Two by Two: Tango, Two-Step, and the L.A. Night - Hardcover

Babitz, Eve

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0684833921 ISBN 13: 9780684833927

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1999

Synopsis

Provides a glittering odyssey through the glamorous dance scene in fashionable Los Angeles, offering a close-up look at the dancers, music, nightlife, hot dance spots, celebrities, and more.

About this title

About the Author

Eve Babitz is the author of five critically acclaimed books, most recently Black Swans, L.A. Woman, and Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, the Flesh, and L.A. She is a frequent contributor to magazines and weeklies, including Vogue, Elle, and L.A. Weekly. As a lifelong resident of Los Angeles and a graduate of Hollywood High, Babitz has spent her life capturing the elusive spirit of this enigmatic city.

Reviews

In each chapter of this erratic look at the Los Angeles dance scene, Babitz (Black Swans) focuses on a different style of dance, with most of the text consisting of interviews with dance teachers. Predictably, the atmosphere of each dance space varies greatly. Paul McClure teaches two-step and insists that his studio, In Cahoots, is "just like the Cheers bar, everybody knows your name"; the salsa scene is, as Babitz describes it, "grisly" and far less friendly. The Stevens sisters, who run Pasadena Ballroom Dance, brag that their lessons have been the source of more than 450 marriages. Throughout, Babitz insists that dancing is flirty fun (as well as a good way to stay trim). Many of her observations are annoyingly flippant, such as her bizarre take on gender politics (male-female relations today are "ridiculous," she statesArather than sending for mail-order brides, American men just need to learn to dance). In a straightforward epilogue, Babitz tells of an accident she had while lighting a cigar that led to six weeks in the intensive care unit being treated for third-degree burns, then casually admits that, since her accident put her out of commission for a year, the information here may be out-of-date. While the book may waver past the radar of the uninitiated, those immersed in the ballroom world will identify with Babitz's obsession with dance.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0684833921
• ISBN 13: 9780684833927
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208