A sweeping cultural history of the dancing that defined New York City Throughout the twentieth century, in theaters, ballrooms, and nightclubs, dancers blazed trails of resistance and revolution. From the exuberant endurance of dance marathons during Prohibition to the militant precision of the Rockettes through WWII and the strait-laced fifties; from the aloof abstraction of the Judson Dance Theater to the explosive energy of hip hop in the South Bronx; from the elated mingling of discos to the commercialized physicality of Broadway, dance was both a reflection of culture and a backbone for social change. In charting the stories and interconnected histories of these different dances, Nonstop Bodies: How Dance Shaped New York City reveals how each was fundamentally shaped by the social and historical forces of the time, as movements rumbling through the rest of the country came to a head in the singular density and diversity of New York City. The iconic contractions of Martha Graham share a lineage with the West African dances being transported to New York stages by Katherine Dunham; the innovations of George Balanchine took inspiration from the acrobatic feats of the Nicholas Brothers and other dancers honing their skills in Harlem's ballrooms; the evolutions in partnered dancing at the Palladium found their way into the Broadway choreography of Jerome Robbins while preceding the individualized revelries of the disco. Writer Rennie McDougall argues not only that dance can act as a mirror to the larger narratives of New York and the nation, but that the city itself has proven uniquely capable of creating innovations in how we move and dance together. Nonstop Bodies is more than a history―it is an exploration of movement that captures the ways in which dance has acted as both a catalyst and reflection of the city’s culture, politics, and heart. “At once spry and erudite, inventive and entertaining,  Nonstop Bodies  is a vital new social history of New York. Rennie McDougall moves from uptown to downtown and from ballrooms to sidewalks; from icons of modern dance to the mambo-mad Palladium; from club kids to ballet to breakers in the Bronx. So doing, he reveals dance to be an unexcelled lens through which to understand the tensions―between high culture and low, identity and difference, the monied and less so―that make the city go.”   ― Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, author of Names of New York: Discovering the City's Past, Present, and Future Through Its Place-Names “In  Nonstop Bodies , Rennie McDougall keenly hones in on the understanding that how we move is an expression of who we are. He introduces us to the brilliant bodies that taught New York how to move and, in doing so, his book introduces us to an incandescent mind.” ― Saeed Jones, author of Alive at the End of the World “In  Nonstop Bodies , Rennie McDougall narrates the history of twentieth-century New York City through dance with panache and precision. Even more than the dances themselves, it’s the dancers who come alive in McDougall’s account, from the subtly subversive Lindy hoppers right up through the B-boys and B-girls who are their heirs. Highly recommended for anyone interested in dance, New York City, or both.” ― Ruth Franklin, author of The Many Lives of Anne Frank “What a refreshing, smart, thoughtful history of New York dance and its bold conversation with the city and society at large. From this unsparing view, a ringing truth emerges: the unique capacity of dance, forged collectively and steeped in every human strength and frailty, to shatter taboos, to rebel, and to liberate.” ― Sarah L. Kaufman, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Verb Your Enthusiasm “ Nonstop Bodies is a fascinating work of cultural history. With great sensitivity and rigor, Rennie McDougall unpacks the politics of how we move and shows New York City as a dance floor on which revolution is the only rule.” ― Kate Bolick, author of New York Times bestseller Spinster: Making a Life of One’s Own “Meticulously researched, innovatively written, and ultimately hopeful, Nonstop Bodies is an essential text for every New Yorker and certainly every artist.” ― Jesse James Rose, author of sorry I keep crying during sex “Combining the fluid instincts of a dancer with the sharp insights of a critic, Rennie McDougall has created a vibrant history of dance that moves gracefully through New York City’s past. Nonstop Bodies is authoritative, passionate, elegant, and fun.” ― Katie Roiphe, author of The Power Notebooks “ Nonstop Bodies is a walloping and charming romp of a cultural history that traces the definitive evolution of dance through the currents of modern history. It’s a joy to read.” ― Eliza Griswold, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Circle of Hope Rennie McDougall is a writer based in Brooklyn, New York. His writing has appeared in T Magazine, The Village Voice, Lapham's Quarterly, Gay Magazine/Medium, frieze.com , hyperallergic.com , The Lo