The Ecstasy of Being: Mythology and Dance

Arguably no one is better suited to discuss the mythology of dance than Joseph Campbell. Campbell came to national attention in his discussions with Bill Moyer about mythology. He also would be equally famous for having inspired popular culture with his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell was married to a famous dancer, Jean Erdman. This collection of essays and musings on the nature of dance does not provide insights into the nature of mythology in dance. In fact, it does much the opposite, putting the inspiration for dance squarely into a dancer and choreographer’s own experiential purview. Even dances made to celebrate mythic tales are transformed by the power of the individual dancer and creator. Many of these essays seem dated since modern dance has spiraled out from the early daring works of Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. As Isadora Duncan is quoted as saying, there was no school for her performance except the natural world. This may be a book of interest to those in the world of dance.