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Young readers will find their groove with a spirited tale sure to tickle their toes and have them slapping their knees to the beat.

Two kids bopping down the street get the whole town moving in a lively tale for emerging readers. Noah Z. Jones's bright, energetic illustrations tell a parallel story, while Charles R. Smith Jr.'s rhythmic, rhyming text is guaranteed to get children shake, shake, shaking. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This book will make you dance
This book is filled with great color, a mean beat and a lot of movement. I loved it. Noah Z Jones , illustrated another book I loved Not Norman. If I am not mistaken Norman makes an appearance at the end of Dance with Me. Jones's illustrations are a combination of watercolor, pencil, charcoal, and digital rendering. ( I got that some the inside flap) Without the flap, I'd say the illustrations are fun, light, colorful and kids will love them. There are no more then four words on a page. Making this a perfect easy reader book. Though I am very happy with my Cybils easy reader vote, if this was out I would've picked it. Two kids and a dog are walking in their neighborhood getting everyone to Dance with them. A tale of two sides- on the left the children stop at a bus stop start dancing. Everyone has a whats wrong with these kids look of their faces. On the right- everyone is dancing right along with the children. The lady lets her hair down, throws the newspaper in the air and the man puts down his briefcase. I love the contrast of these side by side pages. Its fun to see people remember how to just dance. My favorite stop is the Pet Store. Where they get a lizard to shake its head, a dog to scrunch its nose, a ferret to rub its belly and chicks to stand on their toes. With all the movement its perfect for storytime, especially for younger listeners. Its hard for me to resist the temptation to move when I read this,

Dance with me . Twist with me.
Wiggle, move, and
bounce with me
Move your body
to the beat

And I know I won't be the only one. Enjoy the dance

Fun book!
My toddler loves this book!It's short and entertaining so I don't mind reading it repeatedly.Our library originally read it for storytime and it has several actions throughout the book that the kids like to do.It's in the same genre as Eric Carle's From Head to Toe book - the kids move around and dance while it is being read.Overall, a fun read. ... Read more

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Chapters: People From Redditch, John Bonham, Gillian Knight, Charles Dance, John Feckenham, Stacy Coldicott, Deborah Bonham, John Bickerton, Jody Craddock, Dan Sealey, Zoë Lister, Raymond Thompson, Matt Watson, Harold Avery, Nigel Clark, Stephen Adshead, Daniel Lewis, Alan Styler, Tom Paddock, Dick Roberts, Doug Slade, Norman Neasom, Keith Baylis, Harry Ames, Stanley Porthouse. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 94. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham (31 May 1948 25 September 1980) was an English drummer and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove. He is considered to be one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music by other musicians and commentators in the industry. Bonham was born on 31 May 1948, in Redditch, Worcestershire, England, to Joan and Jack Bonham. He first learned to play drums at the age of five, making a drum kit out of containers and coffee tins, imitating his idols Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. His mother gave him a snare drum at the age of ten. He received his first proper drum kit from his father at fifteen, a Trixon kit. Bonham never took any formal drum lessons, though as a teen he would get advice from other Redditch drummers. Between 1962-63, while still at school, Bonham joined the Blue Star Trio, and Gerry Levene ... Read more

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Beethoven's piano sonatas form one of the most important collections of works in the whole history of music. Spanning several decades of his life as a composer, the sonatas soon came to be seen as the first body of substantial serious works for piano suited to performance in large concert halls seating hundreds of people.In this comprehensive and authoritative guide, Charles Rosen places the works in context and provides an understanding of the formal principles involved in interpreting and performing this unique repertoire, covering such aspects as sonata form, phrasing, and tempo, as well as the use of pedal and trills. In the second part of his book, he looks at the sonatas individually, from the earliest works of the 1790s through the sonatas of Beethoven's youthful popularity of the early 1800s, the subsequent years of mastery, the years of stress (1812–1817), and the last three sonatas of the 1820s.Composed as much for private music-making as public recital, Beethoven's sonatas have long formed a bridge between the worlds of the salon and the concert hall. For today's audience, Rosen has written a guide that brings out the gravity, passion, and humor of these works and will enrich the appreciation of a wide range of readers, whether listeners, amateur musicians, or professional pianists. ... Read more

