Recent Reviews
“A dance history told with precision and authority.” — Kevin Winkler, Studies in Musical Theatre
“A meticulous in-depth analysis of musical theater choreography and choreographers, while demonstrating the multifaceted styles, aesthetics, and methodologies of Broadway dance through the lens of dance studies, script analysis, movement research, and dramaturgical inquiry.” — Deb Miller, DC Metro Theater Arts
“Gennaro’s book contains some of the best academic writing about musical theatre dance I have ever read.” — Lisa Jo Sagolla, American Theatre Magazine
Read review by Studies in Musical Theater
“A dance history told with precision and authority.” — Kevin Winkler, Studies in Musical Theatre
About the Book
Aimed at students, academics, and anyone who loves musical theatre and dance, the new publication Making Broadway Dance (Oxford University Press) by MSM Associate Dean and Director of Musical Theatre Liza Gennaro gives valuable insights into how Broadway dance is made.
Liza examines choreography for musical theatre through the lens of dance studies, script analysis, movement research, and dramaturgical inquiry, and in doing so gives a close-up look at a dance form that has been analyzed only superficially until now.
The book, says Liza, is long overdue in the industry.
“I wrote the book because when I was in grad school 15 years ago I realized that a scholarly book examining the systems and methods of making dance for musical theatre did not exist,” Liza explains. “That realization began my 10-year journey to completing the book.”
Making Broadway Dance examines the choreographic systems of some of Broadway’s most influential dance-makers including George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins, Katherine Dunham, Bob Fosse, Savion Glover, Sergio Trujillo, Steven Hoggett, and Camille Brown.
Through these in-depth analyses, Making Broadway Dance challenges long-held perceptions that Broadway dance is kitsch, disposable, or a dance form created without artistic process.
“I think it’s important to understand that musical theatre dance is not a monolith,” says Liza. “It is a multi-varied dance expression that responds to the pre-determined aspects of librettos – time, place, plot and character – and employs dance to tell stories.”
By considering influences from ballet, modern, postmodern, Jazz, social, and global dance, the book offers a rich understanding of musical theatre dance.
Making Broadway Dance is essential reading for theatre and dance scholars, students, practitioners, and Broadway fans.
Liza Gennaro overseeing the production of Cabaret for Manhattan School of Music in her role as MSM Associate Dean and Director of Musical Theatre.