Anabella Lenzu’s new book, Teaching and Learning Dance Through Meaningful Gesture, makes one thing abundantly clear: Ms. Lenzu loves dance. She loves dancers. She loves teaching, choreographing, and learning. Her passion overflows from the pages. You can hear the excitement in her voice. Reading her book is like being dropped into a conversation already going full speed.
The book is divided into three sections: Teaching Dance (Pedagogy), Learning Dance (Technique), and Resources. The book lays out her theories, her practice, and over 30 resources to draw upon.
Anabella Lenzu leading class – Photo by Todd Carroll.
There is a lot to love about this book. It has over 250 images and 50 illustrations, numerous personal anecdotes and stories, and a bubbly, positive tone. The author’s expertise and experience are indisputable. There are sample syllabi for university pedagogy and ballet classes, and there is a list of recommended reading, numerous diagrams throughout, and the suggestion to follow the author on YouTube, where she has accumulated a video library of 150 playlists comprised of over 2,000 videos. The generosity is quite extraordinary. This is not an artist who is gatekeeping.
Anabella Lenzu – Photo by Todd Carroll.
With all of these positive attributes, I am still not quite sure who the intended audience for the book is. It is so densely packed that finding information is difficult. At times, concepts are presented with little discussion or counterargument. For example, in an anecdote about consent in ballet classes, Ms. Lenzu recollects a student who reacted badly to being touched. She defends the practice, then gives a one-sentence disclaimer that a teacher should always ask before physically adjusting a dancer, but as a student, I found the caveat dismissive. A similar disconnect wove through the pedagogical section. As an established dance educator, at times it felt as if I was being talked down to. This is probably a question of tone rather than intention, however, that impression led to more questions. Is this book intended for new teachers, established teachers, or students in university dance education or performance programs? These are very different audiences. The book might benefit if divided into two volumes with room for additional discussion and elaboration. There is a section for note-taking at the end. This is a good addition. The book should be ordered as a physical book rather than in the digital format, as the reader would benefit from the ability to add personal notes and observations throughout. I can see it used as a reference with sticky notes and folded pages guiding the reader to certain revelations.
Work by Annabella Lenzu – Photo by Todd Carroll.
Ms. Lenzu’s first book was a memoir, and I am inspired to read it. Her dance journey and experiences overflow into the narrative of this volume as well. She has had an extraordinary career, and I applaud her compulsion to share the blessings of her remarkable lived dance life.
Book cover -Teaching and Learning Dance Through Meaningful Gestures by Anabella Lenzu – Photo by Todd Carroll.
With the caveat that the book would have benefited from an additional edit and perhaps the separation into separate volumes, there is a great deal to honor and glean from this incredible dance educator. I would like to spend time in a studio with her, hear about her travels and the lessons from her mentors in person, and then apply those lessons to my teaching, choreography, and dancing. And in that regard, it is a successful and valuable addition to the dance compendium.
To purchase Teaching and Learning Dance Through Meaningful Gesture by Anabella Lenzu, please click HERE.
Written by Nancy Dobbs Owen for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured: Anabella Lenzu – Photo by Todd Carroll.