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Rosen: a superb musician and writer

Charles Rosen knows these sonatas as well as anyone.He writes about these works with complete comprehension,but undogmatically.Pianists should
own this book and read it!

con brio

This is a nice read for hard-core Beethoven-heads.It'll change the way you approach playing the pieces, or at the least change the way you listen to them.There's nothing wrong with just listening to the music and absorbing it, not worrying about why a particular change is brilliant or why it should affect you.It's like watching a movie and just letting the movie touch you however it does, not worrying about why the director chose a particular camera angle or what some set detail might be referencing.But it is hard for modern listeners to realize just how much some of Beethoven's compositions broke against the assumptions of the time.When the harmonies pivot on thirds, for example, modulating through a series of keys before landing where the ear expects it, it doesn't necessarily hold the same tension to modern ears.Wagner, as well as every composer of cinematic background music, have now manipulated Beethoven's techniques to the point of emotional burlesque.But you get extra credit for being the first, and still the best, to do it.

But the best parts of reading Rosen- a scholar whose words are mostly measured- are those brief moments when he gushes.When he expands on the revolutionary character of the music.When he stops intellectualizing about music and briefly speaks as an admirer in awe.Compositional theory can only go so far, after all.Eventually you give yourself over to the sheer transcendence of this brilliant music.

It reminds me of a calculus teacher I had once.He was just about the slowest, driest lecturer I had ever had.But one day, when discussing the fact that the derivative of sine is cosine, his gaze softened.His voice choked for a moment, "this is when math becomes something more than logic, something more beautiful.There is nothing in the Universe that says the derivative of a sine wave will be a cosine wave.It didn't have to be..."I nice little warble of emotion broke through and I briefly cared about calculus.

New Testament for pianists
Any pianist, amateur or professional, who is serious about playing the piano, particularly the Beethoven sontats, must not only have this book but also devour it.Charles Rosen has willingly shared his incredible intellect, musicianship, research and pianistic knowledge and understanding.To have someone of his stature and accomplishments willing to share a lifetime of performing experience with us is truly remarkable.A MUST HAVE for all pianists.

Valuable guide to some of the best piano music ever written
There are a number of well-known books about Beethoven's piano sonatas.If one simply likes listening to the sonatas but has no intention of playing them, I wouldn't recommend this book, nor the ones by Tovey or Drake.I'd suggest reading about them in a book about Beethoven's life, or maybe the chapter on them in Kentner's book on the piano.But if you enjoy playing any or all of these sonatas, yes, you'll enjoy this book, with its emphasis on simplicity of style (which Rosen explains to us is the advice of Proust's grandmother).

While there's good advice on phrasing, pedaling, and trills, the most interesting part of any book on the Beethoven sonatas is going to be about tempos.This one is no exception.The author points out that it is not illegal to play a piece of music at the wrong tempo.One won't get a speeding ticket or a fine or a jail sentence for doing so. Still, even if a tempo seems comfortable to us, it may not be anything like what Beethoven had in mind, so it is useful to see what the correct tempos appear to be.I like the fact that Rosen tries to discover what those who read Beethoven's tempo descriptions would have concluded at the time they were written, as opposed to relying on what Czerny, Moscheles, Schindler, or others might have said long afterwards.

Rosen's comments are backed up with excerpts on an accompanying CD (played by Giulio Ricci).I think these add substantially to the value of this book.

And of course, if you play the piano but haven't tried the Beethoven sonatas, you are missing something truly special.

Not top-drawer Rosen, but a useful guide
Charles Rosen by now is one of the foremost writers on music, especially piano music, of the Classic and Romantic eras. His books _The Classical Style_ and _The Romantic Generation_ are classics of their kind.

