September 19th is National Dance Day. Celebrate by checking out some recent titles from Wesleyan University Press!

Our newest dance publication is The Grand Union: Accidental Anarchists of Downtown Dance, 1970–1976 by Wendy Perron. The book explores the legacy of The Grand Union, a leaderless improvisation group in SoHo in the 1970s that included people who became some of the biggest names in postmodern dance: Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown, Steve Paxton, Barbara Dilley, David Gordon, and Douglas Dunn. Together they unleashed a range of improvised forms from peaceful movement explorations to wildly imaginative collective fantasies. The book delves into the “collective genius” of The Grand Union and explores their process of deep play. Drawing on hours of archival videotapes, Wendy Perron seeks to understand the ebb and flow of the performances.

Other titles are listed below. Check them out!