Julie Kavanagh's comprehensive biography of Nureyev, the THREE biographies of Jerome Robbins, plus Daneman's of Fonteyn, led me to thinking who in the ballet world needs a real biography, in the tradition of Buckle's biography of Nijinsky, the recent biography of Kschessinska, and the like. I'd also add Suzanne Farrell and Tamara Karsavina's autobiographies to the list.

But who needs a real biography? I've got some ideas:

1. Ninette di Valois - fearsome, indomitable. Many of the people who knew her are still alive, from the lovers to the haters.

2. Anna Pavlova - no comprehensive biography of this legendary dancer, who also had an incredible life. Hard to believe.

3. Olga Spessivtseva - What a book this would make. The ill-fated affair with the KGB agent. The drama at the POB. The tragic mental breakdown.

4. Yuri Soloviev - another tragic life that I'd love to read about. Again, many of the people who danced with him are still alive, maybe they can shed some light on his incredible career, and why he put a bullet through his head.

5. Erik Bruhn - The golden boy of ballet, but one who apparently battled a lot of personal demons.

That's all I can think of for now. Anyone got any more ideas?

Canbelto, I'm so glad you brought up this topic! Reading biographies of Jerome Robbins and Lincoln Kirstein has made me crave a biography of Nora Kaye in the worst way. In addition to being a major figure in dance during the 1940s with ties to multiple companies and the larger arts world, she was obviously an intelligent woman with a strong personality. Every little scrap of information makes me want more.

Others include Tanaquil LeClercq, Cynthia Gregory, and Suzanne Farrell. The existence of the Farrell autobiography helps, of course. And wasn't Gregory planning an autobiography at one time?

Do wholeheartedly agree with everything Canbelto says - I would especially like to read about Dame Ninette.

But there is her memoir "Come dance with me", OK, published in 1957, but IMO the early days were the most interesting in British ballet history. It is in fact quite a good read.

Yes, please. Also, Diana Adams. And while I appreciate Gennady Smakov's bio of Barishnikov, I'd love another more deeply researched book on this restless artist.

Great topic, canbelto!

The biographies of Jerome Robbins make me long for a biography about Tanny LeClercq. What a fascinating, strong-willed woman, who held a life-long spell over Robbins. I loved simply reading the letters between Tanny and Robbins.

There is no real biography of George Balanchine -- none that is worthy of the subject. The standard one, by Bernard Taper, is a competent, journalistic job, but lacks psychological depth. The Richard Buckle one is gossipy, but patchy and incomplete. The Robert Gottlieb one is too short to cover much beyond the highlights. All the others I can think of -- by Moira Shearer, Terry Teachout, et. al. are seriously lacking in various ways. I would like to know how, for example, it was possible for Mr. B to have married and divorced five times, while remaining on good terms with all his exes?

From time to time, talk of "the Balanchine book by Arlene Croce" surfaces on Ballet Talk, but we already know that's not a biography but a study of the ballets -- if it exists at all.

I agree with you about the existing books on Balanchine. I thought Shearer had a good suggestion on that particular question, though.

John Gruen wrote a book on Bruhn many years ago, but it is seriously lacking and Bruhn definitely deserves a do-over.

Keith Money did well by Pavlova, I thought.

I agree, Nora Kaye would be an ideal subject, with considerable appeal to a general readership, too, I'd think.

Marius Petipa!

Oops didn't see the Money biography of Pavlova.
I agree about Petipa. Also, Mikhail Fokine.

,,, and Lev Ivanov.....? And the Christensen brothers....

I'm pretty certain there's a book on Bruhn in the works.

re: Ivanov and the Christensen bros, there are two works from the 1990s and each is fairly thorough.

The life and ballets of Lev Ivanov : choreographer of The nutcracker and Swan lake / Roland John Wiley.
Oxford [England] : Clarendon Press ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1997

The Christensen brothers: an American dance epic, by Debra Hickenlooper Sowell (Harwood Academic Press, 1998)

p.s. Money's thorough Pavlova is sometimes on ebay and i suppose also on used book dealers' lists.

