Off Balance: The Real World of Ballet

by Suzanne Gordon

An exploration of the ambitions, sacrifices, personal lives, and day-to-day activities of male and female dancers reveals the sometimes shocking realities of the world of ballet

Genres: Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Suzanne Gordon is an award winning journalist and author who writes about healthcare delivery and health care systems. She is the author of more than 15 books, including Beyond the Checklist and First Do Less Harm, both published in 2012.

Reviews

[Ksenia Anske · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could find a novel about ballet of such power. This non-fiction account of what ballet world is really like, though published over 30 years ago, is the best book on ballet I have read so far, the book that exposes the horrific underside of ballet psychology which will make the hair on your head stand up. Psychodynamics described here go way deeper than ballet, down to the bones of desexualized femininity, the idealized child-woman image that patriarchy has created to amuse the watching men with the waifish androgynous girls that never grow up, the roots of which trail from monarchy where ballet was devised. A fascinating read.

[Briony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I became interested in reading this book after reading "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes," by Joan Ryan. Gordon has done superb researching on the realities of of ballet. From eating disorders to having no true friends, she brings ballet into a whole new light.

[Margarita · Rating 3 out of 5]

If one is going to write a book about the real world of ballet, then it should be a balanced perspective. Although this book is informative (although now dated), it is repetitive and leans very heavily on the perspectives of dancers.

[Elizabeth]

I read this book a long time ago so I don't remember it very well. My gut reaction when I remembered this book though, is one of pervasive sadness. It was a really sad book.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is 30 years old. I certainly hope conditions for ballet dancers have gotten better since then. The cost of training is not worth the payoff for a short-lived career.

[Kyle Wendy Skultety (gimmethatbook.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

a bit dated, but very real behind the scenes look at ballet, the dancers, the moms, and the injuries. This was a quick read, but I liked it.