I’m fascinated by the lives of dancers. Even though I was one, I can never seem to get past the fact that each of us has such a distinctly different path–and a totally unique perspective on what it is like to live this life.

Because of that, I was excited to read Every Step You Take, a memoir written by Jock Soto (with Leslie Marshall). After all, this is a man that I grew up watching in the ballet world. Soto was a principal dancer with NYCB when he retired at the age of 40, and this book begins with the end of his career on stage. A peek inside the thoughts and fears that swirl around one’s head when the final performance looms, I thought it was a great opener.

Where, I thought, will this book go from here?

Interestingly, Soto weaves the story of his life and his heritage together with his career in ballet. We see the influence his family and background had on him, and he is free with his inner thoughts, which was quite refreshing. It is obvious that he spent time thinking through how the person he is inside influenced the person he was on stage–and the man he has become on the other side of his life as a performer. This intimate look at his thoughts and feelings becomes the centerpiece of what draws the reader in to this memoir–an an opinion shared by my friend and colleague, Henrik Lamark in his review of Soto’s book on Tights and Tiaras.

There was a kind of unexpected twist in the book in that Soto includes a variety of recipes throughout. This was such a fun thing to do, and it added another dimension to the book that I really enjoyed. I just might have to try his “Grilled Skirt Steak with Arugula” or the “Paradise Valley Potato Salad”.

I don’t like to give too much away when writing a review of a book, so I won’t spoil the details. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed the memoir, the photos–and the recipes, and think it would make good reading for both ballet dancers and those interested in dance alike. Soto takes us on a rich trip through his career, whirls us back in time to see what shaped him and let’s us tag along with him as he processes those things that helped him find his way once he retired.

It’s a fun ride.

Learn more about Jock Soto’s book or purchase a copy.

There is almost nothing I enjoy more than pointing out that the qualities that make a great ballet dancer can be harnessed for other things—and this book is a perfect example. Sophie Flack was a dancer with New York City Ballet from 2000 to 2009, and after leaving the company she is now studying English at Columbia University. She is also the author of Bunheads – a thoughtfully crafted novel about life in the world of ballet.

Written with an authenticity that can only be garnered by experience, Ms. Flack creates an inviting cast of characters that draws the reader in right away. The main character, Hannah Ward, is a corps de ballet dancer with the Manhattan Ballet, and the story is told through her eyes. We follow her through the ups and downs of her career as she competes for roles, pushes to improve her dancing and sacrifices much of what a “normal” life would otherwise be for her first love—ballet.

As the story evolves, conflict arises within Hannah when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob. The connection between the two of them is strong, but having a relationship with someone outside of the ballet world proves to be incredibly difficult—a fact she struggles with. Hannah begins to compare her life in dance to the idea of living life without the demands of being with the company, and knows she must eventually choose which path she will take.

Ms. Flack is a skilled writer and it’s easy to disappear into the pages of this book because she has built a solid story that rings of truth and passion. By having been an insider in this typically closed world, she is able to show both the beauty of it–and the strain. Those who have experienced life in a ballet class or company are sure to find themselves nodding in recognition with the trials and triumphs Hannah faces along the way. That said, I think that Bunheads would also appeal to those outside the ballet arena. The book provides a rare peek behind the scenes into the day-to-day life of a dancer, but not in a way that would leave other readers behind.

Human Kinetics Book

My absolute favorite part of this book is the way Ms. Flack crafted the circle of friends that Hannah hangs around with in the company. The dancers that she spends every day with are at the same time her closest pals—and her toughest rivals. It makes for an unusual situation, that in ballet is actually very common. Somehow you have to learn to walk the fine line between being a competitor and a confidant. It certainly isn’t easy, and here it is captured so very well.

This is undoubtedly the best fiction book on the life of a ballet dancer that I have read in a long time and I highly recommend it. Younger dancers will find a great story that they can relate to and older dancers will be transported back in time for a bit of reminiscing. This would make a perfect gift for someone who loves dance.

Hats off to Sophie Flack for taking the creativity, determination and attention to detail it takes to be a ballet dancer and writing her first novel. I look forward to the next one.

Read more about the author on the 4dancers feature – 10 Questions With…Sophie Flack

Purchase Bunheads Here

The author, Ann-Marie Williams speaks with serious authority. She is the director of the Movement Lab, a dance school for kids, and she is also a certified RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) instructor–and she has also written for The Dance Current. Williams has a knack for simplifying the information she shares about dance while still being interesting–a tough combination that she pulls off with considerable skill.

