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Serenade: A Balanchine Story
Toni Bentley, a dancer for George Balanchine, the greatest ballet maker of the 20th century, tells the story of Serenade , his iconic masterpiece, and what it was like to dance—and live—in his world at New York City Ballet during its legendary era.
"Reading Bentley's Serenade made me feel as alive as I felt on the stage the moment that I fell in love with ballet…. [A] delicate balance of personal memoir, rarefied elegance, history of the arts and pure human interest.”—Misty Copeland, New York Times Book Review
"[A] unique document about one of the greatest ballets ever created…. A beautiful read”—Mikhail Baryshnikov
At age seventeen, Toni Bentley was chosen by Balanchine, then in his final years, to join the New York City Ballet. From both backstage and onstage, she carries us through the serendipitous history and physical intricacies and demands of its dazzling opening, with seventeen women in a double-diamond pattern; its radical, even jazzy, use of the highly refined language that is ballet; its place in the choreographer’s own dramatic story of his immigration to the United States from Soviet Russia; its mystical—and literal—embodiment of the tradition of classical ballet in just thirty-three minutes.
Bentley takes us inside the rarefied, intense, and thrilling world Balanchine created through his lifelong devotion to celebrating and expanding female beauty and strength—a world that, inevitably, passed upon his death. An intimate elegy to grace and loss and to the imprint of a towering artist and his transcendent creation on Bentley’s own life, A Balanchine Story is a rich narrative by a dynamic artist about the nature of art itself at its most ephemeral and glorious.
"Reading Bentley's Serenade made me feel as alive as I felt on the stage the moment that I fell in love with ballet…. [A] delicate balance of personal memoir, rarefied elegance, history of the arts and pure human interest.”—Misty Copeland, New York Times Book Review
"[A] unique document about one of the greatest ballets ever created…. A beautiful read”—Mikhail Baryshnikov
At age seventeen, Toni Bentley was chosen by Balanchine, then in his final years, to join the New York City Ballet. From both backstage and onstage, she carries us through the serendipitous history and physical intricacies and demands of its dazzling opening, with seventeen women in a double-diamond pattern; its radical, even jazzy, use of the highly refined language that is ballet; its place in the choreographer’s own dramatic story of his immigration to the United States from Soviet Russia; its mystical—and literal—embodiment of the tradition of classical ballet in just thirty-three minutes.
Bentley takes us inside the rarefied, intense, and thrilling world Balanchine created through his lifelong devotion to celebrating and expanding female beauty and strength—a world that, inevitably, passed upon his death. An intimate elegy to grace and loss and to the imprint of a towering artist and his transcendent creation on Bentley’s own life, A Balanchine Story is a rich narrative by a dynamic artist about the nature of art itself at its most ephemeral and glorious.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published April 12, 2022
49 people are currently reading
596 people want to read
About the author
Toni Bentley
12 books29 followersToni Bentley danced with George Balanchine's New York City Ballet for ten years. She is the author of five books, all named New York Times Notable Books, which include "Winter Season, A Dancer's Journal," "Holding On to the Air" (the autobiography of Suzanne Farrell co-authored with Farrell), "Costumes by Karinska," "Sisters of Salome," and "The Surrender, An Erotic Memoir." Her essay, "The Bad Lion" (originally published in the New York Review of Books) was selected by Christopher Hitchens for Best American Essays 2010. She writes frequently for the New York Times Book Review, the Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, Playboy, the Daily Beast, Vogue, Vanity Fair and other publications. She has been invited to give talks at Harvard, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rutgers, Middlebury College and the THiNK Conference 2013 in Goa, India. "The Surrender" has been adapted into a one-woman play that premiered in January 2013 in a production by the Spanish National Theater in Madrid, Spain, and it will have its English-language world premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2013. She is the recipient of a 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 15, 2022
Thank you so much, Pantheon Books and Toni Bentley for the opportunity to read this book!
“Ballet, you see, provides the most fantastic future for every devotee, something far beyond the promise of public acknowledgment or the flicker of fame. It provides the prospect of conquering one’s own self to find, possibly transcendence.”
