Overview

Bliss and Dance explores the four major ballets of composer Sir Arthur Bliss (1891-1975) who was at the centre of British musical life for over 50 years. Drawn to finding expression for drama and human emotion, Bliss composed an impressive range of instrumental, choral, opera, film and highly acclaimed ballet scores. He collaborated with pioneering choreographers De Valois and Helpmann on works for Sadler's Wells Ballet between 1937 and 1946, and with Lew Christensen for San Francisco Ballet in 1958. In twelve richly illustrated chapters, music and dance specialists delve into the artistic, cultural and socio-political context, creation and performance across several generations of these works, asking what they reveal about his story and the art dance then and now.

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9781917458382

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Author Information

Jennifer Jackson is a former dancer and choreographer with The Royal Ballet and Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet. She was senior lecturer at the University of Surrey and choreography tutor at The Royal Ballet School prior to joining London Studio Centre to direct Images Ballet Company from 2015-2021. Her writing is published in professional and academic journals and books, and includes a co-authored chapter for The Oxford Handbook of Ballet Pedagogy for publication in 2025/26. Her edited book Ballet: The Essential Guide to Technique and Creative Practice (2021) is published by The Crowood Press. She adopts a similar model for Bliss and Dance, inviting established practitioners and writers, including Paul Spicer (Bliss's biographer) and Jane Pritchard (V&A Curator of Dance), to contribute informative engaging essays on their areas of expertise.

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