A Body of Work: Dancing to the Edge and Back

Amazon.com Price: $16.99 (as of 03/12/2019 13:01 PST- Details)

Categories: , , , , , , , , , ,

Description

David Hallberg, the first American to sign up for the famed Bolshoi Ballet as a principal dancer and the dazzling artist The New Yorker described as “the most exciting male dancer in the western world,” presents an intimate journey through his artistic life up to date he returns to the stage after a devastating injury almost cost him his career.

Beginning with his real-life Billy Elliot childhood—an all-American story marred by intense bullying—and culminating in his hard-won come-back, Hallberg’s brave memoir dives deep into life as an artist as he wrestles with ego, pushes the limits of his body, and searches for ecstatic perfection and fulfillment as some of the world’s most acclaimed ballet dancers.

While rich in detail ballet fans will adore, it is a book that anybody interested in a life of creativity will love. Hallberg reflects on themes like inspiration, self-doubt, and perfectionism as he takes readers into daily class, rigorous rehearsals, and triumphant performances, on the lookout for new interpretations of ballet’s greatest roles. He reveals the loneliness he felt as a teenager leaving The usa to sign up for the Paris Opera Ballet, the ambition he had to tame as a new member of American Ballet Theatre, and the reasons at the back of his headline-grabbing decision to be the first American to sign up for the top rank of Bolshoi Ballet, tendered by the artistic director who would later be the victim of a vicious acid attack. Then, as Hallberg performed all the way through the world at the peak of his abilities, he suffered a crippling ankle injury and unsuccessful surgery leading to an agonizing retreat from ballet and an honest reexamination of his entire life.

Combining his powers of statement and memory with emotional honesty and artistic insight, Hallberg has written a great ballet memoir and an intimate portrait of an artist in all his vulnerability, passion, and wisdom.

Related products

Home » Shop » Books » Specialty Boutique » New, Used and Rental Textbooks » Humanities » Performing Arts » Dance » Classical » A Body of Work: Dancing to the Edge and Back

Recent Products