The American ballet (1959)

The American ballet by OLGA MAYNARD
With a foreword by Ted Shawn

Van de achterkant:

OLGA MAYNARD-Proud of her national theatre, and telling us what has been achieved so far, she is not blinded to what has not yet been attained and ultimately must be if we are to reach a maturity of American dance and American ballet. Not only does she give us the results of her unique insight into the artistic values of our dance theatre, but she goes into immensely important aspects which many writers neglect, such as the economic conditions which affect the artistic quality of performance, and the attitudes from the stage and street which affect theatre dancing. She shows why men of high caliber, and in great numbers, are vital to the fulfilment of our dance art. Much of what has lain, unformed in words, in the dance artists' consciousness is made explicit here and a great deal of what the audience needs to know. The facts are told boldly and lucidly, and with great warmth and understanding for the artists and their audiences.
I am proud to have been asked to write the foreword for The American Ballet, for I am happy to hail the discovery of a major new talent in the constellation of writers about dance, and I believe that this book will have a strong and constructive influence on the future of dance in America.