I can�t dance. Don�t ask me. In fact, to be perfectly honest, I�ve never really understood the art of dance. Mind you, I have attended countless performances and designed costuming for several modern dance pieces (and courted more than my share of principal dancers), but always came away from those experiences (save the romances) a great deal happier than when I went in, but no more enlightened.

So it is that with great trepidation, and an assumption of either pending boredom or perplexity, that I approached reading and reviewing HIPPO IN A TUTU: DANCING IN DISNEY ANIMATION, by Mindy Aloff. Like so many of the dance performances I attended over the years I came away surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience. Unlike the performances, I also felt enlightened on the art. In fact, Ms. Aloff�s complex and often critical analysis makes this not only the best book on dance that I�ve encountered, but possibly the best book on Disney animation that I�ve read since Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston�s The Illusion of Life.

Ms. Aloff�s impeccably researched and masterfully organized book on how dance plays a critical role in the history of Disney animation shows an understanding of every move that is made on screen, and examines it not only from the point of view of a choreographer and dance critic, but also from that of the animator and artist. Ms. Aloff dissects character intent and the specificity of each dace relative to the unique attributes of the character dancing.

With the help of colleagues like animator and historian John Canemaker, Ms. Aloff, a dance critic and cultural reporter by trade who came to animation first as a fan, has assimilated nicely into the world of animation critique. While she may be reaching a bit with statements like �The most important legacy of historic Disney is the best of contemporary Disney�, this writer is loathe to admonish her � and maybe a little jealous of her - for crafting such platitudes, as I know all too well how the subject of animation can send one thesaurus thumbing in an effort to spread the gospel.

The author�s voice is seldom pedantic, and fairly readable for most non-dance or non-animation laypersons approaching this material through this book. While it sometimes feels like the unique opinions and distinct style of her research sources influence Ms. Aloff�s editorial comments more often than not, her style is fairly consistent, and she never loses the reader in too much prosaic praise or dry, critical polemics. Hers is a nice blend, and a welcome voice in the animation history chorus.