Serenade by Toni Bentley is a walkthrough of the ballet but also a mix of history, biography, and memoir. Serenade is the first ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky. George Balanchine co-founded the New York City Ballet. The book begins with Toni Bentley, who was a former ballerina, visiting Balanchine on his deathbed. She then goes into the history of ballet, like how Louis XIV established the first National Ballet School in history. The book dives into Balanchine as a child. He was born in 1904 in Russia. This was a very tumultuous time for Russia, as the revolution was not that far away. Balanchine revered Tchaikovksy and it shows with the choreography of his famous pieces. But mainly, we get to see the effects that this ballet had on one of its very own ballerinas.
This book is definitely for those with knowledge of the Ballet company, interest in its history, or interest in ballet in general. It is very obvious from the very beginning that the author is very passionate. There is even a dramatic way to the writing as if there is no way she can convey how much ballet means to her. There are some slow parts. For example, there is an entire two pages dedicated to describing Bentley and Balanchine holding hands while on his death bed. Not conversation, just holding hands. But there are so many interesting facts about Serenade. For instance, the blue tutus used during the production inspired the name of the crater on Mercury, named Serenade.
There are lots of pose-by-pose descriptions of the ballet that I could not really grasp or picture because I am not a dancer. But it has always been a dream of mine to go to the ballet, so when I finally do, I will be able to appreciate it all the more. It is obvious that the author has great respect for Balanchine but also is aware of his faults, but didn’t give much credence to rumors. Overall, for me, it was very educational, so I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
“Ballet, you see, provides the most fantastic future for every devotee, something far beyond the promise of public acknowledgment or the flicker of fame. It provides the prospect of conquering one’s own self to find, possibly transcendence.”
Serenade by Toni Bentley is a walkthrough of the ballet but also a mix of history, biography, and memoir. Serenade is the first ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky. George Balanchine co-founded the New York City Ballet. The book begins with Toni Bentley, who was a former ballerina, visiting Balanchine on his deathbed. She then goes into the history of ballet, like how Louis XIV established the first National Ballet School in history. The book dives into Balanchine as a child. He was born in 1904 in Russia. This was a very tumultuous time for Russia, as the revolution was not that far away. Balanchine revered Tchaikovksy and it shows with the choreography of his famous pieces. But mainly, we get to see the effects that this ballet had on one of its very own ballerinas.
This book is definitely for those with knowledge of the Ballet company, interest in its history, or interest in ballet in general. It is very obvious from the very beginning that the author is very passionate. There is even a dramatic way to the writing as if there is no way she can convey how much ballet means to her. There are some slow parts. For example, there is an entire two pages dedicated to describing Bentley and Balanchine holding hands while on his death bed. Not conversation, just holding hands. But there are so many interesting facts about Serenade. For instance, the blue tutus used during the production inspired the name of the crater on Mercury, named Serenade.
There are lots of pose-by-pose descriptions of the ballet that I could not really grasp or picture because I am not a dancer. But it has always been a dream of mine to go to the ballet, so when I finally do, I will be able to appreciate it all the more. It is obvious that the author has great respect for Balanchine but also is aware of his faults, but didn’t give much credence to rumors. Overall, for me, it was very educational, so I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
February 3, 2023
3.5 stars. Serenade is one of my favorite ballets of all time (I walked down the aisle at my wedding to its opening measures). This book is part memoir, part play-by-play, and part biography (of Balanchine, of Tchaikovsky), part homage to the dancers mentioned in the book and to Balanchine himself.
Unless you're able to watch the ballet (which I'm sure is available online somewhere) alongside the book, I think it would be difficult to get much out of the lengthy descriptions of the movement; since I am very familiar with the choreography, I skimmed a lot of those parts. But I will always be drawn into a book that brings us into the studio with Balanchine and into the world of his dancers. That is the greatest strength of this book. Another strength is the great admiration the author shows for her fellow dancers and some of the principals of the time. Since I just read Mr. B by Jennifer Homans, the biographical parts about Balanchine didn't teach me anything new, but for a newcomer they would provide interesting context. (I did find the biographical sketch of Tchaikovsky to be quite interesting). A couple of passages border on gratuitous - I could have done without the link between Serenade and the loss of the author's virginity, for example.
