in performing and recording, and currently share their knowledge in university-level courses. Beyond the Music was written for students of the music and entertainment marketing businesses. It is also an excellent tool for artists seeking to learn more about entering the music business. The book provides an inside look at the industry through the eyes of musicians who have been there--from the garage to the record deals and world tours. The ten chapters of the book discuss career opportunities in the music industry, and address important aspects of the business including: Finding Record Deals Working with Managers, Agents and Attorneys Record Company Contracts and Royalties Copyright Producers and the Production Process Covering aspects that students usually don't learn about in typical courses of study, Beyond the Music is a comprehensive guide to the music industry, useful for both aspiring and experienced musicians.
The Encyclopedia of Music by 
Everyday Music by
Native American drumming and chant; Czech and German polka; country fiddling; African American spirituals, blues and jazz; cowboy songs; Mexican corridos; zydeco; and the sounds of a Cambodian New Year's celebration -- all are part of the amazing cultural patchwork of traditional music in Texas. In Everyday Music, author and researcher Alan Govenar brings readers face-to-face with the stories and memories of people who are as varied as the traditions they carry on. From 1983 to 1988, Alan Govenar traveled more than 35,000 miles around Texas, interviewing, recording, and photographing the vast cultural landscape of the state. In Everyday Music, he compares his experiences then with his attempts to reconnect with the people and traditions that he had originally documented. Stopping at gas stations, restaurants, or street-corner groceries in small towns and inner-city neighborhoods, Govenar asked local residents about local music and musicians. What he found on his road trip around the state--and what he shares in the pages of this book -- are the time-honored songs, tunes, and musical instruments that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Govenar invites you to accompany him on his journey -- one that will forever change the way you look at the traditional music that is such an important part of our everyday lives. Everyday Music is accompanied by a special online resource (www.everydaymusiconline.org) with video clips, recorded interviews, and performances. The site also features special resources for teachers who want to bring this rich cultural experience into their classrooms and for general readers who simply want to know more. Table of Contents: Introduction 1 Julius Vita: Czech Accordion, Seymour 9 John Burrus: Cowboy Songs and Country Hymns, Stephenville 18 Osceola Mays: Spirituals and Poems, Dallas 30 Howard Dee "Wes" Westmoreland III: Fiddling, Gustine 40 Miguel Pedraza: Tigua Drumming and Chanting, El Paso 51 Alexander H. Moore: Barrelhouse Blues, Dallas 62 W. W. Trammell: Guitar Maker and Musician, Lone Star 73 Lydia Mendoza: Boleros, Corridos, and Rancheras, Houston 83 Original Oompah Band: German Dance Music, Tivydale 96 John Henry "Bones" Nobles: Bones Percussion, Beaumont 107 Yani Rose Keo: Cambodian Music and Dance, Houston 117 Appendix: Traditional Music in Texas Radio Series 129 Acknowledgments 131 For Further Reading, Listening, and Viewing 133 Index 137
How to Run a Theater by
"All of us in the arts field are hungry to improve our skills in arts management. The grim tenor of the times makes this witty and fun guide even more valuable to us all!" Ben Cameron, Former Executive Director, Theater Communications Group "Dr. Jim Volz knows how to organize, how to manage, how to motivate, how to assign priorities. In short, he knows how to get the job done." Abe J. Bassett, Former Dean, Indiana University/Purdue University Jim Volz is one of America's leading theatre consultants with over three decades of work with theatre, dance, music, museum and arts center management. Now, Jim Volz brings his expertise to anyone who works in arts management, from novices to middle managers to executive directors. How to Run a Theater is a unique, dynamic, and savvy guide to building an arts institution that works. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, here is practical advice on a variety of management skills- Financial Management; Personnel Management; Fundraising Development; Board of Trustees Communications; and Marketing & Audience Development. This new edition is thoroughly updated and revised and now includes a Board of Trustee Contract, new budget exercise with ticket income formulae and the use of social networking for marketing and fundraising.
On the Origins of Theater by
This book presents an interdisciplinary investigation into the emergence of the actor and theater. Scholarship helps us to realize how we have evolved to who we are today and to understand the transformative power of performance. The author proposes to boost and advance theater studies by reviewing new research in anthropology, archaeology, paleoanthropology, classics, ethnography, physics, cognitive science, neuroscience, theater anthropology and performance studies. Referring to his fieldwork in Bali and Tibet, and to his professional experience in theater, the author explains the role of bipedality, toolmaking and trance in the evolution of the performer, examines the performativity of space and writing, and argues that ancient culture emerged from dance.
Local Acts by
An eclectic mix of art, theatre, dance, politics, experimentation, and ritual,community-based performance has become an increasingly popular art movement in the United States. Forged by the collaborative efforts of professional artists and local residents, this unique field brings performance together with a range of political, cultural, and social projects, such as community-organizing, cultural self-representation, and education. Local Acts presents a long-overdue survey of community-based performance from its early roots, through its flourishing during the politically-turbulent 1960s, to present-day popular culture. Drawing on nine case studies, including groups such as the African American Junebug Productions, the Appalachian Roadside Theater, and the Puerto Rican Teatro Pregones, Jan Cohen-Cruz provides detailed descriptions of performances and processes, first-person stories, and analysis. She shows how the ritual side of these endeavors reinforces a sense of community identification while the aesthetic side enables local residents to transgress cultural norms, to question group habits, and to incorporate a level of craft that makes the work accessible to individuals beyond any one community. The book concludes by exploring how community-based performance transcends even national boundaries, connecting the local United States with international theater and cultural movements.
