Overview

For centuries, ballet companies have been transporting audiences beyond their workaday worlds, one performance at a time. A layperson who sees a ballerina perform in Swan Lake may be thrilled or impressed - may imagine the hours of rehearsal that lie behind each performance or understand something about the demands made on a dancer - but many who appreciate ballet remain unacquainted with all the steps, parts, people, and money that must come together for a world-class company to complete a season of performances. Beyond the flash of lights onstage is a world of physical trainers and fundraisers, artistic directors and executive boards, all laboring to ensure that the show goes on. In this unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the life of a company, former """"Boston Globe"""" dance critic Christine Temin and photographer Wally Gilbert present a compelling portrait of the Boston Ballet. Their evocative prose and penetrating photography turn the spotlight on all the elements - from toe shoes and costumes to rehearsals and revenue - that come together (or fall apart) in a season. """"Boston Ballet"""", in turn, makes a perfect study: after a rash of mysterious firings and defections in the early 2000s, the company seems to have moved past the controversy with a new artistic director and a new schedule of international performances. Its story highlights the tremendous amount of work and energy that goes in before the curtain can rise. This book presents a photographic portrait of an entire ballet season.

Full Product Details

9780813033532

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Reviews

An amazing book. Temin is a crackerjack journalist, and this book touches on every hot-button issue that is relevant to ballet companies today. - Mindy Aloff Temin and Gilbert have given us a long-overdue libretto for a ballet about a ballet company. Players on both sides of the proscenium will find Behind the Scenes at Boston Ballet a real page-turner! - Toba Singer, author of First Position

An amazing book. Temin is a crackerjack journalist, and this book touches on every hot-button issue that is relevant to ballet companies today. - Mindy Aloff Temin and Gilbert have given us a long-overdue libretto for a ballet about a ballet company. Players on both sides of the proscenium will find Behind the Scenes at Boston Ballet a real page-turner! - Toba Singer, author of First Position

Author Information

Christine Temin was a staff writer and dance critic for the Boston Globe for more than twenty-five years. Wally Gilbert is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor Emeritus at Harvard University and winner of the 1980 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

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