DANCETIME DVD! 500 YEARS OF SOCIAL DANCE: Volume II, 20th Century
AMERICA DANCES! 1897-1948: A Collector’s Edition of Social Dance in Film
These two DVDs comprise a thorough and engaging look at the major themes of 20th century dance in the US. With Volume IIof Dancetime DVD!, see reconstructions of dances from each decade of the 20th century. On American Dances! you’ll find some the same dances and more in authentic period footage of Americans—young, old, famous, and average dancing, whether on stage, at a dance club, or during an impromptu boogie on a beach!
Dancetime DVD! Volumes II captures a performances by Carol Téten’s Dance Through Time Company; 45 minutes.
America Dances! contains more than 60 original film clips from silent films, newsreels, instructional films, and feature films; 75 minutes.
Run-time: 2 hours on 2 DVDs
Reviews
Bonus features-such as added options of simultaneous instructive text diagrams and descriptions that truly take advantage of DVD’s expanded capabilities. (Dancetime DVD!) Video Librarian
America Dances! belongs in a category of its own: archival footage showing the evolution of dance within popular culture… the footloose performances of the Charleston and other antique-fad dances gathered here are invariably more exciting than the watered down versions devised by contemporary choreographers for Broadway, TV or the movies.. LA Times
These are actual films shot in the era presented, and the people and clothing were as much fun to watch as the dancing… I recommend this video for anyone interested in dancing, or history in general. Dove Worldview
With more than sixty historic clips, this collection proceeds blessedly free of commentary… The film, the result of 20 years of research by Carol Téten, is a gold mine for anyone interested in vernacular dance – or just dance. Dance Magazine
Such resources … may hasten the incorporation of movement into the study of music, making a substantive contribution to musicology… Dance merely described is only a skeleton. It requires kinesthetic transmission and the dancer to put flesh on. Marta Robertson, American Music: Multimedia Review Gettysburg Colle
A superbly presented treat for dance and movie enthusiasts, America Dances! 1897-1948 is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to personal, school, and community library Video/DVD collections. Midwest Book Review