Inevitably, given Rosen's prolific output and its specialization, there is a slight feeling of deja vu about this volume on Beethoven's sonatas for piano. Rosen is laboring under the shade of such great writers on Beethoven as Donald Tovey. Nevertheless, the book offers fresh perspectives and many stimulating new ideas in its opening section, which views the sonatas through general topics such as "Phrasing" and "Tempo." The second section, consisting of commentaries on the individual works, more clearly apes Tovey and here, considered word for word, the older writer probably offers more detailed and practical insights for the serious piano student into the actual performance of these great works than Rosen. Nevertheless, this book is a valuable addition to any collection of writings on music. ... Read more

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When John Charles Chasteen learned that Simón Bolívar, the Liberator, danced on a banquet table to celebrate Latin American independence in 1824, he tried to visualize the scene. How, he wondered, did the Liberator dance? Did he bounce stiffly in his dress uniform? Or did he move his hips? In other words, how high had African dance influences reached in Latin American societies? A vast social gap separated Bolívar from people of African descent; however, Chasteen’s research shows that popular culture could bridge the gap.

Fast-paced and often funny, this book explores the history of Latin American popular dance before the twentieth century. Chasteen first focuses on Havana, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro, where dances featuring a “transgressive close embrace” (forerunners of today’s salsa, tango, and samba) emerged by 1900. Then, digging deeper in time, Chasteen uncovers the historical experiences that molded Latin American popular dance, including carnival celebrations, the social lives of slaves, European fashions, and, oddly enough, religious processions. The relationship between Latin American dance and nationalism, it turns out, is very deep, indeed. ... Read more

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The 1909 arrival of Serge de Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in Paris marked the beginning of some two decades of collaboration among litterateurs, painters, musicians, and choreographers, many not native to France. Charles Batson's original and nuanced exploration of several of these collaborations integral to the formation of modernism and avant-gardist aesthetics reinscribes performances of the celebrated Russians and the lesser-known but equally innovative Ballets Suedois into their varied artistic traditions as well as the French historical context, teasing out connections and implications that are usually overlooked in less decidedly interdisciplinary studies. Batson not only uncovers the multiple meanings set in motion through the interplay of dancers, musicians, librettists, and spectators, but also reinterprets literary texts that inform these meanings, such as Valery's "L'Ame et la danse".Identifying the performing body as a site where anxieties, drives, and desires of the French public were worked out, he shows how the messages carried by and ascribed to bodies in performance significantly influenced thought and informed the direction of much artistic expression in the twentieth century. His book will be a valuable resource for scholars working in the fields of literature, dance, music, and film, as well as French cultural studies. ... Read more

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Charles Ives and Aaron Copland are two composers whose works define what is now considered to be the "American sound" in classical music. Though they couldn’t have been more different in disposition, these two brilliant minds helped shape the musical consciousness of an entire era. Ives and Copland: A Listener’s Guide explains—in vivid, picturesque detail—why we still listen with admiration to the work of these men, and how their personalities and the era in which they lived affected their music.

The accompanying CD includes a sampling of their music from masterworks such as Appalachian Spring and The Unanswered Question to less common (yet every bit as worthwhile) gems. Guided listenings deliver a comprehensive account of exactly how the pieces work.

Though these men don’t lack for documentation, Ives and Copland: A Listener’s Guide is an easier, more intimate introduction to their work and lives for the layman or neophyte—or even for the musician—who wants to know more about these composers.Amazon.com Review
The title of this book is a misnomer: there are no parallels between these two composers' lives except that both were Americans and musical innovators. They were as different as they could be. Copland was an open-hearted, open-minded cosmopolitan New Yorker, who, actively engaged in human and social affairs, wrote mainly accessible music and books for the people. Ives was an embittered, idealistic, secretive recluse who wrote mainly inaccessible music and books for himself while selling insurance for a living. Yet, as Daniel Felsenfeld shows in this thoughtful, enlightening book, each in his own way laid the foundation for what came to be defined as the "American" sound and spirit in music. Convinced that a composer's work is inseparable from his life and personality, Felsenfeld divides his book into three inventively organized sections. Beginning with a brief biography and ending with a discussion of some of his subjects' striking characteristics, he shows how their training and experiences influenced their work and careers and then devotes the central part to analyzing their music. Guidance for listening and understanding is aided by a CD of their most familiar compositions in excellent performances.

Copland, son of Jewish Polish-Lithuanian immigrants, studied with Nadja Boulanger, but being surrounded by French music and culture only strengthened his resolve to become an "American" composer. Despite a brief flirtation with serialism, he was determined to close the gap between composer and audience, and he succeeded admirably: his colorful scores, often suffused with folk and jazz idioms, speak to everyone; he became not only one of the most popular, but most respected composers of his time. Ives, whose musician father opened his ears to unheard-of musical combinations, was born into a New England family steeped in transcendental philosophy. His music, eccentric and deliberately perverse, is an acquired taste. Any composer who feels impelled to write a long, linguistically and philosophically impenetrable essay explaining his "magnum opus" can hardly expect to capture a large audience. Felsenfeld makes the best possible case for it, but one senses admiration rather than love. The author's style is not always felicitous (Copland's teacher "feared that Ives' influence might improperly influence the talented young man"), but having obviously read all of Copland's popular and Ives' indigestible writings, he was perhaps improperly influenced himself. --Edith Eisler ... Read more

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What's on the CD you ask...
Since a third of the book is dedicated to the discussion and dissection of Charles Ives' and Aaron Copland's compositions, here is a listing of the music on the accompanying BMG CD: 1) Copland: Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra with Harp and Piano; 2) Copland: Appalachian Spring; 3) Copland: El Salon Mexico; 4) Ives: The Unanswered Question; 5) Ives: "Memories"; 6) Ives: "General William Booth Enters Into Heaven"; and 7) Ives: Three Places in New England - II. "Putnam's Camp". The recording is dominated by Michael Tilson Thomas who appears as both conductor of the London and San Francisco Symphonies and as pianist on "Memories."Also on the disc are Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra (Appalachian Spring) and Eduardo Mata conducting the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (El Salon Mexico).

introduction to the music with a CD
Brief biographies of the two premier American composers are followed by tutorials on their music focusing on better-known, widely-aclaimed pieces. The guide succeeds in making the music accessible without dumbing it down at all or trying to popularize it. Felsenfeld is himself a composer and a music writer bringing to the task not only compatibility with Ives and Copland, but also an educator's understanding of the reader's position in wanting to learn more about them and enhance appreciation of their music. With the book is the treat of a CD offering ample samplings of music, including Copland's complete "Appalachian Spring" and four pieces of Ives', who wrote shorter, intense works.
... Read more

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Originally researched by 'Bert' Simons, this is a collection of Kentish country dances, mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries. The dances are as far as possible his own interpretation; however, there are some which have been slightly changed to fit the music. Also included are those previously printed in his Kentish Hop leaflets. Many of the dances were triple minor formation. However, as these are often uninteresting for the third couple, some have been slightly modified to make them suitable as three couple set dances. One of the fairly common movements of the tinme was 'foot it'. This was a lively movement; although not written down it is thought to have consisted of jumping and kicking out one's right leg either sideways or to the front, another jump and kicking with the lift leg. This has gone out of fashion except for one or two dances such as the "Dutch Skipper", it has therefore been changed throughout to a 'set right and left'. In some cases dances have the same title but are by different composers, presumably because the Dancing Masters of the time liked to introduce a new dance at the particular event.Dances often refer to events or happenings within towns or villages and therefore contribute in a small way to the history of Kent. In some instances and indication is given as a footnote to the dances. ... Read more

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demented? genius? demented genius?
Charles Ludlam was, hands down, one of the most brilliant innovators in postmodern theatre. At a time when many radical theatre-types were resting on their laurels (or regurgitating works they created decades earlier), Ludlam and his constant collaborator/companion, Everett Quinton, were experimenting with new forms, keeping things fresh. Unfortunately (or perhaps not), he's been pidgeonholed by theatre historians as working exclusively in gay theatre; in point of fact, though, while his audience was largely "downtown" and therefore predominantly gay, his influence was felt throughout theatre community.

