George Balanchine: American Ballet Master (Lerner Biographies)

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 128 pages
• Published by: Lerner Publications April 1996
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0822549514
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0822549512
• Book Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Weighs: 14.2 ounces

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8?Kristy effectively details Balanchine's place in the history of ballet and shows the immeasurable influences he had upon the dance world. The book opens with Balanchine's childhood in Russia and his "imprisonment" at the Imperial School of Ballet, and it follows him through his later career and achievements. The author does not skip lightly over his relationships with many women, and she implies that Balanchine's demand for the "ideal" tall, thin dancer led many dancers to become bulimic and anorexic. His temper and negative influences are merely implied without being explored. The book presents a lot of information about Balanchine, but leaves one wanting to know more about his personality and emotions. Kristy covers quite a bit in few pages, rendering issues simplistically at times rather than fleshing them out. Interesting black-and-white photographs go along with the text, but do not expand on it. Still, report writers and balletomanes will find what they need here.?Cheri Estes, Detroit Country Day School Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 6^-9. Kristy offers an entertaining biography of the renowned Russian-born choreographer who changed the direction of American ballet by creating a style in which dancers "dance the music" instead of simply telling stories. Although she mentions Balanchine's autocratic management style and his sometimes cavalier treatment of dancers, Kristy presents her subject--from dancer to director of the prestigious New York City Ballet and creator of more than 100 ballets--in a fairly admiring tone. The ballet master's four ex-wives and the talented, young dancers he favored are delicately referred to as his "muses." Ballet terms are clearly explained in the text, and numerous black-and-white photographs, notes, and a bibliography of adult books are provided. Chris Sherman