First published 2004
George Balanchine arrives in America as a Russian émigré carrying dreams of artistic transformation. The gifted choreographer throws himself into American culture while building the New York City Ballet from 1948 onward. He creates dance after dance, his works spreading to companies across the globe. Yet his personal life proves as complex as his choreography. Balanchine marries four different women while maintaining a secret relationship with his mistress. Each romance shapes his art in unexpected ways. He struggles to balance his Russian heritage with his adopted American identity. The ballet world watches as he reshapes their art form through sheer creative force. His dancers become extensions of his vision, performing works that will outlive him by decades. Balanchine must navigate the tension between his artistic ambitions and his complicated heart. This is the story of a man who changed ballet forever while searching for love and belonging in a new country.
Genres: biography, art, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, love-story
Setting: America, New York City
Period: 1948
185 pages · Hardcover · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt