ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHT STANDS

Ted Shawn, like many professional dancers, began creative dance as therapy after an illness, had a single-minded and energetic career, and like many septuagenarians wants to record his whirlwind years for posterity. He has penned other books on ""the dance"" -- this one is simply a playback of his career. He alludes to obscure beginnings in Kansas City but most of the book is about his liaison-marriage with Ruth St. Denis and the formation of the dance schools which led to the Denishawn Company and to Jacob's Pillow, the renowned summer dance center. Through it all he was teaching and lecturing, whirling and leaping trussed in gold lame, crowns, turbans, leopard, skins and what have you, on the national tours (50,000 miles annually) --forever endeavoring to bring honor and respect to the male dancer. One suspects his metier was promotion and colorful costuming: his motto ""Anything to look pretty"" echoes down the glory halls. But one must admire his dedication -- he's been in the dance field pitching for a long time and he knows the game.