Whether they are on stage or off stage a dancer does hold the body in a trained posture that is instantly recognizable. You know it. Back straight, no slouch and head high! A dancer looks different and they move with a grace that most people wish they had. As our life becomes more relying on gadgets, we lose movement grace and so much more. This new book, The Art Of Grace: On Moving Well Through Life by Sarah L. Kaufmann tries to help everyone achieve grace and move on well in life and in what we do.
We do not need to talk much about the reputation of Sarah Kauffman. After all, she is a Pulitzer Prize winner. What we should talk about is why you may want to read this book written by a dance critic that can change your life.
“The Art Of Grace” tries to make 2 important points:
- Grace is how well you feel in your own skin, no matter what you do from a bodybuilder to a modern dancer.
- Grace is democratic as it can be genuine without being genteel. It is available for all people in the world, not just some in different professions.
Kaufman’s way with words is really deep and it perfectly matches the tricky subject handled. Everything is controlled and smooth while maintaining a high authority about so many different subjects. There are even some bits of humor that make everything even more enjoyable.
The Art Of Grace is a book that comes after much research. It is evident. There are 16 chapters included, with most of them being about grace manifested in different fields: theater, art, dance, politics, sports, hospitality, cooking, strippers and waiters. The book is not about what we normally refer to as grace and there is no social premise.
There is a gap between generations when looking at grace. It is quite visible and so many things have an influence on it. Kaufman highlights that and manages to talk about manners, grace and so much more in a way that makes a lot of sense. Without giving any spoilers we cannot go deeper into the subject but we can say this is definitely a read that is going to make you question some things and change perceptions.
The Art Of Grace will present things in a different life and in many cases there is no desire to beat around the bush. Realities are presented and some difficult topics are handled. For instance, Kaufman talks about the idea of being yourself. The current society is focused a lot on it but the truth is that true grace and politeness is not just about the individual. It is also about those around the individual. For instance, let’s say you are riding in the subway and it is crowded. You stretch your legs without a care in the world. You are yourself. That is what we are taught, to do just that. However, this action can easily disturb those around us. This idea in itself could be a book but everything else is even better.