Cancan! [Hardcover]

David Price (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 1998

Cancan! is the story of how spontaneous, anarchic behavior by MEN on a dance floor evolved into a sexy, high-kicking chorus-line stage dance for WOMEN. The book also shows how the images of Toulouse-Lautrec, the stage shows of Offenbach, Lehar and Cole Porter, and films including Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! have contributed to an extraordinary mythology surrounding this one dance.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

English writer Price fills a vacuum with this complete history of France's gift to popular culture--the dance forever known as the cancan. Reviewing the early days of this ribald (but by modern standards, fairly tame) dance in the demimonde of the early 1830s and following it through to the present in all its various guises, Price leaves no stone unturned. We read of cancan in the theaters, music halls, and dancing gardens (including the famed Moulin Rouge--the red windmill still stands to this day); the contributions of Offenbach (the composer of the quintessential cancan music); the dance in operettas, ballet, and musicals (including Cole Porter's cancan--a perennial flop through the years!); the cancan in art (especially Toulouse-Lautrec's portrayals); and the many appearances of the rousing, leg-kicking dance in the cinema (House of Wax, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, Destry, etc.). Price's narrative is beautifully complemented by black-and-white and color photographs, including many of the famed, cutely monikered early dancers--La Goulue, Finette, and Rigolboche, among others. Allen Weakland

Review

David Price's engrossing study... explodes the myths about the 1830s dance craze, tracing its glamorous history from art to underwear... --Classic FM Magazine (England), 1998

...a comprehensive history of the cancan, outlining its beginnings as a popular dance and subsequent growth into the wild and scandalous spectacle of the late 1890s --Historical Dance (England), 1998

...a veritable encyclopaedia of the dance... its technique and its costume, the places of entertainment where it developed, its influence on musicians and artists, and its contributions to ballet, the musical theatre and cinema. --The Dancing Times (England), 1998 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; 1 edition (August 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0838638201
• ISBN-13: 978-0838638200
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,532,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Price was born in Nottingham, England in 1955. His book Cancan! was originally published in hardback in 1998, and the revised and updated paperback version was published in November 2010. He has also written a number of magazine articles. He currently lives with his family in Northamptonshire, England.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Kicky" History of the World's Sexiest Dance., January 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cancan! (Hardcover)

A true labor of love, Price's book combines thorough research with light-hearted, affectionate prose to trace the evolution of the cancan and its impact on female empowerment, shifting sexual roles, and even ladies' underwear. Throw in never-before-seen photos and illustrations, and what you have is incontrovertible proof that the cancan may be the most fun you can have with your clothes on...

5.0 out of 5 stars FILLING A GAP, September 21, 2001

By 

DEKE RIVERS (BLACKPOOL,ENGLAND) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cancan! (Hardcover)

Possibly the Can Can is the least documented of all Art Forms with at the moment just one book and only available as an import here in England.There is also a total lack of video material the nearest being the film THE MERRY WIDOW BALLET,for which I created a special photo album along with all my others on a communities page.
Can Can is all about pictures and this book has plenty.
Now with the new MOULIN ROUGE film on release this book should stand an even better chance.
But a price of £27 here in England is not going to attract many potential customers