That's not, however, to say he was a benevolent gay genius. On the contrary: secondhand stories about his professional habits and beliefs are enough to curl the toes of even the cruelest tyrant. That, of course, is why this book is SO enjoyable--and important. Part autobiography, part manifesto, it explains Ludlam's ideas about art, life, and theatre in his own words. And while it's certainly polemic at times, it's very enlightening and always entertaining.

Thought-provoking treatise on Performing
Ridiculous Theatre : Scourge of Human Folly : The Essays and Opinions of Charles Ludlam is a true treasure for anyone ridiculous enough to consider a career as an artist.Ludlam, the actor/director/writer/artistic directorof the Ridiculous Theatre, knows a lot about creating art and as a resultof his experience, has some very strong opinions on the subject.Ludlamwrites about what he knows and what he loves -- the theatre. The essaysincluded in this anthology are extremenly insightful and thought-provokingas Ludlam proffers his opinions on every subject from critics to drag toopera (and everything in between).In the end, the reader comes to anunderstanding of the utter ridiculousness (in a truly wonderful way) of atheatrical life. ... Read more

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When Charlie Brown signs up for dance lessons, he meets the girl of his dreams who asks him to the Sweetheart Ball.With his head in the clouds and his feet on the floor, Charlie Brown's greatest date goes awry when Snoopy wants to waltz, too. ... Read more

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Poor Charlie Brown
This is a great book for Peanuts lovers - young and old.Once again Charlie Brown is feeling down and out.Who else would he ask for advice but Lucy at her psychiatric help stand?Charlie Brown is advised to sign up for dance lessons.He loves it!A cute blond headed girl picks him forher dance partner. Just when he can't belive it's real, she asks him to goto the Sweetheart Dance.To find out whathappens, you need to read thebook.This book is also great for beginning readers.It will hold theirinterest while they enjoy the thrill of reading to themselves. ... Read more

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Riddles about the world of music, e.g. "What kind of music did the Pilgrims play? Plymouth Rock." ... Read more

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Born in Vienna in 1890, Gertrud Bodenwieser became a leading exponent of Ausdruckstanz (Expressionist Dance) during the 1920s and 1930s, developing a definitive personal style and a philosophy of dance that distinguished her from all her contemporaries. In 1938 she emigrated to Australia to start her career afresh with the remaining nucleus of her company from Nazi-occupied Austria.
In this collection of writings (initially compiled by Bettina Vernon and posthumously completed by her husband Charles Warren) each contributor highlights Bodenwieser's achievements from a different perspective, with reminiscences from her pupils and company members, together with scholarly studies. ... Read more

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This authoritative volume of 453 letters written by and to composer Charles Ives (1874-1954) provides unparalleled insight into one of the most extraordinary and paradoxical careers in American music history. The most comprehensive collection of Ives's correspondence in print, this book opens a direct window on Ives's complex personality and his creative process. Though Ives spent much of his career out of the mainstream of professional music-making, he corresponded with a surprisingly large group of musicians and critics, including John J. Becker, Henry Bellamann, Leonard Bernstein, John Cage, Aaron Copland, Henry Cowell, Ingolf Dahl, Walter Damrosch, Lehman Engel, Clifton J. Furness, Lou Harrison, Bernard Herrmann, John Kirkpatrick, Serge Koussevitzky, John Lomax, Francesco Malipiero, Radiana Pazmor, Paul Rosenfeld, Carl Ruggles, E. Robert Schmitz, Nicolas Slonimsky, and Peter Yates. ... Read more

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more