Alla Osipenko

The subject of the book Alla Osipenko: Beauty and Resistance in Soviet Ballet by Joel Lobenthal is the history of ballet. A ballerina born with a physique perfect for classical ballet, Osipenko strove with entire artistic passion toward new discovery inside classical ballet. She criticized the system of classical dance created by her teacher Agrippina Vaganova, who is known as the 'Queen of the Variation.' But ironically, Alla Osipenko's name is very well known inside the professional ballet world as the 'Queen of Adagio.' -- Nina Danilova, author of Eight Female Classical Ballet Variations This is a marvelous book about the legendary Russian ballerina, Alla Osipenko, who defied the repressive Soviet regime with the power of her art and ultimately won. An absorbing and gratifying read! Great gift for Russian ballet lovers! -- Alexander Poznansky, Yale University Joel Lobenthal's account of Alla Osipenko's life and thoughts is a wonderfully intimate history of one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th Century. He provides an unparalleled view into her personal world not only as a Kirov dancer but also as a Soviet citizen, who suffered and benefitted from a regime that valued ballet but not individuality. Lobenthal has written a book that does justice to his subject. It dances and pirouettes from topic to topic, while at the same time telling a compelling history of success and setbacks, of beauty and its adversaries, and of a life in the limelight from Stalin to Putin. -- Juliane Furst, author of Stalin's Last Generation: Soviet Post-War Youth and the Emergence of Mature Socialism