Dancing with Delight

Cherie Devliotis was brought up to dance. Her mother, Isabelle Brook, was a dancer who performed regularly in the 1920s and 1930s; she also had her own school of dance in Hamilton in the 1930s. Cherie was taken along from infancy. She is thus well placed to write a history of dance, dancers and dancing schools in the early part of the 20th century in the Auckland area with glances further afield. The book tells the story of dance in relation to the early films. We hear about the development of the competitions and the advent of ballet in the city and beyond. There are famous names here - Rowena Jackson and Bryan Ashbridge to mention just two. The book is thoroughly researched; a grant from Creative New Zealand assisted this process. The book is lavishly illustrated with pictures from the period covered in the book. It is a readable story which will also become a definitive work on the history of dance. There is much about early Auckland here, told from the perspective of those who lived for dancing and who had to move about the city to fulfil their engagements and take their lessons. The title reflects the author's own delight in dancing and its history.