Classical

Portraits of dancers rendered through reflective storytelling and exquisite photography, illustrating the varieties of individual paths within the world of ballet Infinite Steps invites readers into the deeply personal journeys of thirty-three ballet dancers from around the world, tracing their paths from first pliés to final bows and beyond. Through intimate profiles by writer and dancer Gavin Larsen and stunning photographs by Gene Schiavone, this book reveals the physical demands and quiet triumphs that define a life in ballet. Each chapter offers a glimpse into a dancer’s inner world, illuminating the realities behind the moments portrayed by the images. The dancers featured in this book span generations, career stages, and perspectives. Some, such as Misty Copeland, are internationally celebrated stars, while others are just beginning their journeys, and still others have transitioned into new lives beyond the stage. Alina Cojocaru began dancing in Kyiv at 9 years old before becoming a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet. Paloma Herrera became one of the youngest principal dancers in the history of American Ballet Theatre, and Marja’ Quaqua received Copeland’s prestigious Ballet in the City Scholarship for emerging Black dancers. Kylie Edwards performed with the City Ballet of San Diego and transitioned to an acting career, while Vjola Hajati found a second home performing cabaret at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. From the discipline of training to the vulnerability of retirement, these stories reflect the full spectrum of what it means to be a dancer, resonating with Schiavone’s images of the artists at work and rest. Infinite Steps is a tribute to the resilience, craft, and humanity of dancers. For lifelong ballet lovers, students dreaming of the stage, or anyone interested in learning about the people behind incredible art, this book offers a rare and heartfelt look at the many ways a life in dance can unfold.

In 2012 Joy Womack made history when she became the first American ballerina to sign a contract with the Bolshoi Ballet Theater in Moscow, Russia.<BR>Dancing in Moscow was not the Onion Dome fairy tale she'd hoped for. The Bolshoi and its school were filled with cutthroat competition, acts of violence, and coaches who encouraged obsessive devotion. They sent her on stage with broken bones, helped her forge immigration paperwork, and encouraged her to toe a dangerous political line - all for the privilege of dancing on one of the world's most storied stages. <BR>As Joy's career took off and she made a name for herself in the Russian ballet world, she had to face a hard choice. Were the growing dangers of a professional lifestyle descending into corruption worth the realization of her life's dream?

***Winner of the International Photography Award for Best Book of 2025***<BR>A stunning photographic celebration of The Martha Graham Dance Company on its 100th anniversary, from Ken Browar and Deborah Ory, the creative team behind NYC Dance Project. Founded in 1926 by Martha Graham, The Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest dance company in the United States and remains one of the world’s most distinguished and highly acclaimed. Graham's original works drew from a variety of influences, notably Greek mythology, the American frontier, and traditional Native American ceremonies, and were characterized by her trademark technique of "contraction and release." She is also renowned for her ongoing collaboration with several of her contemporary creative visionaries, including sculptor Isamu Noguchi, actor and director John Houseman, composer Aaron Copland, and fashion designers Halston, Donna Karen, and Calvin Klein. Martha Graham Dance Company 100 Years is a monumental photographic tribute to Graham’s profound creative heritage. Featuring a joyous selection of twenty-four of Graham’s most memorable works, Browar and Ory capture the beauty and the precision of dancers who make up today’s company and who carry the mantle of Graham’s legacy. Each featured dance is prefaced by a piece of archival imagery as well as a description of the dance and notes on costume design, set design, and accompanying music. An in-depth feature on Noguchi’s set design as well as an introduction by Martha Graham Dance Company artistic director Janet Eilber round out the program.  

'A novel that will be read and loved for the next one hundred years, and essential reading for right now. I could not have loved it more.' Coco Mellors, author of Blue Sisters'This story left me thinking about the ways we overcome setbacks and redefine what truly matters.'  Reese Witherspoon A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK FOR DECEMBER 2024 * A HARPER'S BAZAAR BEST BOOK OF 2024Slowly recovering from a terrible accident, Natalia is faced with a devastating choice - to return to the cutthroat world of Russian ballet that nearly broke her, or to walk away forever - in this sweeping novel of love and redemptionPrima ballerina Natalia Leonova was once celebrated across the world, her signature bravura in demand on stages from St. Petersburg to Paris to New York. But at the top of her career, an accident forces her into sudden retirement. Injured and alone, she turns to pills and alcohol to numb the pain of her past, still haunted by her relationships with two gifted dancers, Dmitri and Alexander. These men were responsible for her soaring highs, her darkest hours and, ultimately, both played their part in her downfall.So when Dmitri resurfaces with a tantalising offer for Natalia, she must decide what she is willing to sacrifice in order to dance again - and for the chance to return to the great love of her life. Painting a vivid portrait of a world in which ruthless ambition, desire and sublime artistry collide, City of Night Birds unveils the making of a dancer with profound intimacy and breathtaking scope.From the author of Beasts of a Little Land, winner of the Yasnaya Polyana Award'A beautifully crafted must read' Jason Mott, author of Hell of a Book

