A sweeping cultural history of both formal and social dance during the 20th century, and an exploration of how this history built our nation

In theaters, ballrooms, and nightclubs throughout the 20th century, both social and professional dances blazed trails of resistance and revolution. From the exuberant endurance of dance marathons during Prohibition to the militant precision of the Rockettes through WWII and strait-laced fifties; from the aloof abstraction of the Judson Dance Theater to the explosive energy of hip-hop in the South Bronx; from the elated mingling of disco clubs to the commercialized physicality of Broadway, dance was both a reflection of culture and backbone for social change. Journalist Rennie McDougall argues that all of these dances and disparate dancers over many decades tells us a complete cultural history of New York City.

In charting the stories of these different dances, we see how each was fundamentally shaped by the social and historical forces of the time, as movements rumbling through the rest of the country came to a head in the singular density and diversity of New York City. Nonstop Bodies offers us a new lens through which to see the creative genius of renowned choreographers who took inspiration from the social dances going on around them. The infamous contractions of Martha Graham or the abstract ballet of George Balanchine were outgrowths of ongoing performances happening on street corners and in nightclubs. Graham and Balanchine took the pulse of the city and put it on the stage. McDougall argues not only that dance can act as a mirror to the larger narratives of New York and the nation, but that the city itself has proven uniquely capable of creating innovations in how we move and dance together. In this lively book, which includes black-and-white photos throughout, McDougall renders dance both accessible and vital, using it as an expansive lens through which we can read and understand our own history. Nonstop Bodies is not just a history of dance in New York City—it is an exploration of movement that captures the ways in which dance has acted as both a catalyst and reflection of the city’s culture, politics, and heart.