BOOK

ANALYSIS

Name: Alba Catucuago

Title of Book: Documenting Dance. A Practical Guide
Author: Libby Smigel
Publisher: Washington DC. The Dance
pages: 64

SECTION

Heritage Coalition

No. of

VOCABULARY

Retrieve (4) - To bring back to a more

satisfactory state; revive.

Caveats (4) - a warning; caution.

Awareness (5) - informed of current developments: politically aware.
Constituencies (5)- a district that sends one representative to a legislature.
Notators (5)- person Who makes any series of signs or symbols used to
represent quantities or elements in a specialized system, such as music or
mathematics.
Ephemera (6) - something transitory or short-lived.
Neglect (6)
carelessness.

- to fail (to do something) through thoughtlessness or

Lack (6)- something that is required but is absent or in short supply.

Myriad (7) - a large indefinite number. Innumerable.
Forethought (7) - advance consideration or deliberation.
Frameworks (8) - a structural plan or basis of a project.
Weaknesses (8) - a deficiency or failing, as in a person's character.
Caliber (8) - ability; distinction.
Artfulness (8) desired end.

possessing accomplishment or

requiring in achieving a

Render (9) - to translate (something) into another language or form.

Patterns (9) -

a standard way of moving, acting, etc.: traffic patterns.

Notate (9) - any series of signs or symbols used to represent quantities or

elements in a specialized system, such as music or mathematics.
Submit (10)- to refer (something to someone) for judgment or consideration.
Deal (10) - a particular type of treatment received, especial as the result of
an agreement: a fair deal.
Scores (10) - an evaluative, usually numerical, record of a competitive game
or match.
Jeopardizes (11) - to put in danger; imperil.
Surmountable (11) - to put something on top of or above.
Camcorders (11) - a video camera and recorder combined in a portable unit.
Preclude (11) - to exclude or debar.
Crew (12) - a group of people assigned to a particular job or type of work.
Ameliorate (12) - to make or become better; improve.
Baffles (12) - to frustrate (plans, efforts, etc.) To check, restrain, or regulate
(the flow of a fluid or the emission of sound or light).
Index (12) - an alphabetical list of persons, places, subjects, etc., mentioned
in the text of a printed work, usually at the back, and indicating where in the
work they are referred to.
Wrestling (12) - when intr., followed by with or against: to fight with (a
person, problem, or thing): wrestle with one's conscience.
Prosumer (12) an amateur user of electronic equipment that is of a
standard suitable for professional use.
Enhances (13) improve; augment.

to intensify or increase in quality, value, power, etc.

Flatten (13)- to make or become horizontal; level: flat ground, a flat roof.
Blurring (14) - to make or become vague or less distinct: heat haze blurs the
hills, education blurs class distinctions.
Irretrievably (14)- not able to be retrieved, recovered, or repaired.
Discarded (14) - to get rid of as useless or undesirable.
Rates (14) - relative quality; class or grade.
2

Narrow (14) of vision.

Affixed (15) -

limited in range or extent. Limited in outlook; lacking breadth

to attach, fasten, join, or stick.

Strides (15) - progress or development ( in the phrase make rapid strides).

Untangled (15) situation.

to free from

a complicated problem, condition, or

Maneuverable (15) - a movement or action requiring dexterity and skill

Array (15) - a set of numbers or symbols arranged in rows and columns, as
in a determinant or matrix
Acquire (15) - to get or gain (something, such as an object, trait, or ability),
especial more or less permanently.
Beyond (16) - outside the limits of something.
Aural (17) - of or relating to the sense or organs of hearing; auricular.
Eyewitness (17)happened.

a person present at an event who can describe what

Forth (18) - forward (directed or

degree.

moving ahead) in place, time, order, or

Ancillary (18) - subsidiary. Auxiliary; supplementary: ancillary services.

Renditions (19)- a performance of a musical composition, dramatic role, etc.
Reliance (20)- dependence, confidence, or trust.
Genres (20)- kind, category, or sort, especial of literary or artistic work.
Astonishingly (20) -

causing great surprise or amazement; astounding.

Garner (21) - a place for storage or safekeeping.

