The Shape of Love

by Gelsey Kirkland

A ballet legend tells how she dedicated herself to recovery and to her dance students to make an amazing career comeback after a battle with drug addiction. By the author of Dancing on My Grave. Reprint. AB. PW.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman I worked for told me that her mother calls this book a "soggy Valentine." The description is not inappropriate.

Still, Kirkland's devotion to art, love, and truth is so pure and genuine that it's hard for me to dismiss it as mere sap. The book is out of print now-- far less sensational than her first, [Dancing On My Grave:], which I believe is the best-selling dance memoir ever, and will remain so for a very long time. Redemption and the art of creating a character are far less interesting to most readers than addiction, eating disorders, conflicts with directors, and juicy bedroom details.

Enough about the limited appeal here, then. I am grateful to Kirkland for reminding me about storytelling in dance. Being inside her head as she grapples with how to express love in ballet terms has been a wonderful experience. I look at narrative dance differently-- and better-- now that I have read it.

[Erin]

I think that this is a stronger story than her first memoir in terms of discussing artistic influence and the process by which a performing artist hones his or her craft. She really dives into depth about what goes on in her head when she's preparing a character for the stage. This book, however, doesn't go into lurid or sensational detail about sex or drugs and thus basically no one has read it compared to her first.

[Luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This follow-up to Kirkland's first book, Dancing on My Grave, is less an autobiography and more an analysis on how theatre has changed and how characterisation within acting has developed. While her first book followed her life from her earliest days in a studio to the recovery from drug addiction, this is solely about her time in England. Having been offered a season with the Royal Ballet, she strives to play the roles of Juliet and Aurora with depth and understanding that hitherto has been denied to her.

Although Kirkland doesn't compare and contrast the English and American styles of ballet, she does touch on it. She's not expressly critical of Balanchine's method, she does remark that there's less focus on conditioning and ensuring the ongoing health of the dancer.

This 'biography', in so many words, will probably be a skip for those who aren't fans of ballet. But for those of us who love seeing dancers on stage and love seeing how they train, then I'd absolutely recommend it. I just think it goes on a little too long and could be 30 pages shorter.

[Abby MacMillan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! As a dancer for the better part of my childhood who once dreamed of being a ballerina, I really enjoyed Kirkland’s rich descriptions. She is such an artist the way she strives to completely embody a role from the inside out, it was honestly fascinating to read. I do wish I had read her other memoir, Dancing On My Grave, first because I think I would have maybe understood her character and her relationship with her husband more perhaps but I still really loved the story. It was a story of an artist and a woman proving to herself that she could do something and almost a later in life coming of age tale as she realized what she was born to do, and that is to teach the next generation of dancers. The deep study of the roles she played in the 2 ballets during the time the book took place was fascinating and the way she takes the role and the scenes and even the breaths of the moves apart was awe inspiring. I would have loved to see her perform! I will definitely be picking up her previous novel.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to read about her artistic interpretations and how she looked at the parts she was dancing. The story, however, was not as interesting as the first book. It gave me the feeling that her husband or someone else helped her write it a lot.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one too. Less gossipy than her first. More about the process...

[Vicki Crain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book goes in depth into the thought process and mental preparation Gelsey does for her "come back". Focusing mainly on 'Romeo & Juliet' it is a must read for serious dancers and ballet fans.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting perspective into Gelsey Kirkland's career. It was better than Dancing on my Grave

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star, but except for the bit about turning out from the heart....