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Ballerina
Monica Loughman’s story is the enchanting tale of a 14-year-old girl leaving the comforts of home to train in a strict and austere Russian ballet school. She brought her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina with her. While many young ballerinas’ aspirations are unfulfilled, Loughman became a dancing sensation and was the first Western European to join Russia's distinguished Perm State Theatre of Opera and Ballet.
Not just for ballet lovers, this gripping tale also details the endurance and stamina needed to survive in post Soviet-Union Russia. Monica vividly evokes the closed and foreign world of ballet with natural assurance. Her book also reveals the brutality and suffering that often lies behind ballet's fairytale facade.
Ballerina is the story of a young girl’s single-minded determination to succeed against the odds. It is a truly engrossing story.
Not just for ballet lovers, this gripping tale also details the endurance and stamina needed to survive in post Soviet-Union Russia. Monica vividly evokes the closed and foreign world of ballet with natural assurance. Her book also reveals the brutality and suffering that often lies behind ballet's fairytale facade.
Ballerina is the story of a young girl’s single-minded determination to succeed against the odds. It is a truly engrossing story.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
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103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 5, 2016
I really enjoyed this book, as others have said it isn't particularly well written, but the girl is a dancer not a writer and she was looking back 15 or 20 years so it may be a little disjointed in places. Having said that I really enjoyed the telling of her life.
She was 13 when after having passed an audition for a Russian ballet school in Perm she goes to live there, a very brave and dedicated decision for such a young girl, very few Irish girls get the chance.
I was surprised at how hard the teachers were on their pupils and how disorganized it all seemed to be whilst traveling to different countries.
I have never seen her dance but would love to after reading her story!
She was 13 when after having passed an audition for a Russian ballet school in Perm she goes to live there, a very brave and dedicated decision for such a young girl, very few Irish girls get the chance.
I was surprised at how hard the teachers were on their pupils and how disorganized it all seemed to be whilst traveling to different countries.
I have never seen her dance but would love to after reading her story!
September 26, 2016
Something different. I enjoyed this one.
October 19, 2016
This was a better book than I had expected from reading the reviews. It really gave a good look (for me a non-dancer) into the life of a ballerina.
For this woman to have left her homeland when she was only 14 for a whole new country and culture was amazing.
Unfortunately some of the latter part of the book bogged down a little with what could almost be seen as whining -that is not to say that it wasn't warranted most of the time - and the issue of problems just about every time they traveled started to get on my nerves. If it did that for me, who is merely the reader, I can't imagine what Monica really felt deep down. I don't think we read about most of what she was really feeling.
If you like books about ballet, may I suggest Ballerina by Edward Stewart - this is a fictional book but well worth your time.
For this woman to have left her homeland when she was only 14 for a whole new country and culture was amazing.
Unfortunately some of the latter part of the book bogged down a little with what could almost be seen as whining -that is not to say that it wasn't warranted most of the time - and the issue of problems just about every time they traveled started to get on my nerves. If it did that for me, who is merely the reader, I can't imagine what Monica really felt deep down. I don't think we read about most of what she was really feeling.
If you like books about ballet, may I suggest Ballerina by Edward Stewart - this is a fictional book but well worth your time.
January 19, 2022
A somewhat interesting memoir by an Irish ballerina who left to study ballet in Russia as a young teenager. The book is translated from Russian, which I suspect is to blame for the stilted dialogue and prose that made reading the book rather clunky. While I found the information about the (somewhat abusive) Russian ballet system quite interesting, the writing seemed stoic and kind of impersonal, even while describing the suffering of the students and company members. As a ballet fan, I did enjoy reading about how Monica worked her way up to be a principal in Giselle. Overall, though, this book isn't a great read- it was slow and plodding with inelegant prose amd a weird tone. 2 stars.
March 9, 2020
Fascinating
I know ballet dancers are dedicated, but the conditions under which these Russian dancers train is so different from the US. Reading about an American surfing in Russia was fascinating throughout.
I know ballet dancers are dedicated, but the conditions under which these Russian dancers train is so different from the US. Reading about an American surfing in Russia was fascinating throughout.
January 10, 2014
Either her editor needed to do a better job, or her ghostwriter needs to be fired. The writing is pretty awful (though not quite Stephanie Meyers awful), disjointed and filled with slang. Her sentences frequently contradict each other, even within the same paragraph!
Despite the disjointed nature of the narrative, it was definitely interesting. How many 13 year olds move to a foreign country by themselves for boarding school? I have a little experience with Russian ballet teachers, so hats off to Loughman for getting through that kind of education with minimal bitterness. I'm less pleased that she felt she just had to take the abuse and keep quiet, but gratified that that type of attitude did not persist. She stood up for herself, often in glorious outbursts of rage, which kept her story from getting to pitiful/frustrating.