Inherit (21) - to receive (property, a right, title, etc.) by succession or under a
will.
Overlap (21) - (of two things) to extend or lie partly over (each other). To
coincide partly in time, subject, etc.
Unplumbed (23) - not understood in depth
Scarce (23) - rarely encountered
3

Nonetheless (23) Witness (23) some event

despite that; however; nevertheless

a person who has seen or can give first-hand evidence of

Excerpts (23) - a part or passage taken from a book, speech, play, etc., and
considered on its own; extract.
Freer (24) - able to act at will; not under compulsion or restraint.
Strive (25) - to make a great and tenacious effort.
Moods (25) -

a prevailing atmosphere or feeling.

Retained (26) nominal charge.

to keep for one's future use, as by paying a retainer or

Milieu (26) surroundings, location, or setting; Surroundings,

conditions, scenery, etc., round a person, place, or thing; environment.

the

Spell out (26) - to make clear, distinct, or explicit; clarify in detail: let me
spell out the implications.
Props (26) - something that gives rigid support, such as a stick.
Eschewed (30) to keep clear of or abstain from (something disliked,
injurious, etc.); shun; avoid.
Blanch (30) to remove color from, or (of color) to be removed; whiten;
fade: the sun blanched the carpet, over the years the painting blanched.
Frame (30) - the system around which something is built up: the frame of
government
the structure of the human body.
Fair (30) - free from discrimination, dishonesty, etc.; just; impartial.
Yields (30) - to give forth or supply (a product, result, etc.), especial by
cultivation, labor, etc.; produce or bear.
Tandem (33) -

one behind the other.

Relies (33) - to be dependent (on): he relies on his charm; to have trust or

confidence (in): you can rely on us.
Shift (33) - to move or cause to move from one place or position to another.
Dormant (34) - quiet and inactive, as during sleep; latent or inoperative.
4

Ancillary (34) - subsidiary; auxiliary; supplementary: ancillary services.

Core (35) - a piece of magnetic material, such as soft iron, placed inside the
windings of an electromagnet or transformer to intensify and direct the
magnetic field.
Threads (36) - a slang word for clothes.
Factual (36)real; actual.

of, relating to, or characterized by facts; of the nature of fact;

Underway (36) - less than: under forty years; lower in rank than: under a
corporal Saint.
Smooth (38) -

resting in the same plane; without bends or irregularities.

Path (38)he course or direction in which something moves: the path of a

whirlwind a course of conduct: the path of virtue.
Companion (38)comrade.
Honed (39)-

a person who is an associate of another or others;

a fine whetstone, especial for sharpening razors.

Lenses (39)- a piece of glass or other transparent material, used to converge

or diverge transmitted light and form optical images.
Advocate (40) - to support or recommend publicly; plead for or speak in favor
of.
Spellbound (40)spell.

having one's attention held as though one is bound by a

Interweave (43) -

to make (a web).

Scrim (45)an open-weave muslin or hessian fabric, used in upholstery,

lining, building, and in the theatre to create the illusion of a solid wall or to
suggest haziness, etc., according to the lighting.
Elsewhere (56) -

in or to another place; somewhere else.

Willing (57) - favorably disposed or inclined; ready.

Assorted (60) - consisting of various kinds mixed together; miscellaneous.

SECTION

PUNCTUATION:

(5) Those who

envision and

produce
5

the dance-choreographers

Use of dashes without spaces.

(6) None
of
demonstrate

this

cases

is

perfect;

however, each

one

Use of semicolon.
(6) pre- and post-production
Use of dashes.
(8) if a documentation project is to
practice.

reach the caliber of best

Use of quotations .
(8) It would be impossible to assemble, reconstruct, or imagine
the movement-the very
foundation
Use of

of dance.

dashes

(12) (Caveat: Especially

tapes !)

for

archival

purposes,

do

not

ruse

Use of Parenthesis, Colon, Comma.

(23) A great deal of
of the concept-can

preparation-the

idea for and development

happen unseen.
Use of dashes.
(24) Dancers; production
staff; music/sound score,
musicians, or accompanist (if

composer,

used);
Use of slash.
(28) The responsibility for cultural
priest/shaman/guru/community

continuity lies,

leader)
Use

of slash

(29) Agent. Researcher-observer-participant

6

such

Use of dashes without

(35) The ideal objective
have not experience with
the

spaces.
of documentation-to allow those who

performance.

