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Dancing Through It: My Journey In The Ballet (2014)

by Jenifer Ringer(Favorite Author)

3.69 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0670026492 (ISBN13: 9780670026494)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Viking Adult

review 1: Many little girls dream of being a ballerina; Jenifer Ringer got to live out that dream. She knew nothing of ballet until she went to a friend's class, and that changed her life forever. By the time she was 12, Ringer was enrolled in an exclusive ballet school; soon after, her family moved to Manhattan so she could attend the School of American Ballet, a school from which the dancers at the famed and elite New York City Ballet come. Ringer moved through the ranks of her school quickly and showed much promise; at age 16, her dream came true: she became a professional dancer at the New York City Ballet. Ringer again rose through the ranks quickly and became a favorite of the administration. But then disaster struck: as a ballerina, weight is a huge issue. Ringer bega... moren a struggle with an eating disorder which caused her to be fired from her job and initiating a year-long hiatus from what she loved most. As she thought her dancing career was over, she tried other jobs, finished a degree in English, and started dating, something she had not had time for while she was dancing. And during her healing process, she discovered that she truly loved dancing, but she also discovered her faith in God again; and with those two pieces together, she was able to make a come back to the company and rise to be a principal dancer. I have always been interested in ballet, and this book was a good look for me behind the scenes of what goes into creating those masterpieces. Ringer takes us behind the scenes of the dancer's life, with the hectic rehearsal and performance schedules and all of the politics among the dancers within the company. She lets us see what most probably don't want us to see.
review 2: This book is far from perfect and at times the writing is wearisome, but the story of Ringer's life as a dancer is told with such honesty that I let those things slide. I loved the insider look at City Ballet and thought she was able to be accurate but at the same time kind towards those she was writing about. Others have complained about the in depth writing about ballets and performances, but as a former dancer, these were by far my favorite chapters. The focus on faith was insincere to some as well but even if I couldn't always relate I loved her ultimate choice to give her gifts to others and make her art form about something bigger than herself. That really inspired me and I would definitely want my teenage students to read her story! less

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