Toni Bentley, a dancer for George Balanchine, the greatest ballet maker of the 20th century, tells the story of Serenade, his iconic masterpiece, and what it was like to dance—and live—in his world at New York City Ballet during its legendary era.<BR><BR>At age seventeen, Toni Bentley was chosen by Balanchine, then in his final years, to join the New York City Ballet. From both backstage and onstage, she carries us through the serendipitous history and physical intricacies and demands of Serenade: its dazzling opening, with seventeen women in a double-diamond pattern; its radical, even jazzy, use of the highly refined language that is ballet; its place in the choreographer’s own dramatic story of his immigration to the United States from Soviet Russia; its mystical—and literal—embodiment of the tradition of classical ballet in just thirty-three minutes.<BR><BR>Bentley takes us inside the rarefied, intense, and thrilling world Balanchine created through his lifelong devotion to celebrating and expanding female beauty and strength—a world that, inevitably, passed upon his death. An intimate elegy to grace and loss and to the imprint of a towering artist and his transcendent creation on Bentley’s own life, Serenade: A Balanchine Story is a rich narrative by a dynamic artist about the nature of art itself at its most ephemeral and glorious.

This book is about surviving grief, and charts a journey of exceptional love. Now, aged 77, the burden of ambition has left the author and she has, with the help of close confidantes, reconfigured her life.Petal Ashmole Winstanley grew up in Perth, Western Australia with two great loves: her mother and classical ballet. Spurred on by her natural talent and ambition to dance, she made the voyage on the SS Canberra to London in the swinging '60s-the start of a vibrant career encompassing the glamour, global travel and trials and tribulations of a life on the stage.Her journey has been one of creative fulfilment often offset by deep sadness and loss: that of a longed-for baby, and the ultimate grief of losing three husbands. Petal speaks with gut-wrenching honesty of the brutal circumstances leading to each of their deaths, and the heartbreaking aftermath of a grief that would not ease. Repeated hospice experiences allow her to share an intimate knowledge of what happens before, during and after death-and have made her an advocate for early AIDS and cancer detection, and a fierce believer in Dignity in Dying. Sometimes shocking but frequently funny, Petal's story of sorrow is peppered with optimism as she recounts how, even at the gates of hell, she found the strength to get up, dress up and show up, sporting a dash of red lipstick.

A freshly researched reassessment of a unique phenomenon in the arts, exploring passionate conflicts and outsize personalities.

In his intimate memoir, legendary ballet dancer and entertainer Wayne Sleep looks back on the extraordinary times he's lived through. <BR><BR>Wayne Sleep has danced with ballet legends Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, partied with Freddie Mercury and performed with Princess Diana, becoming her close friend. <BR><BR>Behind the glitz and glamour, Wayne has always felt like an outsider. Sleep reveals the difficulties for a working-class, gay man in handling the prejudices of his generation and living through the Aids epidemic. Wayne was also the shortest principal dancer in the Royal Ballet - he had to spin twice as fast and jump twice as high to succeed. <BR><BR>In this moving - but also laugh-out-loud and gossip filled - memoir, Wayne Sleep shows how he danced his way to success, fulfilment and love, and how he overcame obstacles and prejudice along the way.

Can ballet ever be reconciled with feminist ideals?'Beautiful, difficult, and compelling.' VANITY FAIR'Don't think, dear,' said Balanchine. 'Just do.'For centuries, being a ballerina has been synonymous with being beautiful, thin, obedient and feminine. It is the crucible of womanhood, together with the harassment, physical abuse and eating disorders endemic at top schools. Can we abide this in a post #MeToo world?Weaving together her own time at America's most elite ballet school with the lives of renowned ballerinas throughout history, Alice Robb interrogates what it means to perform ballet today. She confronts the all-consuming nature of the form: the obsessive and dangerous practices to perfect the body, the embrace of submission and the idealisation of suffering.Yet ballet also gifts its dancers 'brains in their toes', a way to fully inhabit their bodies and a sanctuary of control away from the pressures of the outside world. Perhaps it is time to reimagine its liberating potential.***'Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, the book weaves [Robb's] early experiences as a dancer with those of her contemporaries, and of famous ballerinas... Don't Think, Dear is powered by a fundamental love of the art form while exposing the toxic culture that runs through it.' GUARDIAN'[Robb's] timely book is a critical yet personal examination of classical ballet - a performing art highly dependent on the talent of women - filtered through the lens of 21st-century feminism... she brings a welcome academic rigour to a subject clearly born of deeply held emotions.' THE TIMES'A study of an obsession remarkable for its nuance and insight... It might be easy... to assume that Don't Think, Dear is Robb's litany of grievances about a demanding art form in which she failed to flourish. Rather, it is a book about love, even if that love is ultimately unrequited... fascinating.' TLS