If you're not a pretty devoted ballet fan - and specifically a fan of NYCB and Balanchine - this book would probably not be of much interest. But I'm glad I read it, if only to participate in further admiration of this work of immense genius and beauty.
Unless you're able to watch the ballet (which I'm sure is available online somewhere) alongside the book, I think it would be difficult to get much out of the lengthy descriptions of the movement; since I am very familiar with the choreography, I skimmed a lot of those parts. But I will always be drawn into a book that brings us into the studio with Balanchine and into the world of his dancers. That is the greatest strength of this book. Another strength is the great admiration the author shows for her fellow dancers and some of the principals of the time. Since I just read Mr. B by Jennifer Homans, the biographical parts about Balanchine didn't teach me anything new, but for a newcomer they would provide interesting context. (I did find the biographical sketch of Tchaikovsky to be quite interesting). A couple of passages border on gratuitous - I could have done without the link between Serenade and the loss of the author's virginity, for example.
If you're not a pretty devoted ballet fan - and specifically a fan of NYCB and Balanchine - this book would probably not be of much interest. But I'm glad I read it, if only to participate in further admiration of this work of immense genius and beauty.
January 12, 2024
only a dancer can write about a 30 minute ballet in words that are so poignant and beautiful that you don’t even have to know or see it to understand the meaning and feeling behind it. the connections she draws from history and the making and influences on serenade are profound and i was so impressed by the beauty of this book
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April 25, 2022Here’s my interview with Toni Bentley about this book for Pointe Magazine. https://pointemagazine.com/toni-bentl...
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May 31, 2023I can’t rate this book. Bentley’s history of the ballet is excellent. Her adoration of Balanchine made me ill. To me, he sexually assaulted her in the beginning and she interpreted it as being seen! At the end she she adds a letter to an elementary school girl supposedly showing Balanchine’s humbleness. Ugh. He totally exploited his position and used his power over the dancers of the company. Bentley also points out that Balanchine rearranged the order of the movements in Serenade. She then commented that only the conductor of NYCB recorded it in Balanchine’s order. Is she saying Balanchine’s order is correct? That he knows music better then Tchaikovsky? Is she saying that the composer did not create his music in the best way?? Bentley should have stuck to facts and left her feelings and opinions out of the book.
October 7, 2024
Serviu pro que eu precisava. Apesar de ser muitíssíssimo detalhado, a maior parte das descrições da obra eu precisei abrir o vídeo no youtube pra acompanhar o que ela tava dizendo. Um pouco feia a passada de pano pros assédios e abusos do Balanchine. Mas no geral, valeu a leitura
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April 4, 2022A magnificent read for ballet lovers everywhere - Bentley weaves her story dancing for Balanchine with his story and the minute by minute execution of Serenade - a beautiful piece of history and women empowerment
October 10, 2023
While the ballet does sound beautiful and it gave me an appreciation of all the hard work and artistic talent that goes into it, this book was far too wordy for my liking. The gushing over Balanchine was also uncomfortable, especially in the beginning... it was like the girls were in love with him to an unhealthy degree. They were middle school-aged, and they were obsessed with gaining the approval and attention of this 40-something year old man. It was just too much, and it crossed into creepy territory. Otherwise it was a very descriptive book and certainly unlike anything I've read before. Ultimately would not recommend though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2022
This is a tale of two books. Toni Bentley needed an editor far more than she realized for the first four or so chapters, which are intensely personal—so personal that the book essentially STARTS with Balanchine’s death. (Why would you not save that for the end?) Though there were excellent lines—some bring tears—they were overloaded into run-on sentences and paragraphs with more than a single idea. It is an article of faith of my writing that one should be able to read the first sentence of every paragraph—no more—and have a good grasp of what the author says. The beginning flunked this test.
