First published 2022
Jennifer Homans traces the life of George Balanchine, the choreographer The New York Times dubbed "the Shakespeare of dancing." Born under the last czar, Balanchine survived the Russian Revolution, two world wars, and exile to become arguably the greatest choreographer who ever lived. Homans draws on ten years of research, over one hundred interviews, and archives across three continents to reveal how Balanchine transformed ballet into a modern art form. The biography follows his journey from revolutionary Russia to co-founding the New York City Ballet, his five marriages to dancers, his spiritual struggles, and his relentless pursuit of beauty. Homans, a former dancer and New Yorker dance critic, shows how Balanchine's radical vision reinvented choreography and made ballet popular in America. The book captures both his artistic genius and personal costs, revealing the man his dancers simply called Mr. B.
Genres: biography, history, art, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: biography, found-family
Setting: America, New York City, Russia
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century, Russian Revolution
784 pages · Hardcover · Random House