I love her memoir, and I know there have been many essays and articles, but is there a straight-ahead biography of Karsavina somewhere? (RG -- you would know if anyone would)

i know of no biographies of karsavina in english, or any other language for that matter.

I second, third and forth a biography of Petipa.

There is a major biography of Erik Bruhn in the works.

I had always hoped for a biography of Diana Adams -- perhaps too difficult to do now. I'd definitely read one of Karsavina.

Re: Spessistseva - she published an autobiography in 1966, "The Sleeping Ballerina," with substantial help from (and is often attributed to) Anton Dolin -- Dolin apparently was also instrumental in the filming of "The Sleeping Ballerina"

There is a reference to this on https://secure.bfi.org.uk/about/media/relea...5-diaghilev.pdf
Any reference on Google to "The Sleeping...." pulls up Dolin's name.

Yes but the real drama behind Spessivtseva's story has never been told, I don't think. We've heard bits and pieces (an affair with a KGB officer, a bitter rivalry with Lifar at the Paris Opera Ballet, numerous clashes with ballerinas, and even speculation that she might have been a spy.

And I do wonder why there hasn't been a comprehensive biography of Balanchine even though there have been three(!!!) of Jerome Robbins. The people who worked with Balanchine are aging and now is probably the time to catch their stories.

A major biography/memoir of Vladimir Vasiliev is desperately needed. I'm surprised nobody has chimed in on this. The fact that quite possibly the greatest male dancer of the century has no biography out there is a terrible shame.

It would also be nice if Maximova's memoir 'Madame Nyet' would be translated and printed in the US.

And I know this will never be, but a biography of Alla Shelest would be a neat read.

Tanaquil LeClerq -- absolutely!

Pierina Legnani and Maria (Marie) Taglioni, as well as the other famous Romantic ballerinas. And how about August Bournonville?

Not only was he a great dancer, on whom major roles were choreographed, but he also lived through the transition from the Soviet Union to Russia and the Bolshoi post-Grigorovich, and it would be fascinating to get his take on the Bolshoi through the transitions and today.

Of course, it would not be complete without a ton of photos of Vasiliev and Maximova, and would be even more wonderful with a DVD slipped into a pocket in the book jacket ( )

I had always hoped for a memoir. I think she would have produced a good one. Perhaps she was too private for such a project. If so, naturally one respects that, but it's a considerable loss all the same.

How about Kenneth MacMillan, John Cranko, and Yuri Grigorivich? All were controversial but important choreographers.

In Grigorivich's case, his iron rule over the Bolshoi is also a goldmine waiting to be plundered.

Thanks rg! I'll look them up.

There is a Cranko bio ("Theatre in My Blood," by John Percival).

I believe someone is working on a MacMillan biography, but that is old news and I haven't heard an update.

There are also at least two biographies of Fokine. The problem with biographies is that they often disappear quickly. I remember being shocked when I learned that there had been a biography of Antoinette Sibley -- I'd missed it when it was published, and I follow such things rather carefully!

I think you will find that a biography of Kenneth MacMillan already exists; it’s by Edward Thorpe. Agree about a biography of Grigorovich: that would be interesting, I’d like to read a biography of Plisetskaya too as her ghastly autobiography was very selective with facts.

There are a number of biographies of Russian dancers written in Russian that have never been translated into English and I would particularly like to read Alla Osipenko’s. Getting back to Nureyev, Roland Petit has published a memoir of him that should be translated as he knew Nureyev from day one in the west and was watching his career when Rudolf was at his prime.

After just re-watching my Ballet Russe DVD, I'm craving an Alexandra Danilova biography. I've read her own autobiography which was nice but think an objective well reseached biography is needed. So many of the younger female dancers recall her taking them under her wing, almost becoming a mother figure to them, yet we also know what a forceful strong personality she could be. I think she was a dancer who never knew how to be anything BUT a dancer. Every breath she took she breathed as a BALLERINA. A true creature of the theater. I think she was facinating.


Editing to add: I also agree that a Tanaquil LeClercq biography is overdue.

It does, cos I've got it!

And I vote for a biography of Nadia Nerina. Born in South Africa, trained with Marie Rambert and eventually invited as a guest artist to the Bolshoi, then to dissapear abruptly from the world of ballet - surely there's a fascinating story there?

