In Part Real, Part Dream, Stuart Hodes gives readers an intensely personal account of his long and acclaimed life as a professional dancer with some of the legends of modern dance. The story of his complex relationship with Martha Graham, with whom he danced with for more than a decade, offers a fascinating backstage seat to the dynamic and rapidly evolving vision of one of modern dance’s greatest innovators. Struggling out on the road, being welcomed throughout the world, the troupe continues ahead, fueled by brilliance and bravado.
From bomber pilot to modern dance and Broadway dancer, from choreographer to teacher and dance administrator, Hodes has lived a life in the arts unlike any other. Told with humility, humor and nimble grace, his memoir is a must for dance aficionados, but more importantly, Part Real, Part Dream is a great read for anyone interested in an inside look into a rich, varied creative life in New York City and far beyond.
“Now that I’m in my ninth decade, flying, which I did for less than three years, and dancing, which lasted more than fifty, tower over everything but love and family. But it was Martha Graham who captured me.”
– Stuart Hodes, from the Preface
“Stuart Hodes is in a class by himself and his memoir deserves to be among those of the other greats of the dance. It is also a book for anyone interested in the personal journey of the life of the artist. A life that is most certainly “Part Real-Part Dream.”
– Richard Move, from the Introduction
Stuart Hodes took his first dance lesson at the Martha Graham School after discharge from a distinguished stint as an Air Force aviator in WWII. He danced in the original casts of Do Re Mi, First Impressions, Milk and Honey, Paint Your Wagon, Peer Gynt, Sophie, The Barrier, To Broadway with Love, and Zeigfeld Follies(1956). He also appeared in Kismet, By the Beautiful Sea, Once Upon A Mattress, The King and I, and The Most Happy Fella—plus off-Broadway, TV, and nightclubs. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughters.
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