Encyclopedia of World Folk Dance

Mary Ellen Snodgrass taught high school and university classes for 23 yearsand served as a state humanities lecturer and member of the NC Library Commission. She is the author of several works of award-winning reference volumes including Japan vs. U.S.A. (1993), Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature (2006), Encyclopedia of Utopian Literature (1995), Encyclopedia of Fable (1998), Encyclopedia of the Underground Railroad (2007), Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion (2013), and The Encyclopedia of World Ballet (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015).

This encyclopedia must have been a challenge for prolific compiler Snodgrass, covering as it does such an expansive topic—folk dance worldwide from all time periods. Each entry, however, offers sufficient detail to serve as an good introduction for students and more advanced researchers. One of the best features of the work is the explanation of terms used to describe individual dance practices, customs, and change over time; there is also a separate, helpful glossary of terms. An illustrative example would be the polka, also known by the Polish krakowiak. The author provides historical perspective on this dance and how it varies in different periods and parts of the world (e.g., its Scandinavian version gammeldans). Each entry has the source of the information listed, often derived from primary resources. The bibliography includes both primary works and secondary books and articles, and there is an appendix of state and national dances. The author provides a chronology covering 5000 BC to 2016—an interesting feature, but lacking sufficient detail for most research needs. The work's exhaustive index, on the other hand, is especially important for interrelating topics (e.g., under ‘Jewish dance,’ one can find the two-page main entry bolded, with multiple mentions in other entries and pointers to five unique Jewish subgroups). Summing Up:Recommended. All readership levels.