The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ballet

I have had a paper, now "dog-eared," copy of this since early 1980s, and use it for reference quite often, sometimes even entering by hand dates of when those listed have passed on to the great Nutcracker in the Sky. I wish someone, somehow, would do a new edition of this dictionary, so that the many dancers, choreographers, and others who are not listed in the 1982 edition but have done something to promote ballet/dance are also listed/included. I nominate the Jerome Robbins Foundation, with all its money he left for dance (and he did after all cruise me one time at a plant store in the East 70s around 1978) for finding someone to do an update.

Writer Wellness: A Writer's Path to Health and Creativity Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ballet is a must for the dancer's bookshelf and includes brief entries on thousands of important people, terms, and choreography. It's a detailed work but newer dictionaries and encyclopedias contain more current information. In the grand scheme of dance history work, this book is important to own. You'll refer to it numerous times because it contains a good deal of entries not included in contemporary books.

This totally necessary work just has to be there on your bookshelf! Herr Koegler deals not only with current dance, but he goes far back into history. If, for example, you read "Theater Street" and come across the passage about the "lovely Istomina". You are at a loss, but not for long - grab your Koegler and you will soon know all about Avdotia Istomina (1799-1848). A total must, you cannot do without it, it covers the lot.