Book Description
Balanchine, Celebrating a Life in Dance is a tribute to twentieth-century ballet’s most influential choreographer. Even before founding the New York City Ballet with Lincoln Kirstein, George Balanchine ha achieved international recognition as a dance innovator. Creating dances for his own company, Balanchine’s insights reinvigorated ballet by combining new forms with the traditional while dancing to contemporary musical scores. The works that emerged from this synthesis of styles brought new audiences to dance, as well as new meaning and relevance to the art of dance. To commemorate the centenary of Balanchine’s birth, Balanchine explores fifty of the choreographer’s greatest works. A host of the most recognized names in dance have come together in this book to pay tribute to George Balanchine in essays that recall their personal experiences with "Mr. B." and offer analysis of his masterpieces. Clive Barnes, Suzanne Farrell, Peter Martins, Kay Mazzo, Maria Tallchief, Helgi Tomasson, Edward Villella, and Karin von Aroldingen are among the many Balanchine proteges and notables in the dance industry who provide commentary on the ballets. Full-color and black-and-white photos from Costas accompany each essay.
About the Author
Costas has been photographing dance for 35 years with a concentration on the New York City Ballet and George Balanchine. His work is prevalent throughout the dance world and has been exhibited in one-man shows and widely published in newspapers, magazines, playbills, stagebills, and souvenir programs. His photographs have also appeared on CD and record covers, on television, and in several books.
Balanchine: Celebrating a Life in Dance FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
George Balanchine (1904-83) often said, "God creates, I assemble." In this beautiful volume, noted dance photographer Costas has collected more than 200 striking images to commemorate the centenary of the preeminent choreographer of the 20th century. Of Balanchine's 425 works, 50 are represented here and accompanied by commentaries by dancers (e.g., Suzanne Farrell, Patricia McBride, and Peter Martins) and dance writers (e.g., Robert Greskovic, Marian Horosko, and Don McDonagh). In many instances, the commentator is a dancer featured in the ballet depicted or a writer who observed a work's first performance. The book opens with introductory essays by George Jackson ("The Art of Balanchine") and Clive Barnes ("A Man for All Seasons") and concludes with an epilog made up of discussions on the George Balanchine Foundation and the George Balanchine Trust. As Balanchine himself said, "A ballet is a movement in time and space, a living moment. Like a hothouse flower, it blooms, then dies." No mere coffee-table book, this marriage of unforgettable photographs and insightful text preserves those blossoms at the peak of their loveliness. Highly recommended for all dance and performing arts collections. [This book is being published to coincide with the anniversary of Balanchine's birth, also being observed with a largescale centennial celebration by the New York City Ballet, the company he founded.-Ed.]-Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Art & Photography
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