This is really more like a two & a half star rating: the writing was bad enough to knock it to a two but the story itself was engaging enough to merit a three.
Despite the disjointed nature of the narrative, it was definitely interesting. How many 13 year olds move to a foreign country by themselves for boarding school? I have a little experience with Russian ballet teachers, so hats off to Loughman for getting through that kind of education with minimal bitterness. I'm less pleased that she felt she just had to take the abuse and keep quiet, but gratified that that type of attitude did not persist. She stood up for herself, often in glorious outbursts of rage, which kept her story from getting to pitiful/frustrating.
This is really more like a two & a half star rating: the writing was bad enough to knock it to a two but the story itself was engaging enough to merit a three.
April 2, 2014
This was a very badly written book. The author is a dancer, not a writer. She uses bad language at times, there are contradictions in the same paragraph, the vocabulary is poor and clearly there was no editing on this book.
I love ballet and have read a lot of books on the subject, both in French and English. I know it is a very difficult art form which requires more than talent to succeed in. Work, dedication, stamina and willpower are mandatory. But this book made me only wonder why she would put up with everything if it was as bad as she writes it. There are scholarships available all around the world. Why stay in a place where she felt she was abused most of the time?
I would not recommend this book to anyone.
I love ballet and have read a lot of books on the subject, both in French and English. I know it is a very difficult art form which requires more than talent to succeed in. Work, dedication, stamina and willpower are mandatory. But this book made me only wonder why she would put up with everything if it was as bad as she writes it. There are scholarships available all around the world. Why stay in a place where she felt she was abused most of the time?
I would not recommend this book to anyone.
March 21, 2016
This is an unusual book because of the Dublin Ireland/Perm Russia connection. I wondered why John Baraldi chose Perm State Ballet as opposed to the Mariinski or Bolshoi. Perhaps the school was the one that responded affirmatively to his request.
As others have mentioned the beginning of the book is a hard slog. As I read on though I became totally sucked into the narrative. Parts of the story are perfectly hideous, yet are told with an artlessness that shows how thoroughly acclimated Loughman became to her surroundings.
Definitely a trip down one of the obscure but interesting byways of dance.
As others have mentioned the beginning of the book is a hard slog. As I read on though I became totally sucked into the narrative. Parts of the story are perfectly hideous, yet are told with an artlessness that shows how thoroughly acclimated Loughman became to her surroundings.
Definitely a trip down one of the obscure but interesting byways of dance.
September 6, 2014
Meh...it was factually interesting, but the voice that comes through reads as almost cold in its simplicity. I don't know if it's that the girl truly can't write, her co-author can't write, or all that time in Soviet Russia made her that cold. It also focused so much on negative things that happen you sort of start to wonder why she dances at all. If I had to choose again, I would probably skip it.
June 6, 2015
A fascinating look at attending ballet school and being in a ballet company in Russia. A unique experience I enjoyed reading about.
July 10, 2015
Sigh...
December 31, 2013
Monica Loughman's story was interesting, but the writing was pretty bad.
June 9, 2015
meh....good but the author needs to do a better job next time....otherwise it was good
April 24, 2017
This book was amazing and so addictive! I loved it. I have to say for anyone that is looking for it -I did for years thinking it was out of print, but it is actually available in print and on Kindle under the title 'The Ballerina'.
Monica's story of moving to Russia from Ireland to study ballet at the age of 14 is already fascinating to me. I can't believe that she (or anyone!) did that. This is a great book for anyone that loves ballet and dance. Where Monica lived in Russia was extremely isolated and poor. The cultural differences in and of themselves are already an interesting story, and then there is the competitive ballet world on top of that!
Monica has gone through a lot of struggles to become a professional ballet dancer and it is a testament to her character and how much she loves ballet that she didn't give up. I would like an updated ending as Monica has left Russia since finishing this book and is running a ballet school in Ireland. I wonder if the struggles of living in Russia and being paid poorly finally were too much? I also would have liked to know more about her life before moving to Russia and how she knew she wanted to be a ballerina.
Monica's story of moving to Russia from Ireland to study ballet at the age of 14 is already fascinating to me. I can't believe that she (or anyone!) did that. This is a great book for anyone that loves ballet and dance. Where Monica lived in Russia was extremely isolated and poor. The cultural differences in and of themselves are already an interesting story, and then there is the competitive ballet world on top of that!
Monica has gone through a lot of struggles to become a professional ballet dancer and it is a testament to her character and how much she loves ballet that she didn't give up. I would like an updated ending as Monica has left Russia since finishing this book and is running a ballet school in Ireland. I wonder if the struggles of living in Russia and being paid poorly finally were too much? I also would have liked to know more about her life before moving to Russia and how she knew she wanted to be a ballerina.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews