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Irina Baronova and the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo

Victoria Tennant

$97.95

Hardback

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English
University of Chicago Press
15 October 2014
In the 1930s and '40s, the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo toured the United States and the world, introducing many to ballet as an art form, while spreading the enduring image of the ballerina as an embodiment of feminine grace and sophistication. This sumptuous, illustrated history tells the story of the rise of modern ballet and its popularity through the life story of one of ballet's most glamorous stars, Irina Baronova (1919–2008), prima ballerina for the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo and later for Ballet Theatre in New York.

Drawing on letters, correspondence, oral histories, and interviews, Baronova's daughter, the actress Victoria Tennant, warmly recounts Baronova's dramatic life, from her earliest aspirations to her grueling time on tour to her later years in Australia as a pioneer of the art. She begins with the Baronov family's flight from Russia during the Revolution, which led them to Romania and later Paris, where at the age of thirteen, Baronova became a star, chosen by the legendary George Balanchine to join the Ballets Russes, where she danced the lead in Swan Lake. Tennant provides an intimate account of Baronova's life as a dancer and rare behind-the-scenes stories of life on the road with the stars of the company. Spectacular photographs, a mix of archival images and family snapshots, offer manyrare views of rehearsals, costumes, set designs, and the dancers themselves both at their most dazzling and in their most everyday.

The story of Irina Baronova is also the story of the rise of ballet in America thanks to the Ballets Russes, who brought the magisterial beauty and star power of dance to big cities and small towns alike. Irina Baronova and the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo offers a unique perspective on this history, sure to be treasured by dance patrons and aspiring stars.

By:  
Imprint:   University of Chicago Press
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 29mm,  Width: 24mm,  Spine: 3mm
Weight:   1.446kg
ISBN:   9780226167169
ISBN 10:   022616716X
Pages:   256
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Victoria Tennant played the title role in her first film, The Ragman's Daughter, in 1972, and she has since then gone on to work in film, television, theater, and radio, receiving Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. She lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews for Irina Baronova and the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo

My friend Irina Baronova was a legendary baby ballerina of the Ballets Russes and an ambassador of classical ballet in America, but this book shows us the kind, funny and hard working woman behind the legend. She was a total pro and an elegant human being. If it's possible, I'm more in awe than ever. --Mikhail Baryshnikov


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