Some of the topics covered in this book include: what dance is, how to make dances, performing, promoting a show, making costumes and dance videos and information about several styles of dance, including ballet, contemporary dance and flamenco. Peppered throughout are a bunch of quotes from professionals in a variety of fields, which is a cool way to add interest to the book for kids of this age. It’s educational–but it’s fun too.

The language is right–hip and cool without trying too hard, and I think it addresses a lot of the questions that children this age may have about dance–especially if they don’t have a lot of prior experience or aren’t sure how to get started. The book helps to make dance accessible rather than mysterious, which I loved. It really was written in an encouraging tone.

The illustrations by Jeff Kulak were a nice touch as well. Visuals definitely help bring concepts to life, and the imagery worked very well here.

All in all I think this is a great book with mass appeal for the age group it was intended to serve. There’s a lot of information packed into the pages, and I think it is quite readable. A great resource for the dance community–and for parents.

Learn more about the book or purchase it for your child.

If you’ve read it–I’d love to hear what you think!

Sophie Flack

This week on “10 Questions With…” we’re featuring Sophie Flack, author of “Bunheads”… a book about the ballet world. I’m reading it right now, and it’s fabulous!

1. How did you get involved in dance?

When I was seven, the Boston Ballet studios were under renovation and they temporarily relocated to my school gymnasium. I’d see these lithe ballerinas lingering in the hallways as they stretched and spoke to one another between rehearsals. I begged my mother to take ballet classes, but I was too shy to walk into theclass that first day. I wanted my mother to go with me. It took me six months to find the courage to walk in alone.

2. What is your dance background?

I began my training at the Boston Ballet School learning the Vaganova technique. When I was eleven I was introduced to the Balanchine technique by Patricia McBride at the Chautauqua summer intensive. After watching a video of McBride dancing Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, I decided that I wanted to dance with the New York City Ballet, because I wanted to move like she did.

When I returned home, I transferred to Ballet Workshop of New England in order to study Balanchine technique. I spent my summers training with Suzanne Farrell, Gloria Govrin, Violette Verdy and Patricia McBride.

My mother would drive me to New York City in order to take private lessons with Nancy Bielski and Wilhelm Burmann, some of the best coaches in the country. I took open classes at Steps on Broadway alongside New York City Ballet dancers, and regular Pilates privates with Laurie Hurt.

At fifteen, I was accepted into the School of American Ballet on full scholarship and moved to New York City alone. At age seventeen, I joined the New York City Ballet as an apprentice and became a member of the corps de ballet the following year.

After dancing with the New York City Ballet for nine years, I retired from professional dance in 2009.

3. What is your book about, and who is it written for?

After dancing professionally for nearly a decade I wanted to give readers an inside look at what happens backstage, and what it’s like to grow up in the professional dance world.

The world is viewed though the eyes of a corps de ballet dancer named Hannah Ward, who is conflicted about whether she wants to continue to compete against her friends for a promotion, or see what’s beyond the windowless theater. Even though the novel is set in the elite and insular world of professional dance, Hannah’s coming of age story is really universal – she is trying to figure out what sort of person she wants to be.

4. What made you decide to write this book?

Though Bunheads is a work of fiction, I was inspired by the relationships between the women in the corps de ballet – we relied on one another for emotional support and yet we were competitors. When I was in the corps, the dressing room was a safe haven to vent and commiserate and laugh together. In the dressing room, everything was shared and intimate; we discussed every aspect of our lives, and yet there was a distinct air of distrust, too. We were still competitors.

The ballet world has been reluctant to draw back the velvet curtains for fear that the art form would loose it’s magic. I’ve always found the backstage drama really interesting, and I think that allowing the audience a peek will only increase interest.

I was also interested in the non-dancers that are involved in putting on a performance; the stagehands, Greenroom dressers and hairdressers all had unique stories and interesting relationships to the ballet world.

5. How did being a dancer impact your writing? 

Because I was writing fiction in the setting of a familiar place, writing this book was a proverbial John Malkovich experience: I peered out of someone else’s eyes – be it a stagehand, a pianist, an apprentice, or a principal dancer. It felt a bit like an acting exercisebecause I imagined that I was right there experiencing what the character was experiencing.

6.  6. What has been the most challenging part of the process?

The writing process was at times emotionally exhausting, because I put myself right back into the world that I had just departed. As I was moving forward with my life, and attending classes at Columbia, nearly all of my free time was spent imagining I was still in thetheater. Writing proved to be an important tool for me as I transitioned from the ballet world into academia. But I was so entrenched in writing that there were times when I had to remind myself that I had left and wasn’t going back. Even today I still have ballet anxiety dreams in which I hear my music and miss my entrance.

