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Cherie Devliotis
was brought up to dance. Her mother, Isabelle Brook, was a
dancer who performed regularly in the 1920s and 1930s; she
also had her own school of dance in Hamilton in the 1930s.
Cherie was taken along from infancy. She is thus well placed
to write a history of dance, dancers and dancing schools in
the early part of the 20th century in the Auckland area with
glances further afield. The book tells the story of dance
in relation to the early films. We hear about the development
of the competitions and the advent of ballet in the city and
beyond. There are famous names here - Rowena Jackson and Bryan
Ashbridge to mention just two. The book is thoroughly researched;
a grant from Creative New Zealand assisted this process. The
book is lavishly illustrated with pictures from the period
covered in the book. It is a readable story which will also
become a definitive work on the history of dance. There is
much about early Auckland here, told from the perspective
of those who lived for dancing and who had to move about the
city to fulfil their engagements and take their lessons. The
title reflects the author's own delight in dancing and its
history. |
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