Travel through a timeline of rhythm and motion, engaging with different examples of how the skills learnt through dance can transform health and wellbeing. With narratives throughout, the book culminates on how to 'get dancing'. This book is for everyone who values fitness and wellbeing whether you are an experienced dancer or a beginner.Dance for your Life is here for anyone interested in living well. Perhaps you have felt ill or low, or your children are looking for a new dimension to their lives.Has dance been on your radar as something to explore. Maybe you would like to bring more vitality into your life, or you are here driven by curiosity: what on earth has dance to do with living life better? All children should have the chance to express themselves through dance. To realise how moving your body equates to feeling good. People have developed new habits for life. Dance to live well.The world can change in a heartbeat! Your world can change in a Dancebeat!Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts. For it is no mere translation or abstraction of life. It is life itself. HENRY HAVELOCK (1859 - 1939), An English physicianDance is liberating, it's seen as an act of outward expression.Life is full of exciting opportunities, so step forward and take them. If you feel inspired to dance or to encourage others to, you must go ahead. Say yes to yourself and do it. Find out about transferable life skills learnt through dance. Read this book and discover.CreativityDiscover the joy of movementPerseveranceRespectConfidenceResponsibilitySocial SkillsFocusFlexibilityGratitudeSpatial awareness Social distancingBecoming a more knowledgeable dance audienceLeadership skillsMusicality and appreciation of musicTime managementPride of those around Inclusive movementPreparation for job interviewsEnjoying an activity with older/younger people

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Ballet is a breathtaking photographic collection, celebrating the precision, athleticism and artistry of classical and contemporary ballet.Live performances allow us to admire ballet's visual splendour from afar, but rarely are we given the opportunity to study dynamic poses, leaps and lifts in intimate, close-up detail.An inspirational companion for dance aficionados, performing arts enthusiasts and keen photographers, Ballet captures awe-inspiring moments performed by the art form's most remarkable talents. Leo Mason's arresting images provide a unique glimpse into the world of ballet and its superstars, featuring a cast of former and current principal dancers including: - Carlos Acosta- Tamara Roj- Vadim Muntagirov- Daria Klimentova- Ivan Vasiliev With over 40 years' experience as a sports and dance photographer, Leo recreates the beauty and seemingly effortless nature of the discipline - made even more remarkable by the gruelling training required to achieve perfection - and often uses exposure creatively to capture movement and compose striking images.<BR>Each photograph is accompanied by a detailed caption, providing information on the performers, work, location and date, along with technical specifications regarding camera equipment, exposure and aperture. Includes images of: Carlos Acosta, Tamara Rojo, Vadim Muntagirov, Daria Klimentova and Ivan Vasiliev at the Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells and the London Coliseum.

Nella prima fotografia che la ritrae con le scarpette da ballo, Nicoletta Manni non ha ancora compiuto tre anni. La madre Anna è insegnante di danza e da sempre la porta con sé al lavoro, così che l'abitudine di esercitarsi alla sbarra entra nella vita di Nicoletta con la naturalezza di un gioco. Questo libro racconta le tappe e gli incontri che hanno segnato il suo percorso e la sua carriera, fino a proiettarla tra le stelle più luminose della scena internazionale: l'infanzia trascorsa a Santa Barbara di Galatina, in provincia di Lecce, l'ammissione all'Accademia del Teatro alla Scala, l'esperienza allo Staatsballett di Berlino; e poi la collaborazione con Carla Fracci e Alessandra Ferri, l'amicizia con Roberto Bolle, la complicità con il collega e marito Timofej Andrijashenko. Senza tacere la fatica e i sacrifici, "La gioia di danzare" è però innanzitutto l'espressione di un amore sconfinato per il ballo, inteso come autentico atto di libertà e come intimo, inesauribile viaggio alla scoperta di sé. Alzando il sipario su un'arte che da sempre affascina e incanta, la prima ballerina del Teatro alla Scala dà voce alla propria storia attraverso le molte vite che ha vissuto sul palcoscenico: dal Lago dei cigni allo Schiaccianoci, dalla Bella addormentata nel bosco a Giselle, le grandi protagoniste del repertorio classico hanno infatti contribuito a fare di lei l'interprete che oggi tutto il mondo applaude. Das Urheberrecht an bibliographischen und produktbeschreibenden Daten und an den bereitgestellten Bildern liegt bei Informazioni Editoriali, I.E. S.r.l., oder beim Herausgeber oder demjenigen, der die Genehmigung erteilt hat. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

