If I were a ballerina, I would wear pointe shoes. I would stretch my legs and leap across the stage! Dream big, and see what fun it is to be a ballerina.

“Who am I? I’m a man; an American, a father, a teacher, but most of all, I am a person who knows how the arts can change lives, because they transformed mine. I was a dancer.” In this rich, expansive, spirited memoir, Jacques d’Amboise, one of America’s most celebrated classical dancers, and former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet for more than three decades, tells the extraordinary story of his life in dance, and of America’s most renowned and admired dance companies. He writes of his classical studies beginning at the age of eight at The School of American Ballet. At twelve he was asked to perform with Ballet Society; three years later he joined the New York City Ballet and made his European debut at London’s Covent Garden. As George Balanchine’s protégé, d’Amboise had more works choreographed on him by “the supreme Ballet Master” than any other dancer, among them Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux; Episodes; A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream; Jewels; Raymonda Variations. He writes of his boyhood—born Joseph Ahearn—in Dedham, Massachusetts; his mother (“the Boss”) moving the family to New York City’s Washington Heights; dragging her son and daughter to ballet class (paying the teacher $7.50 from hats she made and sold on street corners, and with chickens she cooked stuffed with chestnuts); his mother changing the family name from Ahearn to her maiden name, d’Amboise (“It’s aristocratic. It has the ‘d’ apostrophe. It sounds better for the ballet, and it’s a better name”). We see him. a neighborhood tough, in Catholic schools being taught by the nuns; on the streets, fighting with neighborhood gangs, and taking ten classes a week at the School of American Ballet . . . being taught professional class by Balanchine and by other teachers of great legend: Anatole Oboukhoff, premier danseur of the Maryinsky; and Pierre Vladimiroff, Pavlova’s partner. D’Amboise writes about Balanchine’s succession of ballerina muses who inspired him to near-obsessive passion and led him to create extraordinary ballets, dancers with whom d’Amboise partnered—Maria Tallchief; Tanaquil LeClercq, a stick-skinny teenager who blossomed into an exquisite, witty, sophisticated “angel” with her “long limbs and dramatic, mysterious elegance . . .”; the iridescent Allegra Kent; Melissa Hayden; Suzanne Farrell, who Balanchine called his “alabaster princess,” her every fiber, every movement imbued with passion and energy; Kay Mazzo; Kyra Nichols (“She’s perfect,” Balanchine said. “Uncomplicated—like fresh water”); and Karin von Aroldingen, to whom Balanchine left most of his ballets. D’Amboise writes about dancing with and courting one of the company’s members, who became his wife for fifty-three years, and the four children they had . . . On going to Hollywood to make Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and being offered a long-term contract at MGM (“If you’re not careful,” Balanchine warned, “you will have sold your soul for seven years”) . . . On Jerome Robbins (“Jerry could be charming and complimentary, and then, five minutes later, attack, and crush your spirit—all to see how it would influence the dance movements”). D’Amboise writes of the moment when he realizes his dancing career is over and he begins a new life and new dream teaching children all over the world about the arts through the magic of dance. A riveting, magical book, as transformative as dancing itself.

When Mia tries to become a ballerina just like her big sister, she discovers that getting the right outfit is just the beginning. Despite great effort, there are lots of mishaps, and Mia doesn’t quite become the prima ballerina she hoped to be. But she does finally earn her true reward: time with her sister.

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.

Beautiful ballerina, you areslender,straight-legged,high-arched,symmetrical...Beautiful ballerina,You are the dance.In this celebration of ballet's splendor, lush photographs and a poetic narrative put readers center stagewith young ballerinas from the Dance Theatre of Harlem. The minimal text balances the harmony of thephotos and demonstrates the joy of movement--inviting bravissimos and encores at each reading.

The Ballerina's Keeper In a world of wealth, secrets, and forbidden desires, one man's obsession could be her salvation—or her undoing. Julian, the reclusive billionaire shrouded in mystery, has built an empire on power and fear. Few have seen his face, and even fewer have dared to cross him. But when a tragic accident leaves him the sole heir to a vast fortune, Julian's world is turned upside down by the arrival of someone he never expected—Lorena. Lorena, once a graceful ballerina, now lives in the shadows of her former life, her dreams shattered by a devastating accident. Innocent yet resilient, she pours her heart into teaching children, trying to find peace after the loss of her family. But peace is elusive, especially when she learns the truth about Julian, the man she's been taught to despise. Their worlds collide when Lorena finds herself in danger, and Julian becomes her unexpected protector. Whisked away to his isolated mansion, Lorena is caught between fear and fascination, unsure whether she is a prisoner or a guest, a captive or a cherished treasure. As she unravels the layers of Julian's dark past, Lorena must confront her own feelings. Is Julian the villain she imagined—or the only one who can save her? In The Ballerina's Keeper, love and danger intertwine in a gripping tale of passion, power, and the delicate balance between trust and betrayal. Get lost in a story where passion knows no bounds and love becomes a game of life and death. The Ballerina's Keeper will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Founder of the Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) and the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts, Joan Myers Brown's personal and professional histories reflect the hardships as well as the advances of African-Americans in the artistic and social developments of the second half of the twentieth and the early twenty-first centuries.

A candid and thoughtful consideration of a life in dance

USA Today–Bestselling Author:Love strikes a chord that makes the heart dance . . . “Like journeying through a dream that I never wanted to end.” —Night Owl Reviews Ballerina Tessa Wilde had a glittering career in front of her—and then the accident happened. She’d gotten used to hiding her deafness from the world. She’d been able to teach children at her mother’s dance school, and she had her beloved hearing-assistance dog to help her through the day. But now, she’s managed to land the role of a lifetime. If only Julian Shine, brooding piano accompanist, would leave her alone. Or if she could leave him alone. When he played, she could hear . . . every note. Could it be real? Or was it the music of her heart?