The Oxford Dictionary of Dance (Oxford Quick Reference)

This two-column, text-only book has considerable coverage of ballet terms, choreographers, dancers, and dance companies . . . and disappointingly little outside those areas. My primary dance these days is Argentine tango, and all I found was a short paragraph under Argentina and under tango, and nothing on tango dance movements. This 2nd edition was published in 2010. I find nothing under breakdance, b-boy, crump, or any number of terms you've heard for years on So You Think You Can Dance.I thought this might make for some interesting browsing during idle moments, but the visual presentation is so dull, the descriptions so dry, and the coverage so limited that I'm not going to find a place for it in my permanent library.

A little dense for a younger reader, but very thorough. I think it would even be great for a college student.

Bought as a gift. Very informative.

Very thorough, nice job. Would have liked better paper quality.

This book really does have entries on everything from Astaire to the Zurich Ballet. So much information in one relatively small book. Really great for reference. Very informative.

This is a very comprehensive guide to the who, what, where, and when of dance.

Not what I was expecting at all. I was really hoping for more dance terms and not so much about famous dancers.

At the risk of stating the obvious like a darn fool, it is a dictionary in every sense of the word. Arranged in alphabetical order, this book contains encyclopaedic entries on famous dancers, choreographers, dance companies from around the world, dance terminology and even composers like Charles Ives and Richard Strauss (whose music were used in miscellaneous dances). From Alvin Ailey to the Zurich Ballet, it serves as a quick reference for seasoned followers of dance, while pure beginners might get lost in the mass of text. Those into visual aids will also be utterly disappointed for there's none here. But on the whole, it's still worth the space on your bookshelf.

Great sized guide but not all steps/dances included if you are looking for an expansive compendium you would need to supplement.

I brought this item for a dance lover, somebody that loves ballet, tap, jazz its a great reference for that dance enthusiast

It is definitely very informative although I wish it could have had some information about circle dancing.

great and usefull book.

Brought this book for my daughter as she needed it for ballet lessons, great dictionary it’s what she needed. Great, worth the price