Ballet Books

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Book SynopsisThis inspirational autobiography opens a window on the uniquely individual life of Vadim Muntagirov, one of the most celebrated dancers of our time. Vadim left home aged 10 to enter full time ballet training, arrived at The Royal Ballet School via the Prix de Lausanne aged 16 with no English, was cast as Albrecht in English National Ballet's Giselle aged 19 and danced Siegfried in Swan Lake at The Royal Albert Hall to considerable acclaim less than a year after graduating. Since then, with an expanded repertoire as a Principal with The Royal Ballet and in parallel demand as an international guest, Vadim's early promise has translated into a stellar career. Nicknamed Vadream, he is hugely admired and very much loved by audiences at home and abroad. Vadim's story affords a real insight into the intense work and level of commitment needed to rise to the top in ballet - and stay there. It enables readers to see the experiences which have shaped him, including the lasting effect of separation from his family, his rigorous early training, his discovery of a world beyond his homeland, and the unstinting support he has received in his adopted country as a student and during his years in the profession. This is a book which looks 'behind the scenes' and 'beyond the interviews' to reveal what is involved in becoming and being a Principal dancer, including the privilege of working with many ballet luminaries, the more informal moments, and the many etceteras which come with the job. But Vadim makes it about so much more than the daily 'ins and outs' as he shares his reactions, thoughts and emotions in a way which allows others to get to know him as a person.Table of ContentsPART ONE: STARTING POINTS [1990–2009] 1. A Child of the Urals 2. Six Years in Perm 3. An ‘Escape Route’ Emerges 4. The Leap to London PART TWO: FROM FIRST ARTIST TO LEAD PRINCIPAL [2009–2014] Repertoire with English National Ballet 5. In at the Deep End 6. Onwards and Upwards 7. All Change 8. An ENB Coda PART THREE: ROYAL BALLET MOMENTUM [2014–2022] Repertoire with The Royal Ballet 9. More Than Another Postcode 10. Diverse Debuts 11. On the Day of a Show 12. A Career on Hold 13. Nine Years and Counting PART FOUR: IT GOES WITH THE TERRITORY 14. Here, There and Everywhere 15. Teaching Is Learning Too 16. Beyond the Stage Door

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Book SynopsisA charmingly illustrated exploration of The Nutcracker ballet, from the story to the characters to the music, for kids aged 8 - 12 to enjoy. The Nutcracker is one of the world''s most beloved and recognizable ballets. A holiday perennial, it is frequently the first ballet young people experience and remember for a lifetime. This wonderfully engaging book introduces children, ages 8 to 12, to the story of the ballet, its history, the music and choreography, as well as all of the characters from Clara and the Prince to the Mouse King and the Snow Queen. Special sections introduce children to some of the most famous dancers and companies that have brought the performance and the magic of the ballet to life. Including a fold-out poster that young readers can remove and hang on their walls, A Child''s Introduction to The Nutcracker is the perfect souvenir for the millions of young people who attend a holiday performance and have dreams of Sugarplum Fai

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Book SynopsisAs principal dancer with Montréal-based company La La La Human Steps, Louise Lecavalier was among the most iconic dancers of her generation: strong, muscled, androgynous, punk. Moving with spectacular speed, precision and an athletic physicality, her commitment to dancing would ultimately transform the potential of what bodies within Western concert dance could do. Drawing on extensive oral history accounts and archival material, the book follows Lecavalier's impact on the evolving aesthetic of La La La Human Steps, via the development of its early repertoire, and offers the first sustained account of her 1982 solo Non, Non, Non, je ne suis pas Mary Poppins. More, it tracks diverse influences and sources for the repertoire, complicating understandings of nationalism in Québec, while marking the significance of the collective in generating new aesthetics. What emerges is a portrait of the dancer as artist, icon, labourer and mover of cultural discourse. Featuring aTrade Review[Lecavalier's] extreme dance, filled with a fiery energy, caught the imagination of a whole generation. * New York Live Arts *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Letter from a Dancer Chapter 1: Off-Axis: Expressionist Legacies, Punk Realities Chapter 2: No No No: Re/Working Labour and Aesthetics Chapter 3: Icon/Street/City: From Dancer to Discourse Chapter 4: Black Aesthetics/White Dreadlocks: Love, Hate and Rehearsals of Culture Conclusion: Letter from A Dance Fan Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisJoy Womack made history in 2012 when she became the first American ballerina to sign a contract with the Bolshoi Ballet Theater in Moscow, Russia. It's a dream she left her home country for and spent years of training to achieve. But dancing in Moscow was not the Onion Dome and Tchaikovsky soundtrack 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. 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. Despite her love for her adopted homeland and its world-famous theaters, she was aware of the growing dangers of a professional lifestyle descending into corruption. Her concerns grew stronger with the awareness of a possible war with Russia''s neighbor, Ukraine. Joy spent three years dancing prima roles for the Kremlin Palace Theater and now lives in Paris with her husband, where she performs internationally and with the Paris Opera.

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Book SynopsisEvery day, in dance studios all across America, millions of little girls line up at the barre and take ballet class. Their time in the studio shapes their lives, instilling lessons about gender, power, the value of their bodies and minds, and their place in the world both in and outside of dance.In Turning Pointe, journalist Chloe Angyal captures the intense love for ballet that so many dancers feel, while also grappling with its shortcomings: the power imbalance of an art form performed mostly by women, but dominated by male choreographers and ballet masters, the impossible standards of beauty and thinness, and the racism that pervades ballet.A new generation of dancers is confronting these issues head on. If ballet is going to survive the 21st century and forge a path into a more socially just future, this reckoning is essential.

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Book Synopsis

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