Boston Ballerina: A Dancer, a Company, an Era

by Laura Young, Janine Parker

As a charter member of Boston Ballet and its predecessor, New England Civic Ballet, Laura Young has been affiliated with the company longer than any other dancer in its history. This book is both a memoir of her personal journey and a fascinating account of Boston Ballet’s rise from a regional troupe to the internationally recognized company that it is today. It is interspersed with ruminations on the history of ballet, stories from the company’s Balanchine-influenced early years under founder E. Virginia Williams, and recollections from noteworthy tours, including those featuring the legendary Rudolf Nureyev, with whom Young was frequently paired. After retiring from the stage, Young has continued her affiliation with Boston Ballet, both as an administrator and a teacher. Working in collaboration with Janine Parker, Young has written a lively, informed, and entertaining memoir.

256 pages, Hardcover

Published November 7, 2017

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought back so many memories for me! I was living in Boston during the time period when ballet in America really took off, the 70s and early 80s, and I pretty much went to every performance of the Boston Ballet. I even took lessons for a number of years from some of the same teachers Laura had in the very same South End studio (pre-renovation) as an adult beginner and lived one street over from it. Anyway, the names of the dancers in the company, the guest artists, the description of the neighborhood brought floods of memories and I really loved reading about the lives of the dancers that I felt I knew from seeing them perform and around the studio.

But the writing was kind of dry and far too detailed in the descriptions of choreography of certain dancers for non-balletomanes so it lagged at times and I also found myself skipping over large parts of some chapters. For me, the four stars is mostly for nostalgia and the updates of the lives of people I felt I knew back then.

[Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I did not take a closer look at the synopsis of this book -this was more of a biography/history of the Boston Ballet company than it was about the ballerina Laura Young. I enjoy the ballet to the point that I want to read about the struggles and lives of ballerina's but this was heavier on the history of the company and was boring to me.

If one lives in Boston AND is a balletomane, then this book is going to be perfect for you.

*ARC provided by the publisher.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed every page of this book! It was so great to follow Laura Young as she developed as a dancer, to hear about her parents' involvement as volunteers, and to understand the day to day joys and pains that make up such a career. What a resource we in Boston have in Laura! She was with the BB from its inception. Who better to tell the tale? I so enjoyed hearing about the ballet dancers that I loved in long past years in fun and poignant detail! And, lo and behold, there was the name of a modern day up and comer mentioned in the last pages of the book, right there in a recent playbill. I just attended the ballet last weekend ( Genius at Play) and am looking forward to the spring selections with more anticipation than ever. Thanks Laura!

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a chronology of Laura Young's career and Boston Ballet's rise to an internationally recognized ballet company. It's a very factual narrative that conveys her appreciation for the efforts of so many including E. Virginia Williams and Laura's many male partners who enhanced Laura's career and brought the Company to its respected status in the world of ballet.

[Robin Bova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grown up watching La, this was a trip down memory lane. I loved hearing about the early days of Boston Ballet. Written in her "speech," I felt every moment of her story.

[Joseph Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding account of an outstanding career.