Irina : Ballet, Life and Love

by Baronova Irina

"George Balanchine discovered her. Yul Brynner romanced her. Genius artists designed sets and costumes for her. And as one of the "Three Baby Ballerinas" who toured packed houses around the globe during the 1930s, Irina Baronova danced for dignitaries such as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, even Adolf Hitler and Josef Goebbels, who introduced themselves backstage." "Born in Russia to privilege in 1919, Irina and her family fled the Bolsheviks, escaping to a new, but impoverished life in Romania. Irina's mother was determined that her daughter learn ballet and, finding a way to Paris, Irina made her debut at age 11 with the Paris Opera. Soon after, she was spotted by the legendary choreographer George Balanchine, joined the famed Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and a career was born." "Over the course of her life, Irina's circle of friends and associates grew to include luminaries from a dazzling array of disciplines: husband Cecil Tennant, Marlene Dietrich, Clark Gable, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall, Igor Stravinsky, as well as ballet legends Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Margot Fonteyn. She appeared with American Ballet Theatre, on Broadway, and in Hollywood films and taught dance master classes all over the world. But her funny and moving memoir is not merely the story of a starry life. It is also about her remarkable instinct for surviving wars, heartbreak, and loss to find nurturing love as a wife and mother of three." Stunningly illustrated with beautiful photos from the worlds of stage and screen, and with a foreword by international dance critic Clement Crisp, Irina celebrates one woman's purposeful journey and a remarkable life in the arts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir

534 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irina Baronova's lived quite a life. Her family escaped from Russia during the fall of the Tsars and she trained first in Romania and then in Paris to become a ballerina. Baronova was one of the three baby ballerinas of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. Later she married talent agent Cecil Tennant and fraternized with Viviene Leigh and Laurence Olivier. What impressed me most was her positive attitude and joy as she bounced from one adventure to another--and not all of her experiences were pleasant. I was most interested to learn that Folkine had lived into the 40s--for some reason I thought he occupied an earlier era. I was also kind of amazed to see how she transitioned so utterly from ballerina to housewife (she said that was actually listed on her passport). A great yarn and a quick read.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a crazy book. The idea that one person could cram so much into one life is astonishing, and then you remember 90% of the book take place before her 3oth birthday! The parade of famous friends and incredible experiences just keeps coming as the book progresses. This book is no carefully accurate biography, it's a memoir in the truest sense of the word. Irina Baronova recounts the events of her remarkable life from her point of view, with any biases very much in tact. Her personality comes through very strongly in her writing, and even though I was left with the impression that she may have been a bit difficult to get along with at times what a privilege it must have been for those who got to spend a couple of hours with her hearing about her fascinating life before she died.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating life she led in the ballet world as it established itself in the US, England and elsewhere. She also knew or met a lot of people who are pretty famous historically. To have worked directly with Fokine and Balanchine!?! Amazing. And very cool to read how she remembers many ballet greats.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scandal, romance, and rigorous professionalism as recounted by Irina Baranova, one of Diaghilev's so-called baby ballerinas. I'm glad I read it and highly recommend it to anyone interested in the ballet world of the 1920s and 30s.

[Lola Montgomery Marley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Irina is warm and gracious and brings to vivid life the day-to-day of life in the legendary Ballet Russe. I read this while travelling a long-haul flight and left it behind at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. I hope someone else loved it, and Irina, as much as I did.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this story fascinating.

[Katharine Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

She's led quite the life. I enjoyed her writing style.