Round About the Ballet [Hardcover]

William Cubberley (Author), Joseph Carman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

Anyone who has ever seen a live performance of ballet knows the thrill of seeing larger-than-life figures on stage dancing in ways that seem superhuman. What are these dancers like beyond the footlights? How have they acquired such artistry and technique? What are the joys and difficulties in sustaining their careers? What dreams would they like to fulfill as performers? Round About the Ballet profiles the stars of the top New York City ballet companies: American Ballet Theatre and the New York City Ballet. Selected by Roy Round, one of the world's leading dance photographers, the dancers profiled represent the very best in ballet today. The dancers are brought to life through stories of their lives, real-life interviews, and the stunning photgraphs of Roy Round. This book is for ballet fans, dance students, collectors of photo books, and people who are curious about the performing arts. This is a book that, once opened, will be hard to put down. HARDCOVER

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Recommended for all dance and photography collections." -- Back Stage, February 2005

"[S]traightforward...the subject seems to emerge from luminous, unpunctuated space...the challenge of pure movement is palpable." -- Dance Magazine, March 2005

"[The dancers] come to life in the prose..." -- Village Voice, January 2005

The book should be in every home where dance is revered. -- Marian Horosko, Dancer Magazine, March 2005

[A] balletomane's dream...a book of photographs that really reveals the art of individual dancers...[with] penetrating interviews. -- Francis Mason, WQXR, February 10, 2005

[P]rovides a real sense of these lively artists who spend so much time expressing themselves in movements rather than words. -- New York Sun, December 2004

About the Author

Londoner Roy Round is one of the most acclaimed and experienced photographers in dance. Among the ballet stars framed by his lens are Rudolph Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Natalia Makarova, Sir Anthony Dowell, Dame Margot Fonteyn, and Dame Antoinette Sibley.

William Cubberley is the publisher of the Practising Law Institute in New York. An enthusiastic and knowledgeable dance lover for many years, Mr. Cubberley is a lawyer and former Political Affairs Officer at the United Nations.

Joseph Carman, former soloist with ABT and the Joffrey Ballet, has moved with great success to the field of dance writing. His articles appear frequently in the Arts and Leisure Section of The New York Times, as well as Dance Magazine, Stagebill, The Advocate, Playbill, The Village Voice, and Dance International.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Limelight Editions; 1st Limelight Ed edition (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879103116
• ISBN-13: 978-0879103118
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,367,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #96 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Dance > Ballet

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully put together, January 2, 2005

By 

CHARLES LEGRAND - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Round About the Ballet (Hardcover)

The photographs are dazzling, with enough stylistic variance to remain interesting start to finish. The book offers a unique portrait of each dancer, instead of feeling like the same canned interview over and over. Coffee tablery at its finest. It can be either something simply pretty to look at or something interesting to read, or both.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book about ballet, February 4, 2005

By 

Thomas Johnson "janeite" (Pompano Beach, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Round About the Ballet (Hardcover)

I have been going to the ballet seriously for 35 years. Nothing gets into the heart and soul of dancers the way this book does. And the photographs of the fifteen individual dancers simply take the breath away -- especially the one on the cover.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A visual treat and an effort to capture the movements and artistry of ballet in photo book format, October 10, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Round About the Ballet (Hardcover)

The stars of top New York City ballet companies have been selected by dance photography Roy Round for profile in Round About The Ballet, a visual treat and an effort to capture the movements and artistry of ballet in photo book format. But Round About The Ballet isn't just visuals alone: interviews with the dancers probe their achievements, lives, and dancing challenges alike, covering such diverse topics as how ballet competitions have changed their lives, how associations with particular companies have influenced their dancing styles, and both physical and psychological dancing challenges. A 'must' for any serious dancer, especially for fans of ballet.