Fortunately, the remainder of the book clearly had been written before. Bentley published a “dancer’s diary” that was serialized in the New York Post. She also was the “with” author on ballerina Suzanne Farrell’s autobiography. Despite the fact that Bentley was among the last generation of ballerinas picked by Balanchine for the New York City Ballet, when she walked into his hospital deathbed, the choreographer said “Ah, the writer.”
The book is not about writing—it is about the first ballet Balanchine composed in America, after Lincoln Kirsten rescued him from floating between dying European ballet corps. Written in 1934, “Serenade” broke from classical tradition in numerous ways: it’s focused primarily on women; like all but one Balanchine ballets, it has no “story”—only gorgeous movement; there are 17 ballerinas to start—an unheard of odd number in a medium that favors symmetry. And the women are dressed in long, diaphanous blue outfits, with a blank blue stage and “blue lunar lighting.” None of that white tutu stuff.
When the book gets good, Bentley describes “Serenade”: its history, Balanchine’s many changes, and the author’s role—she got her first “ABT start” in Serenade when she was 16. We learn ballerinas are called “girls” in practice but “ladies” onstage. Bentley is no Third Stage Feminist: she says “we were girls,” and “I was a virgin.” Yet she constantly touches wood:
“And so we went, us fortunate few who happened to be in the right place and the right time with the right physical and psychic makeup.”
All the girls “loved” “Mr. B.” as they called him—but those were less complicated times, and this “lifelong devotion found young” could be innocent. Despite the fact Balanchine had five wives, each a ballerina.
I’ve seen Serenade twice, and knew it was Balanchine’s first. But Bentley adds much more in her frame-by-frame breakdown. You can see the whole ballet here:
https://youtu.be/Xd9R9S6-9E4
I am a fan of ballet. But even for those who aren’t, breeze through the early chapters, then have that YouTube clip going while Bentley opens your eyes to what makes Balanchine ballets the peak performance art.
Fortunately, the remainder of the book clearly had been written before. Bentley published a “dancer’s diary” that was serialized in the New York Post. She also was the “with” author on ballerina Suzanne Farrell’s autobiography. Despite the fact that Bentley was among the last generation of ballerinas picked by Balanchine for the New York City Ballet, when she walked into his hospital deathbed, the choreographer said “Ah, the writer.”
The book is not about writing—it is about the first ballet Balanchine composed in America, after Lincoln Kirsten rescued him from floating between dying European ballet corps. Written in 1934, “Serenade” broke from classical tradition in numerous ways: it’s focused primarily on women; like all but one Balanchine ballets, it has no “story”—only gorgeous movement; there are 17 ballerinas to start—an unheard of odd number in a medium that favors symmetry. And the women are dressed in long, diaphanous blue outfits, with a blank blue stage and “blue lunar lighting.” None of that white tutu stuff.
When the book gets good, Bentley describes “Serenade”: its history, Balanchine’s many changes, and the author’s role—she got her first “ABT start” in Serenade when she was 16. We learn ballerinas are called “girls” in practice but “ladies” onstage. Bentley is no Third Stage Feminist: she says “we were girls,” and “I was a virgin.” Yet she constantly touches wood:
“And so we went, us fortunate few who happened to be in the right place and the right time with the right physical and psychic makeup.”
All the girls “loved” “Mr. B.” as they called him—but those were less complicated times, and this “lifelong devotion found young” could be innocent. Despite the fact Balanchine had five wives, each a ballerina.
I’ve seen Serenade twice, and knew it was Balanchine’s first. But Bentley adds much more in her frame-by-frame breakdown. You can see the whole ballet here:
https://youtu.be/Xd9R9S6-9E4
I am a fan of ballet. But even for those who aren’t, breeze through the early chapters, then have that YouTube clip going while Bentley opens your eyes to what makes Balanchine ballets the peak performance art.
November 11, 2022
What a beautiful written book that portrays the experience of being a dancer with utmost clarity and precision of language. Bentley’s sentences are jam-packed with perfect descriptions of choreography that most writers would find elusive. Impeccably researched for such a narrow subject matter, the book’s depth carries you through—even when the narrative is a bit fractured, and the conceit of relating every single moment in the ballet drags on for too long.
As a 21st century woman, it is hard to see Bentley cast her moral torch into the wrong pockets of darkness. She spends a few pages on Petipa’s abuse of his wife, while neglecting the misogyny and violence that is the crack in her beloved Balanchine’s legacy. Bentley makes Balanchine’s adoration of women—and her own worship of him—romantic and almost gothically larger-than-life. One feels there some more honesty would’ve helped—especially when she has no reservations detailing the suffering of other artists.
I think this book is valuable for dancers who hope to see their love of ballet in writing; I’m not sure if anyone else would extract something meaningful from this.
As a 21st century woman, it is hard to see Bentley cast her moral torch into the wrong pockets of darkness. She spends a few pages on Petipa’s abuse of his wife, while neglecting the misogyny and violence that is the crack in her beloved Balanchine’s legacy. Bentley makes Balanchine’s adoration of women—and her own worship of him—romantic and almost gothically larger-than-life. One feels there some more honesty would’ve helped—especially when she has no reservations detailing the suffering of other artists.
I think this book is valuable for dancers who hope to see their love of ballet in writing; I’m not sure if anyone else would extract something meaningful from this.
June 19, 2022
I loved this book. I think it might have appeal even for someone who is not as crazy about ballet as I am, but is curious about what inspires such love for this art form. Toni Bentley was a Balanchine dancer at the end of his career. Unfortunately, a hip injury ended her dancing life at the age of 27. But she has gone on to write Six books about ballet; this is her latest. Serenade was the first ballet that Balanchine choreographed when he came to the US in 1934. Bentley takes us through the 30 minute ballet literally minute by minute and step by step. In between, she weaves the story of Balanchine’s life and his amazing legacy as well as her own experience as one of his dancers. Anyone who really watches a Balanchine ballet knows they are in the presence of genius. “I am made only to see movement and hear sounds,” he said. “What I have, really, is that I see better than anybody else—and I hear better…God said to me, ‘That’s all you’re going to have.’…I said, ‘Fine.’”
November 13, 2022
I loved this and couldn't have asked for anything more. Toni's focus for this book was on the ballet Serenade... a ballet with no plot steeped in blue like the moonlight. I have never seen the ballet Serenade so learning about it was a whole experience. In the process of explaining the staging for Serenade from start to finish of the production, Toni peppers vignettes of her life as a ballerina, the history of ballet, the history of Balanchine (and stories) as well as, bits and bops of other ballets. I thought the transitions were so smooth and this style of storytelling was so unique. Very well done.
Most of this book was a solid four stars but the ending sections really touched me which bumped it up to a full five stars (not easily given out!).
If you are interested in ballet/dance/theater/the arts I would highly recommend giving this a read.
Thank you to the author and Pantheon Books for the gifted copy.
P.S. There is a tiny dancer under the dust jacket and she is cute.
Most of this book was a solid four stars but the ending sections really touched me which bumped it up to a full five stars (not easily given out!).
If you are interested in ballet/dance/theater/the arts I would highly recommend giving this a read.
Thank you to the author and Pantheon Books for the gifted copy.
P.S. There is a tiny dancer under the dust jacket and she is cute.
February 21, 2024
In writing Serenade, Ms. Bentley created a beautiful story that is impossible to define. It is a story of a ballet, but a ballet without a story. It is the story of the creation of a ballet, but not a historical account. It is the story of George Balanchine, but it isn't a biography. It is the story of legendary dancers who created this work, but there isn't a lot of detail into their lives.
No, Serenade is undefinable, uncategorizable, not easily explained but impossible to avert your eyes. Yes, Serenade, as a book, captures the essence of dance and is meant to be enjoyed in mysterious wonder.
No, Serenade is undefinable, uncategorizable, not easily explained but impossible to avert your eyes. Yes, Serenade, as a book, captures the essence of dance and is meant to be enjoyed in mysterious wonder.
June 10, 2022
Listening to the audio version. The reader doesn't know Russian names, but she does the impassioned ingenue bit well.