Ostrich I can't help but think that you and Farrell Fan are thinking of two different books. The one FF refers to is Arlene Croce On Balanchine, a book we have been waiting on since 2003, the year of the Balanchine Centennial. First the release date was pushed to 2004, then followed a series of setbacks on the release date. I emailed the publisher, Farrar, Strauss & Giroux at this time last year and was told to expect a release date of February 2007. Of course Feb. 2007 saw no new book (big surprise). So being the persistant little bugger that I am I emailed them again in August of this year. This time I got no reply at all. Perhaps they think I'm some sort of Arlene Croce stalker?

Speaking of Rambert, is there a bio of her?

Thanks, Perky. I didn't know how to respond to Ostrich, because I thought it might be a joke -- in the nature of cubanmiamiboy confessing to be the great Alicia Alonzo.

Hans, there is Rambert's marvelous "Quicksilver" but it's a memoir rather than a critical study. It's great reading, though.

Minkus, Delibes, and Adolphe Adam. The dearth of information in any language is hard to understand.

I can just imagine Mr. B's reaction to a huge, 600+ page biography about him. "My oh my. Just the events, dear."

Yes!

I am surprised to hear that there is no biography of Delibes!

Mme. Alonso needs one:
Loved by millions in Cuba and abroad, and equally hated for her communist political afiliation. One of the few living Prima Ballerina Assolutas on earth, Balanchine's muse and Fidel Castro's close friend. Praised, venerated and equally bitterly criticized by the same dancers at the same time for her tiranic ballet managment. Responsible for elevating careers to the point of having cuban principals in all major world ballet companies, and accountable also for stoppping others from the rise. Internal scandals, major triumphs, and all this while being legally blind since her early twenties...Well, i think there is some material to work with right there...

I have two books on Pavlova not mentioned: The Flight of the Swan...A Memory of Pavlova by Andre Oliveroff as told to John Gill published in 1932; and Pavlova by Walford Hyden, Her Former Musical Director published in 1931. Neither of these books claim to be official biographies, but there is a lot of biographical material in them...

P.S...I am very excited to read about a Bruhn biography to come! He was, is, and will always be my idol...

Wow Cristian, sounds like a project you should undertake!


Has the Volkova biography been printed in English yet? If not, will it be?

yes to the volokova query - see (somwhere on BT) alexandra's alert to this book's recent publication.

Here it is.

Thank you.

Amazon UK has it as well.

I am reading "Ballet To The Corps", an autobio of Marie Pacquett, who danced with Joffrey and ABT in the 50's and 60's. It's a great read, and I hate to get to the end, so I try to read only a bit at a time....like savoring chocolate cake. And I also enjoyed reading "Ballet Is A Contact Sport".

Does anyone know of other books written from a corp member's perspective of the professional ballet career?

Winter Season by Toni Bentley is a memoir of life in the corps of NYCB. It's not an autobiography but is very evocative of place and time.

Winter Season is a good book. Bentley's style in places is a little overripe for me, but as you say GWTW it's an invaluable snapshot of the company in that time and place. I think you'd really like it, agnes.

Christopher d'Amboise wrote a memoir as well, but I don't remember what rank he was when he wrote it. It's more about SAB and company life than "I got this role" then "I danced that role".

Are there biographies of Maria Taglioni, Carlotta Grisi, &c? How about Jules Perrot? Is there enough material to be able to write bios of these people?

Ivor Guest has written the definitive biography of Jules Perrot.

Jacques d'Amboise should write an autobiography. That could be a terrific book.

Merrill Ashley's Dancing for Balanchine has a good section on her time in the corps. Because she wasn't a prodigy she spent a little more time there than the Farrells or Kirklands and she has many interesting things to say about her climb up the ladder.

I'd like to see a bio of Nora Kaye.

A memoir/autobiography of the incomparable Vladimir Vasiliev would be fantastic.

While there's lots written about her, there's really no major, satisfactory biography of Maria Tallchief. Her own latest effort, with Larry Kaplan, selectively highlights certain details and passes over others.