Ballet to the Corps

by Marie Paquet-Nesson

This wry memoir written from the distinctive point of view of a corps de ballet and demi solo dancer invites the reader to experience the extraordinariness of an ordinary dancer's life. Performing during the mid 1950s through the 1960s the author's career encompassed the early introduction of American ballet to audiences around the world. While with the Robert Joffrey Ballet she danced in Kabul, Afghanistan, in Tehran for the Shah of Iran, and in the Soviet Union where, on November 22, 1963, the company mourned so far from home. She danced both on freshly waxed, slippery auditorium stages and at the foot of the Acropolis. She feared for her job by having upstaged two of The Metropolitan Opera stars and feared for her life while teetering across a catwalk high above an opera house stage. Written primarily for all those who have ever harbored ballet dreams, there is a bonus for those also interested in a personal history of the fledgling Robert Joffrey Ballet.

190 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2008

Reviews

[Susan Bernhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the world of ballet in the 1950s and 1960s.

[Rebecca Bernzweig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating account for the uninitiated or the familiar, of a deeply loved career in ballet. Interesting personal and professional window into Robert Joffrey whose ballet schools remain world-reknown.

[Charlene Baumbich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, lively writing. Swell storytelling. Reading lots about ballet books right now for WIP. Didn't expect to enjoy this so much (research, you know). Great surprise!