This is stellar writing about Balanchine and how ballet is like a spiritual practice -- a religion for certain individuals for whom symmetry, beauty, harmony, consonance, art, transcendence, and purity are tantamount to the best living ever. Ordinary life has a tedium that working toward transcendence does not. This author captures that.
This is stellar writing about Balanchine and how ballet is like a spiritual practice -- a religion for certain individuals for whom symmetry, beauty, harmony, consonance, art, transcendence, and purity are tantamount to the best living ever. Ordinary life has a tedium that working toward transcendence does not. This author captures that.
January 28, 2023
It has been a while since I have felt I really needed - and wanted - to slow down and savor a book. This made me do just that. The autobiography, the portrait of and love letter to Balanchine, and the author’s speculative unpacking of Serenade make for a complicated but delightful mix. The peppering in of ballet history is fantastic. You will be inspired by the author’s passion and the way she interprets women’s autonomy through this work of art.
July 5, 2023
First of all the way it looks: So beautiful a hardcover with the loveliest shades of blue and pink. And then the content: dreamy like a melody and down to earth at the same time. It is greatly informative too. It indeed makes the reader feel like they belong in Balanchine's world of ballet. Written in an exquisite tone and language, it definitely is a ballerina's voice. Thank you, Toni, for writing this. Glad it found me.
March 15, 2024
A must for any ballet lover, Bentley shares the insider’s view of what it was like to be one of Mr. B’s ballerinas. She shares her own personal experience, a well-researched historical perspective, and sheds light on the evolution and meaning of the choreographic masterpiece, Serenade. The reader gets an on-stage perspective of the piece and a heightened appreciation of the sheer talent needed to perform it.
June 2, 2022
When I saw there was a new book about my favorite ballet, I knew it was a must-read. Toni Bentley's book feels like a mix of the chronology of the ballet, part memoir, part history of ballet's origins, and part biography on Balanchine and Tchaikovsky. The book is often not linear and felt scattered at times, but definitely a must-read for any ballet fan.
July 11, 2022
fabulous read for lovers of dance
Serenade weaves an account of the author’s life in parallel with a vivid and beautifully written description of the ballet “Serenade.” Brief biographies of notable creators of dance and dancers are included. It was a joy to watch sections of the ballet on YouTube simultaneously with reading the corresponding descriptions.
Serenade weaves an account of the author’s life in parallel with a vivid and beautifully written description of the ballet “Serenade.” Brief biographies of notable creators of dance and dancers are included. It was a joy to watch sections of the ballet on YouTube simultaneously with reading the corresponding descriptions.
February 25, 2024
Tony Ballantine danced with Balanchine's company for 10 years, appearing in Serenade 50 times. Her story is part memoir of her life as a dancer and part history of Balanchine and his ballet. At times it felt like there were too many stories happening, and yet, I enjoyed it far more than expected. I have never been to the ballet, and yet I found myself picturing every moment.
March 26, 2024
I am definitely a lover of Mister B’s ballets and New York City ballet has always been a huge reference for me and obviously my way of dancing, this book has brought me even more love for everything that he and all his dancers have created and maintain for all of us to enjoy year later.
A beautiful book that is written like a pure poems dedicated to something so special as ballet.
A beautiful book that is written like a pure poems dedicated to something so special as ballet.
September 11, 2024
I picked this up for Toni Bentley, not for an objective examination of Balanchine or his work. She delivers: her prose is captivating, the reader can share her depth of feeling.
But I never unde stood or shared the semi-worship adoration of Balanchine. This is the man who said "you should see the bone." I know what I want to know about him as a person.
But I never unde stood or shared the semi-worship adoration of Balanchine. This is the man who said "you should see the bone." I know what I want to know about him as a person.
August 28, 2022
A lot of personal passion went into this book. Toni is an excellent writer. This dives deeply into a particular ballet of Balanchine but does cover additional info. More of a niche than a history of ballet or history of NYC Ballet.
March 23, 2023
This was incredible. Toni is a fantastic writer and the way she weaves in the story of Serenade with an overarching history of ballet itself and Balanchine was seamless, poetic, and inspiring. If you think you have read everything there is on Mr. B - think again and pick this up.
