Dance masters : interviews with legends of dance

Merce Cunningham draws before he dances. Danny Grossman takes a shot of brandy to overcome his fears.

Mark Morris works through music first - the dance comes as an afterthought.

Dance Masters presents never-before-published interviews with some of the great names of the dance world, both dancers and choreographers.

In these sparkling exchanges with seven leading figures from the world of dance, Janet Lynn Roseman gets to the heart of her subject: how a dancer or choreographer envisions creation and performance, the person's dreams and rituals, fears and disappointments.

We learn how these dance masters feel about the effect of audience response, what coaches demand, how it feels to perform, even how one makes a dance.

Giving the reader a rare firsthand connection to the creative process, Dance Masters proves that the most transient of arts can be made to speak.

Featured subjects: Merce Cunningham, Danny Grossman, Alonzo King, Mark Morris, Michael Smuin, Catherine Turocy, Edward Villella