Why Dance Matters

“[A] smart, bracing book of reflection, analysis, memoir and history. . . . Even people with some experience of dance and lifetimes of attending performances will be impressed by the author’s range and expertise. Obscure anecdotes and facts are scattered throughout, little gifts to the reader.”—Willard Spiegelman, Wall Street Journal


“Mindy Aloff mines her decades of expertise as a dance critic, writer, and teacher to answer the question of why—and how—dance functions in our world. Why Dance Matters is a compelling, multi-faceted guide that elucidates dance’s integral connection to human experience.”—Marjorie Folkman, associate professor of professional practice, Barnard College

“If dance is a language, then Aloff has decoded its nuances in a book for the ages. She could not be more on pointe. I loved it.”—Allegra Kent, author of Once a Dancer . . .

“Animated by her acute intelligence, Mindy Aloff’s way of looking at the dance reminds me of that of Edwin Denby, our greatest dance critic, whose ‘imagination was huge.’”—David Lehman, author of The Mysterious Romance of Murder: Crime, Detection, and the Spirit of Noir

“When it comes to blending the poetry and history of dance, there’s no better writer than Mindy Aloff. With Why Dance Matters, Aloff’s writing pours forth with a finesse comparable to that of a Fred Astaire dance variation.”—Justin Peck, resident choreographer, New York City Ballet

“Mindy Aloff has written a marvelously wide-ranging yet warmly personal book, rich with experience and insight. Her knowledge is deep; her enthusiasm is irresistible. The effect is of a tour of the dance world with a wise and witty friend.”—Claudia Roth Pierpont, staff writer, New Yorker