October 5, 2023
I wanted to like this book. I enjoyed the Podcast that was put out about Balanchine. I just struggled to get through and didn't have the desire to continue reading. After a few months of trying, i am throwing in the towel and giving up on finishing. Maybe I'll pick it back up later
December 30, 2024
maybe this is the best book i’ve ever read?? idk but what i can tell you is that this has maybe one of the most illustrative descriptions of ballet that i’ve ever seen and i cannot recommend it enough.
Want to read
April 19, 2022"21 new books hitting shelves this week," Lit Hub, 4/12/22
May 5, 2022
An absolute pleasure!
July 6, 2022
A complex, intricately layered work in more ways than one. Titled after Balanchine's first full-length ballet in America, but also sort of his last work as he wouldn't stop tweaking it, the book discusses the little-over 30 minute ballet, ever so closely--from the steps, variations, and movements. Unfamiliar to ballet, you will get lost in all the ballet terminologies, but I believe it shouldn't deter one from reading this excellent book. Inside the ballet is Balanchine's own story, interwoven delicately, to show us his beginnings, inspirations, and perhaps, the ever-elusive meaning of the titled ballet. For decades, critics have fought over the "meaning" of his work, which he never explained. Is there one? Perhaps not. But Bentley does a fine job in linking some aspects of the life and loves of this genius choreographer who changed the world of ballet. There are a lot of poetic justifications on the side of the author, but as a Balanchine dancer herself, and as someone whose body has carried and performed Serenade with it for years, she can be forgiven.
In this, you can clearly see the undying love and devotedness that Bentley unabashedly shows in her book. She is, after all, way past the age where reticence and that virginal innocence are required, long past hesitation on sharing her years under Balanchine which, as is evident, was the focal point of her life. Unfortunately, before she turned 30, her career was cut short by her hip--nature's scorn, wrath, or sheer unluckiness; a betrayal to which a dancer can never recover from. In part, it led her to writing, and this book is a testament like no other to the legend that Balanchine was/is, rendered poetically--and only rightfully--by one of his dancers.
To some, there might be uncomfortable moments when you see the dancer's undying devotion and love, bordering on seemingly-unhealthy obsession, over their ballet masters. But what can one do when you have devoted over a decade(s) of your life, ever since you were pre-teen, unknowing and sheltered behind the studio, to a man who has quite literally taken over your life? There are plenty of teachers, even costume designers are highlighted in the art of ballet, but it is this one light that you are often drawn towards--be it man or woman. The ballet world is small; your entire life is in it. Dance is who you are, and without it, you are empty. Imagine your childhood doll, your imaginary best friend which, one day, you realize is gone. To what kind of emptiness does your mind turn to? It is not a lack, but a complete and utter nothingness.
So I write that not as an apologia of sorts, but to make things more understandable, despite the obvious sexuality and eroticism that encompass ballet, and that which also enrapture audiences so. Recently I had a conversation with a friend who danced longer than I did; I was on and off the studio, classes and the stage for a decade, whereas she steadily danced for 13 years. She's completely stopped, whereas I still frequent the studio. We talked like recovering addicts for a while, missing the pain and the long hours, but we ended our conversation abruptly, knowing that to stretch it would be to enter a life that has been already lost, a life that we have given up (I still hold on to it, but more as an outsider).
We meet several other Balanchine dancers along the way; the legendary ones forged from Balanchine's fire. Also part history of ballet, this book traces the trajectory from Balanchine's goal of redefining the tradition, and yet still respecting it as to incorporate it, but assign new meanings to it; more powerful, less fairy tale and romance. From King Louis XIV to Petipa to Tschaikovsky, ballet comes from a long tradition that Balanchine inherited; bending and molding it to create his own, but always as a nod to those before him.
