Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
12th out of 75 books
—
69 voters
Winter Season: A Dancer's Journal, with a new preface
"Quite possibly the most revealing book about the world of ballet ever to see print."--National Review
"One of the most intelligent and introspective glimpses ever offered into one of the most competitive and excruciatingly nervous existences in the arts."--New York Times Book Review
"Without entirely stripping away the glamour of being a dancer, Bentley's candid and modest...more
"One of the most intelligent and introspective glimpses ever offered into one of the most competitive and excruciatingly nervous existences in the arts."--New York Times Book Review
"Without entirely stripping away the glamour of being a dancer, Bentley's candid and modest...more
Paperback, 168 pages
Published
November 10th 2003
by University Press of Florida
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
434)
This is a heartfelt diary about what it's like to be in the corps of the NYCB. It is a neat book to read from a former dancer's POV especially to see the awe of Balachine and the characterization of Peter Martins. It has a neat quality to being both very current in Ms Bentley's daily life while being a strong connection to the past and current future of NYCB.
This is a real dancer's diary. It goes through the ups and the downs. The desire to perfect dance while still being in the awe of the magn...more
This is a real dancer's diary. It goes through the ups and the downs. The desire to perfect dance while still being in the awe of the magn...more
Pretty much like Bunheads, except this is real literature. Infact the similarity is eerie - but since this was written in the 80's, and Bunheads pretty recently, it's obvious who ripped off whom.
Sometimes feels a little condescending towards 'normal', nondancing people - I guess I would be somewhat condescending if I was a ballerina; a superhuman, ethereal creature (acc to my standards). If you make it to be such a perfect being, you have every right to feel superior compared to the rest of us...more
Sometimes feels a little condescending towards 'normal', nondancing people - I guess I would be somewhat condescending if I was a ballerina; a superhuman, ethereal creature (acc to my standards). If you make it to be such a perfect being, you have every right to feel superior compared to the rest of us...more
Dancers feel unreal to me and untouchable in there perfect world. I wanted to read the ugly real side of a dancer and what makes her tick. I think this is as close of a look as I'm going to get. Toni danced for the NYCB since she was 18 and was affiliated within close proximity since she was 11. She is 22 years old during the 1980 Autumn season shared. Toni opens up on how being raised in the company she was always playing the role of dancer and had no experience in the ways of the world outside...more
1 like · like · see review
An interesting, true-life look at what it was like to be a dancer in the corps of the New York City Ballet - when Balanchine was running it. It was really interesting to see what the life is like, but like Bunheads, it cemented my opinion that the life of a dancer is really really hard. You can only do it if you love it more than anything else because it seems like it can often be the only thing in your life. There's no time for anything else.
I docked this book a few stars because I know it's a...more
I docked this book a few stars because I know it's a...more
"It is not often that a dancer, as a crafts-master, has won over two languages, steps and words."
These lines, found in the newly added introduction to Toni Bentley's journal, pretty much sum up the way I feel about this book. It's moving and wonderfully written. It's authentic; Bentley doesn't attempt to sugarcoat things, and the result is a sometimes grim, sometimes happy portrayal of life behind the scenes at the NYCB. One gets a different glimpse into what seems like a magical world of pretty...more
These lines, found in the newly added introduction to Toni Bentley's journal, pretty much sum up the way I feel about this book. It's moving and wonderfully written. It's authentic; Bentley doesn't attempt to sugarcoat things, and the result is a sometimes grim, sometimes happy portrayal of life behind the scenes at the NYCB. One gets a different glimpse into what seems like a magical world of pretty...more
12/23/08: OK, yes, I'm disturbingly fixated on ballet books right now, but it has been so satisfying to read about those who choose a creative path in life. Combine the poetry and beauty of a life dedicated to art with easy-to-read prose and you have exactly what I need right now after finally conquering Gravity's Rainbow. Anyway, just started this one and it's FANTASTIC so far. Also, it's another quick read, so a great choice for anyone who is also obsessed with the world of dance. More to come...more
Based on a journal Toni Bentley kept when she was a member of the corps de ballet at the NYC Ballet when she was 22. This is not a memoir of a young girl's meteoric rise to super stardom. It is a day to day account of a young dancer who, after having worked, starved, slaved her way to a role as a successful working dancer at the NYC Ballet, realizes that this may be as far as she goes.
