Ballerina of the People
Author : Lisa Macuja
Publisher :
Page : 248 pages
File Size : 21,30 MB
Release : 2006
Category : Ballerinas
ISBN :
Being a Ballerina
Author : Gavin Larsen
Publisher : University Press of Florida
Page : 268 pages
File Size : 32,49 MB
Release : 2021-04-27
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 081306595X
Book Description
Finalist, the Arts Club of Washington Marfield Prize A look inside a dancer’s world Inspiring, revealing, and deeply relatable, Being a Ballerina is a firsthand look at the realities of life as a professional ballet dancer. Through episodes from her own career, Gavin Larsen describes the forces that drive a person to study dance; the daily balance that dancers navigate between hardship and joy; and the dancer’s continual quest to discover who they are as a person and as an artist. Starting with her arrival as a young beginner at a class too advanced for her, Larsen tells how the embarrassing mistake ended up helping her learn quickly and advance rapidly. In other stories of her early teachers, training, and auditions, she explains how she gradually came to understand and achieve what she and her body were capable of. Larsen then re-creates scenes from her experiences in dance companies, from unglamorous roles to exhilarating performances. Working as a ballerina was shocking and scary at first, she says, recalling unexpected injuries, leaps of faith, and her constant struggle to operate at the level she wanted—but full of enormously rewarding moments. Larsen also reflects candidly on her difficult decision to retire at age 35. An ideal read for aspiring dancers, Larsen’s memoir will also delight experienced dance professionals and fascinate anyone who wonders what it takes to live a life dedicated to the perfection of the art form.
Taking Flight
Author : Michaela DePrince
Publisher : Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Page : 258 pages
File Size : 35,23 MB
Release : 2014
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 0385755112
Book Description
"The memoir of Michaela DePrince, who lived the first few years of her live in war-torn Sierra Leone until being adopted by an American Family. Now seventeen, she is one of the premiere ballerinas in the United States"--
La Follia
Author : Joanna Marsh
Publisher :
Page : pages
File Size : 28,2 MB
Release : 2021-02
Category :
ISBN : 9780998978826
Book Description
Ballerina
Author : Deirdre Kelly
Publisher : Greystone Books Ltd
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 16,32 MB
Release : 2012
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 1771640006
Book Description
Throughout her history, the ballerina has been perceived as the embodiment of beauty and perfection--the feminine ideal. But the reality is another story. From the earliest ballerinas in the 17th century--who often led double lives as concubines--through the poverty of the corps de ballet dancers in the 1800's and the anorexic and bulimic ballerinas of George Balanchine, starvation and exploitation have plagued ballerinas throughout history. Using the stories of great dancers such as Anna Pavlova, Isadora Duncan, Suzanne Farrell, Gelsey Kirkland, Evelyn Hart, Marie Camargo, and Misty Copeland, Deirdre Kelly exposes the true rigors for women in ballet. She rounds her critique with examples of how the world of ballet is slowly evolving for the better. But to ensure that this most graceful of dance forms survives into the future, she says that the time has come to rethink ballet, to position the ballerina at its center and accord her the respect she deserves.
The Ballet Companion
Author : Eliza Gaynor Minden
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 362 pages
File Size : 34,15 MB
Release : 2007-11-01
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 1416595716
Book Description
A New Classic for Today's Dancer The Ballet Companion is a fresh, comprehensive, and thoroughly up-to-date reference book for the dancer. With 150 stunning photographs of ballet stars Maria Riccetto and Benjamin Millepied demonstrating perfect execution of positions and steps, this elegant volume brims with everything today's dance student needs, including: Practical advice for getting started, such as selecting a school, making the most of class, and studio etiquette Explanations of ballet fundamentals and major training systems An illustrated guide through ballet class -- warm-up, barre, and center floor Guidelines for safe, healthy dancing through a sensible diet, injury prevention, and cross-training with yoga and Pilates Descriptions of must-see ballets and glossaries of dance, music, and theater terms Along the way you'll find technique secrets from stars of American Ballet Theatre, lavishly illustrated sidebars on ballet history, and tips on everything from styling a ballet bun to stage makeup to performing the perfect pirouette. Whether a budding ballerina, serious student, or adult returning to ballet, dancers will find a lively mix of ballet's time-honored traditions and essential new information.
