5 New Biographies and Memoirs for the Dancer in Your Life
There’s no fighting it—winter is coming. And whether you’re looking for the perfect holiday gift for your favorite dancer or for a good excuse to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate, we have the book for you. Five new ballet biographies and autobiographies are now available for either purchase or pre-order, covering the lives of luminaries ranging from Balanchine muse Tanaquil Le Clercq to groundbreaking modernist choreographer Bronislava Nijinska. Read on for a sneak peek into each title, and prepare to fall down the rabbit hole of ballet history.
Dancing Past the Light: The Life of Tanaquil Le Clercq, by Orel Protopopescu
In 1948, at the age of 19, Tanaquil Le Clercq became a principal dancer with New York City Ballet, making waves as the ideal “Balanchine ballerina.” In 1952, she married George Balanchine, becoming his fourth and final wife. And in 1956, at the age of 27, she contracted polio while on tour with NYCB in Europe and became wheelchair-bound, never to dance again.
In this new comprehensiv
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Ballet AZ Blog
From the 19th century to today, here is our list of the most iconic and influential ballerinas you need to know!
Anna Pavlova
The name Anna Pavlova is typically one of the first to come to mind when thinking about the world’s greatest ballerinas. Although her long limbs, arched feet, and thin ankles did not fit the ballerina mold of her time, she never let those attributes stop her from making a name for herself. After graduating from Russia’s Imperial Ballet School, she joined the Mariinsky Theatre and quickly rose through the ranks. Pavlova became a favorite of legendary ballet master and choreographer, Marius Petipa and was named Prima Ballerina in 1906 after a performance of Giselle. However, it is the role of The Dying Swan, choreographed for her by Michel Fokine, that would become the most renowned role of her career. She went on to travel the world, performing with the Ballet Russes and inspired hundreds to become dancers, including British choreographer, Frederick Ashton!
Margot Fonteyn
Appointed Prima Ballerina Assoluta by Que
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Dancers’ biographies that you’ll love
I love reading anytime I have some spare time. There’s nothing better than having a book between the hands and a warm blanket on top. Actually, there is something better: having a good ballet book! If you enjoy reading too, here’s a collection of dancers’ biographies that you’ll love.
Natalia Makarova – A dance autobiography (by Natalia Makarova)
Natalia Makarova has been one of my greatest influences and role models, not only for her dancing, but especially for her personality. In her autobiography, filled with beautiful pictures, Makarova begins with her childhood in Russia and takes us up to the peaks of her career as a ballerina. She extensively talks about the spirituality and intellectuality of dance, about her difficulties and personal opinions. A very inspiring story for any dancer.
“To execute a step and to dance a step. The opposition of these two concepts contains the entire history of the classical dance”Natalia Makarova