___An innocent woman sent to the Gulag. A passion that gave her the will to survive.'Shattering, cinematic and brave' Simon Morrison, author of Bolshoi Confidential___Nina Anisimova was one of Russia's most intriguing ballerinas and one of the first Soviet female choreographers. Yet few knew that her exemplary career concealed a dark secret.In 1938, at the height of Stalin's Great Terror, Nina was arrested by the secret police, accused of being a Nazi spy and sentenced to forced labour in a camp in Kazakhstan. Trapped without hope - and without winter clothes in temperatures of minus 40 degrees - her art was her salvation, giving her a reason to fight for her life.As Nina struggled to survive in the Gulag, her husband fought for her release in Leningrad. Against all odds, she was ultimately freed and astonishingly managed to return to her former life, just as war broke out. Despite wartime deprivation and the suffocating grip of Stalin's totalitarian state, Nina's irrepressible determination set her on the path to become an icon of the Kirov Ballet.A remarkable true story of suffering and injustice, of courage, resilience and triumph.___'Nina Anisimova's story is extraordinary - heroic and harrowing in equal measure, a snapshot of the best and worst of Stalin's Russia - and Christina Ezrahi does it vivid, gripping justice.' Judith Mackrell, author of The Unfinished Palazzo'Christina Ezrahi vividly charts this brutal and uplifting story, bringing alive an extraordinary resourcefulness and determination to survive.' Helen Rappaport, author of The Race to Save the Romanovs'Christina Ezrahi has uncovered a remarkable, untold episode in Soviet ballet history, which she brings to life through her customary rigorous research, clarity of expression and elegance of prose.' Baroness Deborah Bull 'An inspiring tale of survival against the odds. Ezrahi's diligent scholarship casts much-needed light on ballet history's darkest chapter.' Luke Jennings, dance critic and author of Killing Eve

'Swan Dive is to ballet what Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential was to restaurants, a chance to go behind the serene front of house to the sweaty, foul-mouthed, psychofrenzy backstage.' - Daisy Goodwin, Sunday Times<BR><BR>In this love letter to the art of dance, Georgina Pazcoguin, New York City Ballet's first Asian American female soloist, lays bare the backstage world of elite ballet.<BR><BR>With an unapologetic sense of humour about the cut-throat mentality required, Pazcoguin takes us from her small home town in Pennsylvania to training for one of the most revered ballet companies in the world - a company that was rocked by scandal in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Pazcoguin continues to be one of the few dancers openly speaking up against harassment, abuse and racism - all of which she has painfully experienced firsthand.<BR><BR>Tying together Pazcoguin's fight for equality with an infectious passion for her craft, Swan Dive is a page-turning, one-of-a-kind memoir that guarantees you'll never view a ballerina or a ballet the same way again.<BR><BR>'Always arresting onstage, Georgina Pazcoguin gives us a take on the ballet world that is witty and from the heart. An eye-opening read.' - Mikhail Baryshnikov<BR><BR>'A funny, poignant and shocking read . . . [Pazcoguin] punctures, with enormous glee, the stereotype of the ballet dancer as an elegant, ethereal being.' - Fiona Sturges, Guardian

Ballet enthusiasts of all ages will delight in the magical story of The Nutcracker and the magnificent ballet it inspired in this enchanted book packed with colorful illustrations, fun facts, history, music, and the love of dance. <BR><BR>Whether The Nutcracker is your first ballet experience or you’re already a master dancer, everything you love and want to know about this special, sugar-spun, snow-dusted ballet can be found in these delightful pages. Follow The Nutcracker as it makes its way from page to stage to become the world’s most popular holiday ballet. Learn all about the dazzling steps, spins, and jumps choreographed by Petipa, Ivanov, and Balanchine, and meet the famed composer Tchaikovsky. Special sections highlight some of the most famous dancers and companies that have brought the performance and the magic of this ballet to life.<BR><BR>Packed with charming illustrations showcasing the beautiful costumes and lavish sets, plus removable poster for you to color, A Child’s Introduction to the Nutcracker lets you to enjoy this magical ballet all year round!