Bentley literally dissects the ballet, and every time she stops her description, she gives the time stamp (based on the film on YouTube; great also if you haven't seen the production, or want to have a more immersive experience). In the end, you feel the lingering effects of Mr. B in his dancers; she mentions how many simply retired, left, or sort of went their own way when he died (of course, there was company politics, but I think this owes largely to losing your sense of direction, the light that shone, the ever-persistent gaze you didn't look at, but feel). She mentions that they are a dying breed; many of them have passed on, and most are in their late years. But there will always be new dancers on stage, performing his ballets. And this, apart from Mr. B naturally, is to whom the book is dedicated.
A fitting tribute to a man who changed so many lives and the history of ballet, if not art itself. One who revolutionized things, coming from poverty and nothing, never forgetting to incorporate that sense of loss and emptiness in his works that are so palpably, irrevocably attuned to the Divine; a sense of wonder permeating his works and always, always evading meaning. For what is meaning in an art that, according to him, is meant to be transient, fleeting, perfomed only "in the now"?
In this, you can clearly see the undying love and devotedness that Bentley unabashedly shows in her book. She is, after all, way past the age where reticence and that virginal innocence are required, long past hesitation on sharing her years under Balanchine which, as is evident, was the focal point of her life. Unfortunately, before she turned 30, her career was cut short by her hip--nature's scorn, wrath, or sheer unluckiness; a betrayal to which a dancer can never recover from. In part, it led her to writing, and this book is a testament like no other to the legend that Balanchine was/is, rendered poetically--and only rightfully--by one of his dancers.
To some, there might be uncomfortable moments when you see the dancer's undying devotion and love, bordering on seemingly-unhealthy obsession, over their ballet masters. But what can one do when you have devoted over a decade(s) of your life, ever since you were pre-teen, unknowing and sheltered behind the studio, to a man who has quite literally taken over your life? There are plenty of teachers, even costume designers are highlighted in the art of ballet, but it is this one light that you are often drawn towards--be it man or woman. The ballet world is small; your entire life is in it. Dance is who you are, and without it, you are empty. Imagine your childhood doll, your imaginary best friend which, one day, you realize is gone. To what kind of emptiness does your mind turn to? It is not a lack, but a complete and utter nothingness.
So I write that not as an apologia of sorts, but to make things more understandable, despite the obvious sexuality and eroticism that encompass ballet, and that which also enrapture audiences so. Recently I had a conversation with a friend who danced longer than I did; I was on and off the studio, classes and the stage for a decade, whereas she steadily danced for 13 years. She's completely stopped, whereas I still frequent the studio. We talked like recovering addicts for a while, missing the pain and the long hours, but we ended our conversation abruptly, knowing that to stretch it would be to enter a life that has been already lost, a life that we have given up (I still hold on to it, but more as an outsider).
We meet several other Balanchine dancers along the way; the legendary ones forged from Balanchine's fire. Also part history of ballet, this book traces the trajectory from Balanchine's goal of redefining the tradition, and yet still respecting it as to incorporate it, but assign new meanings to it; more powerful, less fairy tale and romance. From King Louis XIV to Petipa to Tschaikovsky, ballet comes from a long tradition that Balanchine inherited; bending and molding it to create his own, but always as a nod to those before him.
Bentley literally dissects the ballet, and every time she stops her description, she gives the time stamp (based on the film on YouTube; great also if you haven't seen the production, or want to have a more immersive experience). In the end, you feel the lingering effects of Mr. B in his dancers; she mentions how many simply retired, left, or sort of went their own way when he died (of course, there was company politics, but I think this owes largely to losing your sense of direction, the light that shone, the ever-persistent gaze you didn't look at, but feel). She mentions that they are a dying breed; many of them have passed on, and most are in their late years. But there will always be new dancers on stage, performing his ballets. And this, apart from Mr. B naturally, is to whom the book is dedicated.
A fitting tribute to a man who changed so many lives and the history of ballet, if not art itself. One who revolutionized things, coming from poverty and nothing, never forgetting to incorporate that sense of loss and emptiness in his works that are so palpably, irrevocably attuned to the Divine; a sense of wonder permeating his works and always, always evading meaning. For what is meaning in an art that, according to him, is meant to be transient, fleeting, perfomed only "in the now"?
August 26, 2022
Too boring and repetitive.
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