Some of you may have noticed that my December blog post didn’t include a list of gift ideas for dancers. December was more hectic than usual for me and I didn’t have a chance to pull one together. My motivation for writing those post is to help friends and family of my students with ideas for really useful gifts for dancers. Funny thing is my family and friends also use that list for gifts for me.

Even though I didn’t write that blog in 2016, I still received many wonderful dance-related gifts; leg warmers, a 2017 dance calendar, and gift a certificate to Saratoga Dance, Etc.

One unique gift that I received was a recent book titled The Art of Movement, by Ken Browar and Deborah Ory . This coffee table sized book contains hundreds of beautiful photographs of over 70 dancers and choreographers from many world-renowned dance companies, including NYC Ballet, ABT, Martha Graham, The Royal Ballet. The book was created as part of the NYC Dance Project and many of the photos have been featured in fashion magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Glamour. The book is just wonderful and I would highly recommend it to anybody who loves dance.

When I have some down time, I love to relax with a cup of tea (or a glass of wine) and thumb through the book. The images are all artfully arranged with colorful costumes and luminous lighting. All the men and women are beautiful and their art of movement lovely captured. The images have depth and dimension, and make me think of the timeless sculptures of Michelangelo, Bernini, and Rodin.

The quotes from the dancers that accompany the photographs are also insightful. They give you a glimpse into what the dance means to the dancers.

Those of you that know me well may have guessed that my husband Anthony got me this gift. He photographs many of the dance events at the studio and enjoys the ballet too, as long as there is no Philip Glass music in the program. I’ve also caught him leafing through this book now and then.