I’m a Dork, a Ballet Dork- Five Books You Should Read

I’m a dork, a ballet dork.

I’m not sure if it has ever come up on the blog before, but I am slowly researching on the history of ballet- specifically the history of the Royal ballet companies of the Commonwealth. I started dancing way back when neon socks and stirrup pants were a thing, not #throwbackThursday, and I’m fairly invested in this whole history thing, so the project works well for me! One of the reasons I adore the holiday season is the Nutcracker brings a lot of attention to ballet. Ballet is misunderstood by a lot of people; we often hear it’s inaccessible and hard to engage with. Well, I have a wide range of books for any ballet lover!

1. The Ballet Companion: A Dancer’s Guide to the Technique, Traditions, and Joys of Ballet– Eliza Gaynor Minden

This is a wonderful book for a novice ballet enthusiast to the seasoned dancer. It includes history, technical advice, and background info on infamous dancers, choreographers, and ballets. One of my favourite aspects is that it delves into the differences between the different schools- different names and variations by schools are included in the descriptions and photographs. (Shout out to any Royal Academy of Dance members out there!) I was hesitant for about half a second when I first looked at this. I am strictly a Bloch and Freed dancer, but Gaynor Minden is not pushed at all. It is a beautiful book- many photographs, info inserts, descriptions, and illustrations to accompany the main text. I would recommend this as a starting book to anyone who is interested in learning about ballet, studying ballet, or taking an interest in someone’s passion for ballet.

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2. Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet– Jennifer Homans

I cannot rave about this book enough. The first true academic history of ballet, Homans begins with Italian court dance and moves forward to the present. As a dancer, I found it endlessly fascinating. If you were unfamiliar with steps and techniques, it might be a touch bewildering at times. In spite of this, I think that this is still a worthwhile book for anyone truly interested in the history of ballet. It does have an American focus in the modern period- I personally find a lot of American choreographers to be quite aggressive, and approach technique quite differently than my English training would, so this was my least favourite aspect.

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3. Nutcracker Nation: How an Old World Ballet Became a Christmas Tradition in the New World– Jennifer Fisher

I have done a decent amount of research on the Nutcracker, mostly for my History of Christmas class. I find it particularly intriguing, as there are countless regional variations. Every production I have seen is completely different, despite sharing a storyline. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet interpretation begins with children playing street hockey, and a battle fought between mice and Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Parliament Hill! Fisher does a fantastic job with her sources- she interviews dancers, parents, journalists, she looks at numerous productions, she examines books and dvds and non-ballet interpretations. It is so relevant in the Western World given our Christmas fascination with the Nutcracker! (Yes, I collect Nutcracker ornaments.)

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4. The Royal New Zealand Ballet at 60– Anne Rowse

I was lucky enough to receive this as a present, and I believe that every company should model their own historical works on this. It is a collection of stories, thoughts, and poetry from past dancers, choreographers, staff members, directors, and guests, and it really encapsulates the history of the company. It is wonderful to read about the natural growth of the company in the words of those who lived it. The accompanying photographs really bring it all together! (I’ve also read the company histories from the Royal Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada- send me an email or leave a comment if you would like more info!)

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5. Ballerina: Sex, Scandal, and Suffering Behind the Symbol of Perfection– Deirdre Kelly

This is a different look at the role of the ballerina in society, and within ballet. Is it an incredibly positive analysis? No, but I believe that the role of ballerina is problematic to begin with. People unfamiliar with ballet expect anorexic dancers who do  not show a single flaw, and I think that works like this encourage readers to stop and think about ballet dancers as a person. An excellent look at the psychology of ballet, and the effects of ballet on the individual.

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Ballet is a complicated and layered art form that I find endlessly fascinating- I hope that you pick up one of these books, and learn a little something! Have you read any of these, or any other books on ballet??

Until tomorrow,
The Historian!