Use of dashes.
(45) Most
of
Labanotation

his 100-plus works have

been

documented by

Use of dashes.

SECTION 3 GRAMMAR:
(16) Technology
practitioners

is

still beyond the financial reach of the

most dance

Adjective or adverb. ?
(24) The creative process could lead to better not- saving, recording of
responses with dancers. Videotaping of choreography and other aspects
of process.
Is it doing a comparison? Is it a contradiction?
(25) A number of
intentional effort to

products are

generated even

when

there is no

document the performance.

Why is it not used not
(31) Documentary projects do required copyrights clearances.
Maybe does it make emphasis ?
(40) For a project with
planning is/was

hopes of braking into a commercial

market,

essential and time-consuming.

Two times at the same time? ,
(55) Not only must

you clear music rights

The structure is like

a question but there is no question mark

7

SECTION

4 EXPRESSIONS

AND

MEANINGS:

(35) The Buddhist sacred dances had

of the intrusive tourists

become

corrupted because

Dances had been influenced in their culture by foreigners.

(36) His interpretations, allowing for
solving to take form over

ongoing threads of puzzle-

Time.
It talks about a visionary.
(36) His conclusions, including lessons
and what needed to be
further

learned in different

way

discovered

Lessons let to reflect and discover.

(36) The factual information would
and analysis. They can puzzle

be separated from intuition

information.
Information can be
practical way.

SECTION
(8) Dance

confused if

it

is

not

analyzed in sensible and

FLOW:

Notation

It is
written in third person of singular. Paragraphs author makes
description
of past , present and future events about Labanotation
describing sequences. it projects strategies to be developed in practice .
It makes
comparisons. It makes researchers references . From
this
paragraph is
born
information to be
compared (Advantages
and
disadvantages).
Those develop facts; causes;
experiences;
events;
consequence connectors . There is coherency between paragraphs. They
are connected. Important words: codes; method; advantages- disadvantages;
as well as; then; jeopardize.
(27) TRANSMITION FRAMEWORK
8

It is written in third person of singular. It makes comparisons between

transmission of traditional dances
and technical dances. It contains
addition difference cause
and effect connectors ; porpoises; offering
examples. It describe elements, practical situations.
Important words: Method; agent; products; tradition; cultural expression and
values .
(35) CORE
OF
BUTHAN - BUDISH

CULTURE
DANCE
SACRED DANCE

PRESERVATION: DANCE

IN

It is written in third person of singular. Author makes an introductory

explanation and description about the context to document this dance.
He tells facts and problems in documentation which can let to image
invasion in a culture as a result contaminated traditions. He
develop
step by step experiences, situations in this documentation research. Text
contains addition difference cause/effect and
sequence connectors which
are logical writing. He refers to work time
divisions . Characters:
Narrator; researchers; community.
Important words: project; background; account; interpretations; conclusions;
analysis; points of view; preserving dances.
(38) FESTIVALS

AN DANCE

IN THE PERUVIAN

ANDES

Firstly, author makes a summary about the documentation project after

that He makes a
description of documentation. He use connectors to
offer examples; phrases to express
emphasis , mention exceptions;
cause / effect; conclusion. It is
written in third person of singular.
Paragraph by paragraph is connected consistent. Text lets to image
interesting
moments living cultural
traditions in those events. In
contrast difficulty to have
a good
conditions an equipment to
develop documentation work. Characters: Narrator; researchers; community.
Important words: Mestizo; social; racial; ethnic identity; because ; as
result; nonetheless; audio ; video;
dusty; windy.

SECTION

STRUCTURAL

MAP

OF THE

BOOK:

The author follows a technique, informative, narrative (in some examples

of documentation), argumentative content development. Head map
represents important stages defined by the author. The key is
technique through essential tools of which are generated ramifications in
the map. Those develop the information in logical way. Both map and
text represent development strategies and analysis arguments. The book
9

is a guide based in research experiences, facts that project possibilities

to be used by reader.

Limitations: The author refers to strategies for documentation using

not technologically advanced equipment which is a reality in artistically
documentation but he did not mention strategies to finance high
technological documentation, for example: through private or public
institutions.
The map contains an
interesting focus text because of its information
to follow steps for documentation meanwhile it could not only
approach past facts but also It could refer present examples and how
content could project in a practical method through years and
nowadays.

10