Nonstop Bodies

“At once spry and erudite, inventive and entertaining, Nonstop Bodies is a vital new social history of New York. Rennie McDougall moves from uptown to downtown and from ballrooms to sidewalks; from icons of modern dance to the mambo-mad Palladium; from club kids to ballet to breakers in the Bronx. So doing, he reveals dance to be an unexcelled lens through which to understand the tensions—between high culture and low, identity and difference, the monied and less so—that make the city go.”   * Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, author of Names of New York: Discovering the City's Past, Present, and Future * “In Nonstop Bodies, Rennie McDougall keenly hones in on the understanding that how we move is an expression of who we are. He introduces us to the brilliant bodies that taught New York how to move and, in doing so, his book introduces us to an incandescent mind.” * Saeed Jones, author of Alive at the End of the World * “In Nonstop Bodies, Rennie McDougall narrates the history of twentieth-century New York City through dance with panache and precision. Even more than the dances themselves, it’s the dancers who come alive in McDougall’s account, from the subtly subversive Lindy hoppers right up through the B-boys and B-girls who are their heirs. Highly recommended for anyone interested in dance, New York City, or both.” * Ruth Franklin, author of The Many Lives of Anne Frank * “What a refreshing, smart, thoughtful history of New York dance and its bold conversation with the city and society at large. From this unsparing view, a ringing truth emerges: the unique capacity of dance, forged collectively and steeped in every human strength and frailty, to shatter taboos, to rebel, and to liberate.” * Sarah L. Kaufman, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Verb Your Enthusiasm * “Nonstop Bodies is a fascinating work of cultural history. With great sensitivity and rigor, Rennie McDougall unpacks the politics of how we move and shows New York City as a dance floor on which revolution is the only rule.” * Kate Bolick, author of New York Times bestseller Spinster: Making a Life of One’s Own * “Meticulously researched, innovatively written, and ultimately hopeful, Nonstop Bodies is an essential text for every New Yorker and certainly every artist.” * Jesse James Rose, author of sorry I keep crying during sex * “Combining the fluid instincts of a dancer with the sharp insights of a critic, Rennie McDougall has created a vibrant history of dance that moves gracefully through New York City’s past. Nonstop Bodies is authoritative, passionate, elegant, and fun.” * Katie Roiphe, author of The Power Notebooks * “Nonstop Bodies is a walloping and charming romp of a cultural history that traces the definitive evolution of dance through the currents of modern history. It’s a joy to read.” * Eliza Griswold, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Circle of Hope *