Ecstasy and the demon

"The first volume in English to examine Mary Wigman's overall career, to study in depth all her major dances, and to analyze her relationship with National Socialism. It treats this material within a framework of feminist and political thought that is rigorous and intellectually provocative. The book will be a major addition to the literature of dance history."--Lynn Garafola, author of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes "This is cultural history in the best sense of the word: a critical rereading of specific representations as a way of reconceptualizing the broader historiography of an entire field."--David Bathrick, co-editor of Modernity and the Text "Summons up the complexity of dance's relation to its gendered and political surround by providing lucid examples of how dance as a cultural practice embodies key values and beliefs. Manning's book gives us an elegant and persuasive model for interpreting the ideological content of choreographic form. It promises to be one of the finest dance histories of our time."--Susan L. Foster, author of Reading Dancing