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Dreaming Big
Dance Masters: Interviews with New York’s Dance Teachers is a collection of interviews conducted over four years with legendary dance teachers from New York, spanning ballet, jazz, tap, and modern dance. Why was this an important book for you to write?
As I stated in my introduction, I was obsessed with capturing the thoughts and experiences of master dance teachers who were giving away what they worked so hard to get. It was a four-year project, and I was completely immersed in it on so many different levels, from reading dance-related books to taking numerous dance classes and seeing all kinds of dance performances. At the time, I had just been through a major illness, and dance was my road back to wholeness. Although the book is about dance, it’s about much more than dance. It’s about overcoming obstacles, learning to live, having hope, dreaming big, and the history of many different artistic mediums like Broadway, live television, etc. The stories are very diverse and inspirational.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
To keep striving, that it is possible to achieve things against the odds, that dance and movement are not just physical but connected to the entire self. It’s about learning to live fully.
What was the most challenging part of writing this book, and what was the most rewarding?
Every single interview in this book was taped and transcribed by hand. All had to be edited for clarity. I did a tremendous amount of research to explore the topic from all possible angles, so I asked challenging questions and/or a great variety of questions, tailoring each interview to the individual. Writing a book is time-consuming, and this was a four-year project. But I came away from every interview filled with excitement and on a high. It’s rewarding to see the fruits of my labor in a book that is exactly as I visualized it to be and what I wanted it to be. I feel oral history will be lost if not put in book form, and each individual had such a rich experience. I’m really proud of the result of my labor and the information contained in the book, which is timeless.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Dance Masters?
I want readers to be inspired, to understand what made each of these individuals great, and to know so much more about dance history and the resilience of the human spirit.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Dance Masters: Interviews with New York’s Dance Teachers
Dance Masters is a collection of interviews with legendary dance teachers from New York, spanning ballet, jazz, tap, and modern. Each chapter highlights the voices of masters like Jerry Ames, Mary Anthony, Phil Black, Brenda Bufalino, and Eugene “Luigi” Faccuito, among many others. The format is straightforward. We hear directly from the teachers as they share their histories, philosophies, frustrations, triumphs, and above all, their passion for dance. The book also weaves in the author’s own reflections, especially her personal journey through illness and recovery, and how dance became her lifeline back to wholeness. It feels both like an oral history and a love letter to the art form.
I found myself moved by the intimacy of the interviews. The voices come across as raw and real. Some passages carry the weight of nostalgia. Others pulse with the intensity of people who gave their entire lives to movement. I appreciated how unvarnished it all felt. Teachers didn’t just talk about success; they spoke about financial struggles, physical limitations, and disappointments. That honesty gave the book heart. Some interviews circle the same themes: discipline, passion, and sacrifice. Still, the personalities shine bright enough to keep things engaging.
What struck me most was the mix of grit and joy. Many of these teachers had been through personal and professional battles, yet they never lost the fire for dance. Their words made me think about resilience, about what it means to create even when the body fails or the industry changes. The anecdotes about Broadway’s ups and downs, the tap renaissance, or how students transform under guidance, all of it gave me a sense of history that felt alive. At moments, I caught myself smiling; other times, I felt a lump in my throat.
I’d recommend Dance Masters to dancers of any level, but also to anyone fascinated by the process of teaching and creating. It’s not a manual. It’s a record of lived experience, the kind that might inspire a young dancer to push through or remind a seasoned teacher why they started. If you care about the human side of art, the sweat, the doubt, the spark, this book will speak to you.
Pages: 410 | ASIN : B0D9TM6L17
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