It's a journal and so the self-concious tone can be a bit wearying--but the anecdotes about how many pairs of toe shoes they wear out a week and how much that costs and how much coffee they drink and cigarettes they smoke and yet all the yummy dessert they deprive themselves of..fascinating!
My mom gave me this book when I was a teenager. I loved it and have kept it on my shelf, picking it up periodically. It has been years since I've read it but I think I could still relate the uncertainty with which direction to take in life. I loved the insiders look into the world of dance.
Pretty interesting but short read. She comes across as a teeny bit mad but then all the ballet dancers do. Interesting metaphor describing ballet dancers as tools of Balanchine's art - she compares herself to one of Van Gogh's paint brushes.
If I was 20-something, I would have loved this book more. At my current age I couldn't help but laugh at her emotional overindulgence. For sure youth is wasted on the young but we are all the same at that age. A good book for young dancers (not for children)to learn about one dancer's experience.
I admit that I am fascinated by the life of a ballet dancer and even more so when it is a NYCB dancer during the reign of Balanchine. Toni Bentley published her journal from one season of her dancing career, and it was the winter season where she questioned being a dancer. She discusses the everyday life of a dancer and how alien dancers sometimes feel among non-dancers. She shares her experiences on stage, and off. I love when she talks about the everyday de rigueur habits of dancers - the one-...more
I was able to observe so much more about my own artistic career and its affect on my life through reading this memoir. I like Bentley's writing: have read this and "The Surrender" and hope to read more of her. Very quick read!
Oh, I wish she hadn't written some over-the-top book later about her sex life and ruined everything! This is one of the best books on the ballet world out there.
A very well-written memoir of being a Balanchine dancer, with all that entailed. You would do well to avoid the latter memoir about sodomy, though.
Beautifully written. Bentley illuminates the dedication and endurance required to be a professional ballerina. The lifestyle is all-consuming. She saw George Ballanchine as a true God.
An artists life revealed with honesty and thoughtfulness
A disturbing and beautiful account of one dancer's season at the New York City Ballet. Tony Bentley is a member of the Corps de Ballet and describes how the directors call the women "girls," most of the corps de ballet never menstruates, and after performing Nutcracker all December, the ladies find particles of fake snow everywhere! This book paints a gloomier portrait of the ballet world as shown from the viewpoint of a woman who is a part of it, but not the Prima Donna.
Feb 25, 2008
Tara
added it
A dancer's life from the inside...what it's like to live as a performing artist, specifically in ballet. Some aspects I could easily relate to, others that were totally foreign. Nice ideas about how to deal with new pointe shoes. Short but sweet.
Jul 07, 2007
Renée
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
ballet dancers, those who love ballet and those who read literary nonfiction or memior.
Bentley’s short memoir is a frank, beautifully written account of life in the corps de ballet at NYCB. This is a just read for anyone interested in the literature of dance, particularly
I read this as a young teen when ballet was still my entire life outside of school. I loved this book, but I honestly no longer remember the details.
Chicks- this is a great sort of diary ofthe life of a dancer- specifically Toni Bentley- and I love it!!!
May 22, 2013
Evangeline
marked it as to-read
May 18, 2013
Kassie K.
marked it as to-read
May 16, 2013
Sasi Evani
marked it as to-read
May 11, 2013
Amanda
marked it as to-read
May 09, 2013
Raluca Maria
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Dancing may not be the perfect substitute for love, human love, but it certainly requires all the time and thought and energy that could otherwise be dedicated to love.”
—
8 people liked it
More quotes…
Nov 05, 2012 05:44pm