Book Review (F&M)

Theatres of the Body: Dance and Discourse in Antebellum Philadelphia by Lynn Brooks is a deep-dive into early U.S. philosophy, intellectual developments, political action, and social shaping, revealing dance as an important force in the emergence of national arts and culture.

The book covers expansive study of Philadelphia’s significant contributions in the 1820s: imported art of European ballet and U.S.-grown blackface acts. Both brought attention to the body—its appearance, capacities, gender, race, and expressivity—empowering dance to both sustain and challenge politics of African-descended people and women, struggling for respect, rights, and recognition.

Dr. Lynn Matluck Brooks is Shadek Humanities Professor Emerita at Franklin & Marshall College, where she founded the Dance Program in 1984. Brooks holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Temple University and is a Certified Movement Analyst. Her research earned grants from the Fulbright/Hayes Commission and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. Brooks in an author of numerous books and scholarly articles on dance.