Memoir Dance

Dance Until it Rains shares the life of a remarkable lady, and in so doing, highlights the amazing lessons that each of us can learn, not only from her life, but also from our own. It is an inspirational story of love, hope, courage and overcoming the many obstacles life throws our way. It will help you to find the motivation to create a better level of wellbeing and a happier life for yourself.

Follow Paul Oakenfold—world-renowned DJ and dance music pioneer—as he tells his incredible story of a phenomenal career at the beating heart of dance. Paul's journey takes him from a musical baptism in 1980s New York and underground club nights in London to running a seminal dance record label and a legendary trip to Ibiza that introduced him to trance and changed the face of dance music forever.

The story begins in 1970. The day after Jimi Hendrix's death...dairy farmer Michael Eavis invites revellers to his field in Somerset to attend a 'Pop, Folk & Blues' festival. Tickets are £1 each, enticing more than a thousand customers with the promise of music, dance, poetry, theatre, lights and spontaneous entertainment - as well as free milk from his own Worthy Farm cows. Fast forward through five tumultuous decades, and the Eavises' vision now encompasses a gigantic 'city in the fields', with a total annual population nearing a quarter of a million.

An inspiring memoir from one of Australia’s ballet greats on finding himself, onstage and off. From the backblocks of Perth to international stardom, this is a story of courage to fight against the odds for your passion and succeed. David McAllister has always belonged onstage. As the middle child in a Catholic family who knew nothing about dance, he watched himself twirl in the reflective glass of the TV and dreamed about becoming the next Rudolf Nureyev. As a little boy taking ballet lessons, he was mercilessly bullied.

Disco music has earned an unflattering reputation for being garish and flashy; however, it was the voice of a generation that spoke using the power of dance to unite people. Now for the first time, you can hear the compelling never-been-told story of the rise of the New York disco scene. TBOF discotheques attracted everyone from CEOs to mailroom clerks, from Rick James to Elizabeth Taylor, and from big-time mobsters to FBI agents. This unprecedented collection of humanity made it impossible to know what excitement would unfold each night.

The foundation of my book is biographical, of my mother and her family with their battles with schizophrenia and schizoid personalities. It describes the lives of two of her children and herself, and how the author navigated living with them with faith in God. This experience has strengthened me with emotional and spiritual vigor. The purpose of writing this is to encourage, enlighten, educate, and intrigue listeners with poetry and history.

At the touch of emotion, A Dance with Destiny becomes one of the greatest timeless biographical novel. Real or not real? Real, this incredible story is true, and its dramatic twists and turns go far beyond anything we could imagine. For those who are in love with soul, there is no such thing as separation. The Second World War-story of the passionate and tragic affair between Betty Bjurström, the beautiful, famous dancer, and Renato Senise, film producer and Allied Intelligence agent, has taken on an almost mythical dimension.

Michelle weaves together stories of her childhood along with the trials of living in rural Idaho. Growing up, she received messaging that being different wasn't acceptable, and worse, being a lesbian was a one-way ticket to burning in Hell for all eternity. I Don't Want to Dance is a coming-of-age, coming-out collection of stories written in an honest, funny, and sometimes raw manner. In her debut novel, she reveals her resilience growing up misunderstood as a daughter, friend, and eventually, partner through her poignant and relatable sense of humor.

The Last Dance: A Love Affair with Destiny is a captivating and inspiring memoir that follows the love story of Emma and Alex, two individuals, whose lives were forever changed when they met each other. From the first steps of their fateful encounter to their last dance together, this book takes the listener on a journey of love, passion, and destiny.

Thalia Mara's story spans the history of dance in the twentieth century and the rise of the arts in her adopted city of Jackson, Mississippi. As an adolescent Mara (1911–2003) studied with renowned Russian teacher Adolph Bolm, who recommended she go at age sixteen to Paris for further study. During a tour in Europe and South America, she met her partner in dance and life, Arthur Mahoney, and they dazzled the world with their breathtaking performances during the 1930s and '40s. The two were named codirectors of Jacob's Pillow in 1947, gracing the cover of Life magazine that year.

Mark tells the story of his life through his strong memories of the ups and downs, from poverty to the glittering stages where he performed, surviving sexual abuse and overcoming a stutter, an aunt who made his life unbearable, and a woman who believed in his talent as a dancer. Against all adversity, he had to believe in himself and conquer the world and his fears, finding the ultimate goal in life: happiness, love, and fulfillment with his partner in London.

"This might be one of the month’s, if not the year’s, sweetest books — zaniest, too.” ―The Washington Post "A hilarious addition to the dogoir canon.” ―People "Perhaps the greatest love story ever told.” ―Refinery29 "The feel-good book the world needs." —PopSugar From one...

As the head writer for Shadowbox Live, a theater company in Columbus, Ohio, Jimmy Mak often mines his life for comedic material. Now, for the first time, he's compiled his thoughts on those silly, serious, and sappy moments in one place. Daddies Shouldn't Breakdance takes us on a highly entertaining tour of the high points in Mak's life: his first day on the planet, his exploits as a secret young superhero, his experiences as a father raising charming but rambunctious daughters, and more.

One of Haiti’s most renowned daughters returns to her homeland, taking listeners on a stunning, exquisitely rendered journey beyond the hedonistic surface of Carnival and into its deep heart. Edwidge Danticat had long been scared off from Carnival by a loved one, who spun tales of people dislocating hips from gyrating with too much abandon, losing their voices from singing too loudly, going deaf from the clamor of immense speakers, and being punched, stabbed, pummeled, or fondled by other lustful revelers. Now an adult, she resolves to return and exorcise her Carnival demons.

Fred Astaire, 1899 to 1987, born Frederick Austerlitz, was an icon and extremely influential American dancer, singer, actor, and choreographer. Although Astaire refused dance lessons at first, he quickly picked up choreography and showed himself to be a natural talent; he also began learning various instruments. Overall, Astaire’s stage and film and television career spanned 76 years. Astaire starred in more than 10 Broadway musicals, over 30 musical films, and numerous television specials, radio specials, and recordings.

Wovoka (1867-1932), the Ghost Dance Prophet, was a member of the Walker River band of Paiutes in Western Nevada. The Walker River Reservation was established in 1859, and was Wokova’s home off and on for years. Wovoka was also known as Jack Wilson, a name he acquired while he was, for some years, employed on the David Wilson family ranch in the Mason Valley.