Love dance? Go pro and make movement a way of life with this comprehensive guide that can help you land your dream job in the world of dance. From front-and-center careers like professional dancer and choreographer to the lesser-known professions of technical director and costume designer, So, You Want to Be a Dancer? reveals a vast expanse of dance-related job possibilities that are as exciting as they are rewarding. In addition to tips and interviews from many different dance industry professionals, So, You Want to Be a Dancer? includes inspiring stories from young people who are in the industry right now, as well as activities, a glossary, and resources to help you on your way to a successful career in dance.

A reckoning with one of our most beloved art forms, whose past and present are shaped by gender, racial, and class inequities—and a look inside the fight for its future Every day, in dance studios all across America, legions of little children line up at the barre to take ballet class. This time in the studio shapes their lives, instilling lessons about gender, power, bodies, 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 devastating shortcomings: the power imbalance of an art form performed mostly by women, but dominated by men; the impossible standards of beauty and thinness; and the racism that keeps so many people of color out of ballet. As the rigid traditions of ballet grow increasingly out of step with the modern world, a new generation of dancers is confronting these issues head on, in the studio and on stage. For ballet to survive the twenty-first century and forge a path into a more socially just future, this reckoning is essential.

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.

One of the most important works of gay literature, this haunting, brilliant novel is a seriocomic remembrance of things past -- and still poignantly present. It depicts the adventures of Malone, a beautiful young man searching for love amid New York's emerging gay scene. From Manhattan's Everard Baths and after-hours discos to Fire Island's deserted parks and lavish orgies, Malone looks high and low for meaningful companionship. The person he finds is Sutherland, a campy quintessential queen -- and one of the most memorable literary creations of contemporary fiction. Hilarious, witty, and ultimately heartbreaking, Dancer from the Dance is truthful, provocative, outrageous fiction told in a voice as close to laughter as to tears.

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.

Phyllis Spira was dancing by the age of four. That was just the beginning of her journey towards becoming one of South Africa’s Prima Ballerinas. Story Attribution: A Dancer's Tale is written by Samantha Cutler. © Book Dash , 2014. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/) Other Credits: 'A Dancer’s Tale' has been published by Book Dash. It was created at Book Dash Cape Town on 30 August 2014 by Samantha Cutler, Thea Nicole De Klerk, and Roberto. http://bookdash.org/

The National Book Award–winning author’s biographical novel of Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev: “Exuberant and exhilarating . . . a brilliant leap of imagination” (San Francisco Chronicle). In Dancer, Colum McCann tells the ballet icon’s story through the myriad voices of those who knew him. There is Anna Vasileva, Rudi’s first ballet teacher, who rescues her protégé from the stunted life of his provincial town; Yulia, whose sexual and artistic ambitions are thwarted by her Soviet-sanctioned marriage; and Victor, the Venezuelan street hustler, who reveals the lurid underside of the gay celebrity set. Spanning four decades and many worlds, from the horrors of the Second World War to the wild abandon of New York in the ‘80s, Dancer is peopled by a large cast of characters, obscure and famous: doormen and shoemakers, nurses and translators, Margot Fonteyn, Eric Bruhn, and John Lennon. And at the heart of the spectacle stands the artist himself, willful, lustful, and driven by a never-to-be-met need for perfection.

“A revealing book about the grueling—and glamorous—world of ballet” (Daily News, New York). Is everything really so beautiful at the ballet? For Miami City Ballet principal dancer Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg it is; but it wasn’t always so. Learn how she made it through all of her high jinx mishaps, missteps, and tribulations, and continued on to a glorious career as a prima ballerina with an internationally acclaimed ballet company. Kronenberg shares her memoirs, hints, tips, and professional advice for aspiring dancers and their parents, hoping to ease them through the hard years of study as well as through the abrupt and challenging transition from student to professional. Covering everything from choosing a school and auditioning, to stage makeup and backstage basics, this books provides the answers young dancers need to help them survive in today’s challenging ballet world. “Chock-full of tips and advice for aspiring dancers and their parents, and includes a personal account of the ballerina’s rocky journey to fame.” —Brooklyn Downtown Star “Entertaining, realistic, and practical—that big sister that you’d like to have beside you.” —Ballet News

The 'When I become series" is a collection of short books that encourage and enlighten kids on the choice of profession, what each profession is about and all even interesting short stories that can motivate them and set them on the right track. It is important to know that without patience and perseverance, commitment and dedication, you can't be whatever you desire to be. You also have to believe in yourself. There is joy in accomplishing your dreams.

Matthew Shaffer’s more than twenty years as a performer, choreographer, director, Broadway collaborator, writer, and producer has allowed him opportunities to work with celebrities like Megan Mullally, Ben Stiller, and the elite competition team of Dance Moms. So You Want to Be a Dancer is the ultimate book for anyone who has to fight the urge to sashay down grocery store aisles or school hallways. Shaffer discusses everything from how to break into the industry to practical advice—from how to audition and book a job to dealing with movie stars on-set. So You Want To Be A Dancer is a must-read for any creative entrepreneur, aspiring artist pursuing a career in today’s social media-savvy society, or anyone who savors the heartfelt journey of an artist.