Cantique
Author : Joanna Marsh
Publisher :
Page : 273 pages
File Size : 16,85 MB
Release : 2017-06-20
Category : Ballet
ISBN : 9780998978802
Book Description
After discovering sheet music from a long-lost production of Song of Solomon, novice dancer Colette Larsen is thrust into the elite world of professional ballet. Sparks fly when she meets James Brennan, the fun-loving soloist tasked with choreographing a new pas de deux to the music, but Colette is forced to watch from the sidelines as he rehearses with the company's prima ballerina. As Colette's relationship with James deepens, so does her need to find the purpose beneath her latent passion for dance-a purpose that manifests in new friendships, rediscovered talents, and in the pages of Song of Solomon. Humorous and heartfelt, this debut novel reveals a lighter side to ballet that resonates with dancers and non-dancers alike. Cantique's heroine is witty, whimsical, and highly relatable as she navigates love and dance in the midst of a quarter-life crisis. What readers are saying: "The novel is more than a simple love story... It's a journey of self-discovery and a tale that reminds us to pursue our passions... Cantique is suitable for a broad range of readers, young adult and up, dancers and non-dancers. Certainly many adult dancers, much like my own students, could see themselves in Colette's story." - Leigh Purtill, Dance Advantage "I don't think I've ever related more to a protagonist. Love the story, love the message, love the characters, love the writing. Love it all." - Hannah, Overland Park, KS "There were so many moments where the main character experiences or feels things that I have literally experienced or felt in my ballet journey... It just felt good to read this, and I think adult ballerinas in particular will find this very satisfying." - Jana Carson, Ballerinas by Night "The plot is unique, engaging, and extremely well structured... I found the overall story of Colette discovering the music and bringing it to life very compelling. A lovely mixture of art, history, and her self-discovery." - Megan Records, New Jersey "It's romantic and funny and moving... grounded in reality but still has a little bit of that fairytale that we are all looking for when we pick up a book." - Emilie B., Kansas City, MO
Black Ballerinas
Author : Misty Copeland
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 111 pages
File Size : 17,83 MB
Release : 2021-11-02
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 1534474250
Book Description
From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland comes an illustrated nonfiction collection celebrating dancers of color who have influenced her on and off the stage. As a young girl living in a motel with her mother and her five siblings, Misty Copeland didn’t have a lot of exposure to ballet or prominent dancers. She was sixteen when she saw a black ballerina on a magazine cover for the first time. The experience emboldened Misty and told her that she wasn’t alone—and her dream wasn’t impossible. In the years since, Misty has only learned more about the trailblazing women who made her own success possible by pushing back against repression and racism with their talent and tenacity. Misty brings these women’s stories to a new generation of readers and gives them the recognition they deserve. With an introduction from Misty about the legacy these women have had on dance and on her career itself, this book delves into the lives and careers of women of color who fundamentally changed the landscape of American ballet from the early 20th century to today.
The Other Side of Perfect
Author : Mariko Turk
Publisher : Poppy
Page : 286 pages
File Size : 27,64 MB
Release : 2021-05-11
Category : Young Adult Fiction
ISBN : 0316703427
Book Description
For fans of Sarah Dessen and Mary H.K. Choi, this lyrical and emotionally driven novel follows Alina, a young aspiring dancer who suffers a devastating injury and must face a world without ballet—as well as the darker side of her former dream. Alina Keeler was destined to dance, but then a terrifying fall shatters her leg—and her dreams of a professional ballet career along with it. After a summer healing (translation: eating vast amounts of Cool Ranch Doritos and binging ballet videos on YouTube), she is forced to trade her pre-professional dance classes for normal high school, where she reluctantly joins the school musical. However, rehearsals offer more than she expected—namely Jude, her annoyingly attractive castmate she just might be falling for. But to move forward, Alina must make peace with her past and face the racism she experienced in the dance industry. She wonders what it means to yearn for ballet—something so beautiful, yet so broken. And as broken as she feels, can she ever open her heart to someone else? Touching, romantic, and peppered with humor, this debut novel explores the tenuousness of perfectionism, the possibilities of change, and the importance of raising your voice.
Ballerina!
Author : Peter Sis
Publisher : Harper Collins
Page : 38 pages
File Size : 13,65 MB
Release : 2001-03-20
Category : Juvenile Fiction
ISBN : 0688179444
Book Description
Do you love to dance? If so, this is the book for you! Twist! Stretch! Reach! Leap! Be a swan! Be a tiger! Be a flame! Be a ballerina!
