Bibliograph

Being a ballerina, the power and perfection of a dancing life, Gavin Larsen

Type

Label

Being a ballerina, the power and perfection of a dancing life, Gavin Larsen

Language

eng

resource.biographical

autobiography

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Being a ballerina

Oclc number

1197848939

Responsibility statement

Gavin Larsen

Sub title

the power and perfection of a dancing life

Summary

"Inspiring, revealing, and deeply relatable, Being a Ballerina is a firsthand look at the realities of life as a professional ballet dancer. Through episodes from her own career, Gavin Larsen describes the forces that drive a person to study dance; the daily balance that dancers navigate between hardship and joy; and the dancer's continual quest to discover who they are as a person and as an artist. Starting with her arrival as a young beginner at a class too advanced for her, Larsen tells how the embarrassing mistake ended up helping her learn quickly and advance rapidly. In other stories of her early teachers, training, and auditions, she explains how she gradually came to understand and achieve what she and her body were capable of. Larsen then re-creates scenes from her experiences in dance companies, from unglamorous roles to exhilarating performances. Working as a ballerina was shocking and scary at first, she says, recalling unexpected injuries, leaps of faith, and her constant struggle to operate at the level she wanted--but full of enormously rewarding moments. Larsen also reflects candidly on her difficult decision to retire at age 35"--, Publisher's description

Target audience

adult

resource.variantTitle

Power and perfection of a dancing life

Classification