Introduction

Abstract

“Why am I doing this?” is a good question to ask ourselves now and then, and it lived with me throughout the process of creating this book. The idea for such a volume first arose when colleagues were asking what my plans were after retirement; this is rather like asking students what they plan to do after graduation. Most assumed I had some major research projects in mind. But after 34 years of being a faculty member in Dance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a year as Interim Dean, I was feeling pretty “used up,” questioning whether I had any new ideas to write about, and ready to get on with creating the next chapter of my life. Saying that I was considering an edited collection of my work meant I didn’t have to have anything else figured out for the time being. In addition, it drew enthusiastic response from some, which provided encouragement to formally begin “considering.”