17 mined to challenge our assumptions about the appropriateness of music to dance. Merce Cunningham, for example, is well known for his random juxtaposition of choreography with music by John Cage. Music for some of his performances is randomly selected moments before the dancers go on stage. Dance critics should also judge sets, costumes, and props. Generally, the test is whether they are appropriate to the human movement and other elements on stage.
Dance is a multi-media art form, but human movement remains central.
Some Special Difficulties Evaluating dance presents some special problems. First, the opportunities for studying other works of art in dance are extremely limited. The critic cannot, with some very limited exceptions, go to the library or record store and buy or borrow a tape of a dance. Thanks to public television and the advent of reasonably priced video cassette recorders, it is possible to accumulate a library of important works gradually, but very little is available commercially and many important works are never shown on television. Many works have never been taped at all.