Dance history, the art of choreography, the inner workings of a dance company and analysis of the works of the daring English choreographer Matthew Bourne—all appear here in one entertaining and instructive volume. Macaulay, a distinguished dance and theater critic (currently for the Financial Times) can be overly fussy and analytical in these interviews, and Bourne, on the other hand, has been criticized for creating overly simplified, "popular" (as an epithet) modern dance. But together, the pair, who met when Macaulay was Bourne's dance history lecturer at the Laban Centre for Movement in London, keep each other focused and on task, creating an illuminating chronological account of the development of one of today's most intriguing choreographers. Bourne is best known in this country for his 1998 Tony Award–winning production of the ballet Swan Lake
on Broadway, in which the swans were portrayed by male dancers. Bourne's description of his fascination with old movie musicals ("Adventures in Motion Pictures" is the name of his dance company), his late dance training, his understanding of music and thoughts on his contemporaries (Mark Morris, among others), his creative relationships with his dancers—all are part of Macaulay's quest to understand movement and place works within a historical framework. This is a serious exploration of the practical and theoretical territory of dance-making, a real treat and a must for dance aficionados and for anyone intrigued by the creative process. (Sept.)
