No Fixed Points: Dance in the Twentieth Century.

No Fixed Points: Dance in the Twentieth Century By Nancy Reynolds and Malcolm McCormick. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 2003. 907 pages. Illustrated. $50.

No Fixed Points is unique in its clarity of vision. It deals not so much with personalities as with essences. Innovative choreography is its guide.

The book is a collaboration between dance scholar Nancy Reynolds and theatrical designer Malcolm McCormick. Both began their careers as dancers, and it is with a genuine feeling far movement that they view its triumph in the twentieth century.

The text swings like a resolute pendulum from period to period, style to style. For example, it may forge forward among the American postmoderns of the '60s and then backtrack to examine the ballet boom of the same period. It makes interesting discoveries not only about the United States, but about theatrical dance in the rest of the world, country by country.

Reynolds danced under Balanchine, has written authoritative Balanchine repertory compendia, and is director of research for the Balanchine Foundation. Yet her viewpoint remains remarkably balanced. Although Balanchine receives detailed treatment, the succinct comments about a host of other choreographers are equally revealing.

For example, of Ruth St. Denis she says, "Spiritual commitment ... shrewdly mixed with show business ... was the province of Ruth St. Denis." And of Hanya Holm's much heralded Trend she observes, "It reflected Ausdruckstanz but was thoroughly American in its expressive affirmation of an advancing, changing civilization."

The very core of her aesthetic turns up in her appreciation of the cool independence of Merce Cunningham, but the comments about Martha Graham rely too heavily upon the observations of then-New York Times critic John Martin.

No Fixed Points is remarkable for its thoroughness and for the unpretentious flow of its prose. It is a joy to read, even though there are inevitably a few imbalances. For instance, the section on regional ballet should certainly have mentioned Dorothy Alexander, who founded the movement in the Southeast, and Josephine Schwarz, who expanded its influence in the Northeast.

The hefty volume is striking in appearance. There is a generous progression of aptly chosen photographs, although some of them are pallidly reproduced.

The jacket and endpapers designed by Brian Rushton make No Fixed Points a standout for any coffee table, while the text turns that table into an oasis of fresh perception.