7. What has been the most rewarding part of the process? 

When I received the very first advanced copy of the book from my editor, I held the book in my hands and started to cry. I was able to feel the weight of my experience in my hands. It was very moving.

8. What do you love most about the dance world?

I love how dancers, and all artists for that matter, need to be incredibly tough, fearless, and resilient, and yet in order to be an artist they must be vulnerable, and be willing to expose their inner most bits.

9. Do you think your dance training helped you at all with writing? Why or why not?

Studying ballet certainly instills discipline, focus, and perseverance – all of which are paramount in writing.

While writing the book, I was taking a fewclasses at Columbia, which sounds insane, but the intensity of the work load actually fueled me, and felt familiar coming from the rigorous schedule of the corps de ballet. When I was dancing I used to comfort myself by thinking, “You’ve done more difficult things before, and you survived,” and the same mantra rang true in writing a book.

10. What’s next for you?

I’ve begun to write scenes for my next novel! Stay tuned.

The book tells the story of best friends, Leo and Carla, who take classes at a dance studio. They sample everything from swing to foxtrot to tango. Throughout their journey, the reader learns about the history and background of each dance style as their teacher, Miss Paulina teaches them.

The book is visually engaging from the moment you see it. The cover features a darling picture of Carla and Leo dancing together, and he has sparkles on his tie while she has them dotted throughout her skirt–a detail you can’t see from the photo.

Thierry Perez is the illustrator, and he is nothing short of amazing. Every picture is imaginative and skillfully drawn–the book is really a feast for the eyes. It’s the kind of thing that as a child I would have cherished, and looked at again and again.

Author, Agatha Relota has done a wonderful job of capturing her love of dance here–it’s contagious. She strikes a nice balance between educating the reader and sharing the excitement of discovering dance for the first time. I also appreciated the fact that she chose something other than ballet to highlight, as so many dance books limit themselves to that as subject matter. This one exposes kids to a wide range of styles and teaches them what countries they hail from as well. You can tell a great deal of thought went into the format. Also, Relota’s friend, Jessica Alba penned a forward for her–something that was a bit unexpected, yet interesting.

If you are looking for a terrific dance book, “Carla and Leo’s World of Dance” is as good as they come. I wish I had something this cool when I was a 10-year-old girl.

It’s stunning.

You can purchase this book on Amazon.com.

Tammy Lechner

Today on 10 Questions With… 4dancers welcomes Tammy Lechner…

1.      How did you become involved with dance?

My mom is a dancer and I grew up dancing. I used to go with her when she taught and danced at the back of all her classes. I was her “demonstrator” at conventions and just grew up in the theatre.

2.      What are you currently doing in the field?

I am currently publishing a series of dance novels. I also still teach and choreograph.

3.      Would you share a special moment from your career with readers?

Firsts are always big moments in my memory. The first time I performed professionally onstage, my first successful audition, the first recital at my studio, the first student who went on to a professional career and my first book sale.

4.      What is the best advice you have received from a teacher or mentor?

Do what you love and the audience will love what you do.

5.      What has been your greatest challenge?

In the arts world my greatest challenges are usually around money. I find the more I let go of expectations for a certain income, the more my income increases. I wish I had discovered this earlier in my career.

6.      Do you have any advice for dancers that want to go on to a professional career?

Be versatile. Learning just one syllabus is limiting. Taking class at just one studio is limiting. And always protect your body. Choreographers and instructors will sometimes push you in a way that can be damaging to your body long-term so learn about anatomy and protect yourself from injury.

7.      What do you enjoy about being involved in publishing dance books?

Anyone who has danced knows that there are so many great stories to be told. It is exciting to write books for the next generation of superstars that might inspire them along the way.

8.      You have also been a studio owner—what is the best thing about doing that?

My studio is like a huge extended family. The connections made through dancing will go on for generations and the lessons learned in dance class will influence so many lives.

9.      What do you enjoy most about your life in dance?

I remember teaching a piece on chairs, with hats and the thought popped into my head “this is such a cool job…who else gets to dress up and hang out with a bunch of teenagers and listen to music for a living- way better than the 9-5 business suit thing”!

10.  What’s next for you?

I am joining the Board of Ballet Victoria and taking my daughter to study at Los Angeles Ballet so a ballet focus right now. Who knows after that!

BIO: Tammy Lechner grew up in a dancing family and she continues to be a dedicated dancer and teacher. She was the founder and Co-Director of Dance London where she taught, ran a performance company and developed a well known special needs dance program. Tammy studied dance intensively in Canada at such establishments as Quinte and Les Ballets Jazz. Her performance career had her appearing in many commercials, television programs, films and stage productions. Currently Tammy is teaching in Victoria as well as piloting a co-curricular dance program for Glenlyon Norfolk Independent School. Tammy is a gifted teacher and choreographer with an in-depth knowledge of many dance styles. She incorporates the Paula Morgan method of teaching which combines elements from a variety of syllabus to train strong, versatile dancers. Tammy uses her motivational training skills to instil a positive attitude and self confidence in her students.

Human Kinetics Book

Tammy’s latest creative adventure is Lechner Syndications. Her desire to ignite a passion for reading in children has led her to create series about the things that kids love and to offer books containing messages that reinforce the life skills they are learning through their involvements. The dance series is the first series released by Lechner Syndications and Tammy has played a key role in all aspects of writing, cover design and marketing.

Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg, courtesy of The George Balanchine Trust, photo by Bob Mooney

1. How did you get started in ballet and what are you doing now?

I always loved to dance, since a was a little girl, and I was always entranced by ballet in particular. I used to watch PBS “Dance in America” specials on TV and try to copy what I saw. My parents finally took me for lessons when I turned 8 years old. I knew I wanted to dance professionally, and I was fortunate enough to be contracted as an apprentice with the Miami City Ballet at the age of 17. I am still dancing with MCB now, and have been a principal dancer since 2001. I also teach annually for the CB School Summer Intensive and I have been a guest artist and teacher with several other schools around the country.

2. You have written a book – “So, You Want To Be A Ballet Dancer”. Can you tell readers what this is about?

My book is essentially a “how to” guide for young aspiring dancers who are considering a professional career. It is also, in part, a memoir in which I share stories of my own pre-professional struggles and mishaps. It is meant to be informational and inspirational at the same time.

I found that on my own way to becoming a professional, as I find now in students of my own, that there are so many essentials that go untaught; such as: the in’s and out’s of the stage and backstage, studio etiquette, auditioning skills, injury prevention, healthy diet and nutrition, stage makeup and hair, pointe shoe preparation and maintenance, handling criticism and stress, etc.

My goal is to provide some insight into these areas so that young dancers are ready to cope with these challenges before they are contracted into a company. All of the information I provide will prove useful in their continued years of study as well.

3. Who can benefit from reading this book—and why?

There is something in my book for pre-professional dancers and students of all levels and age groups. I provide standard information that every young dancer will find that they need to know later on, as well as advice and tips that they can use during their student years. I think it is so important to be well prepared to enter a company, and that being well prepared will ensure a start “on the right foot”. A career in ballet, as wonderful as it is, is full of challenge, dedication, frustration, and sacrifice. My goal is to ease young dancers’ transition from student to professional – even if it is just a little bit.

4. Can you share a piece of advice for young dancers?

The best advice I can give is to never ever forget what you love about dancing, and why you wanted to dance in the first place. Remind yourself each and every day. This will keep you motivated, dedicated and working hard, even on the toughest days, and can help you super-cede the toughest of challenges.

5. One of the areas you talk about is the transition from student to professional. How was this a difficult one for you?

It was difficult in many ways. First of all, I wasn’t accustomed to such a long and rigorous schedule; and though I had some performing experience, I didn’t know how to be part of the corps de ballet. I had so much to learn about the inner working of the theater, stage layout, basic backstage rules, etc.

Once you are in a company, everything happens so quickly, and nobody takes you by the hand to teach you necessary skills. You have to be extremely alert and pick things up along the way. I kept expecting someone to stop and explain everything to me and that never happened. If you want to get ahead, you need to be as prepared as possible from the start and be prepared to adjust to new working environment very quickly. For me, though very exciting, it was also intimidating and stressful.

6. What would you say is the most difficult part of being a ballet dancer at your level?

I think the most difficult part about being at this level is finding that it is still such hard work and I’m still never satisfied! Sometimes it is exhausting to know that so much is expected of me, all of the time, as an experienced principal dancer. I am still trying to progress and be better everyday.

I am still anxious before I go out on stage; though at this level no one expects me to be. I still struggle with some self doubt and insecurity, and that is hard to try and hide when you know people are looking up to you. There is always somebody watching – whether it be a student, and apprentice or young corps member, and it is my duty to always try to set a good example. That is a huge responsibility that I take very seriously.

Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg

7. How has the ballet world changed over the years?

Oh, the ballet world has changed in so many ways. Like everything else, it has advanced – the technical capabilities of today’s dancers are incredible, and there is always new and innovative choreography being created. Now, thanks to DVD and Internet connections, we are all exposed to different styles, choreographies and dancers and that is so inspiring! Sadly though, I don’t think it is as widely appreciated as an art form as it used to be, and there are some dancers who are still struggling just to survive. Many companies are suffering from economic difficulties and are lacking in public support.

8. What made you decide to write this book?

Actually, my husband Carlos (also a principal dancer) convinced me to do it. I love to write and had toyed with the idea of one day writing a book, yet I wasn’t sure what to write about. I’d come home from teaching and tell him how many questions the students were asking me, and how amazed I was that at that advanced level they were lacking certain basic skills. Finally he suggested that I write a book for them! I wasn’t sure about it, but once I started, I realized how much I had to say and how much I wanted to share, and it just took off from there.

9. What was the process of writing it like?

Actually, it was very long and tedious, but a lot of fun at the same time. I’m rarely satisfied with my own work (dancing included), so I wrote and rewrote things over and over. Part of the challenge was time. We have such a rigorous work schedule that it was hard to find adequate time to really sit down and concentrate on writing. Also, unbeknown-st to me, Carlos was announcing to everyone that I was writing the book before I had actually begun! I was a little bit hesitant about getting started, but once I found out that he was telling everyone, I had no choice but to get going!!!

10. What’s next for you?

I would love to keep teaching and even be a ballet mistress or coach. I also really want to keep writing. No matter what though, I need to keep a connection to the ballet world. It is what I love most and it helps define who I am.

Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg

BIO: Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg was born in Queens, New York where she trained with Teresa Aubel, Nicholas Orloff, Norman Walker, and Barbara Walczack.  She continued her studies on scholarship at the School of American Ballet before joining Miami City Ballet as an apprentice in 1994 at the age of 17. She moved steadily through the ranks and was named Principal dancer in 2001. Ms. Kronenberg has danced many leading roles; some of her favorites include Balanchine’s “Rubies”, Who Cares?, Allegro Brillante, Duo Concertante, Sonatine, Swan Lake, and Stravinsky Violin Concerto, as well as the classics – Grand Pas Classique, Coppélia, Don Quixote, Giselle, and John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet. Ms. Kronenberg has been a regular teacher for the Miami City Ballet Summer Intensive Program for the last several years, and has also been a guest teacher with Ballet Arts of Jackson Tennessee, El Ballet de Monterrey Curso de Verano, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, and Ballet Chicago, among many others.

Amanda Brice, Author

Thanks so much for having me here today! I’m very excited to speak with dancers about my new YA book, Codename: Dancer.

I’ve been dancing pretty much my entire life. My mom enrolled me in a ballet/tap combo class at age 3 because she noticed I would jump around and spin whenever the Coke commercial came on. From that point on, I was hooked!

As a preteen and teen, I was in my dance studio’s company, and was dancing around 30 hours per week. Then in college, in addition to double majoring in Political Science and French, I studied flamenco, ballet, and ballroom. My junior year I auditioned for the ballroom dance team, and spent the next two years competing against other schools up and down the East Coast. It was a lot of fun!

I decided to write Codename: Dancer because it was the type of book I would have loved growing up. There were tons of fiction books about dancers for little girls, but not much for teens. There still isn’t, really, except for books about the ballets and choreographers. In other words, non-fiction.

So I decided to do something about that. I’ve always loved mystery novels, so why not write a mystery series about a group of dance students at a performing arts boarding school? And thus, Codename: Dancer was born.

Of course, I’ve never solved a mystery, nor did I go to a boarding school, so I still had a lot to learn. But I’d started reading Nancy Drew books in elementary school, and always used to win at Clue, so how hard could it be?

It actually ended up being a lot more difficult than I expected, but readers tell me they don’t figure out whodunit until right at the end, so hopefully I met my mark!

I hope you’ll enjoy my book. Here’s a little bit about it:

“Aspiring ballerina Dani Spevak is thrilled when hit TV show Teen Celebrity Dance Off comes to the campus of her performing arts boarding school. She trades the barre for the ballroom and gets set to cha-cha-cha to stardom with Hollywood wonderboy Nick Galliano.

At first their partnership is awkward, because Dani is in awe of her longtime teen idol crush. But soon their chemistry is heating up the dance floor and the attraction moves into real life.

Her excitement is short-lived, because someone wants her off the show. Bombs, poisoning, arson… Will Dani’s 15 minutes of fame be over before she reaches age 15? Dani and her friends are suddenly at the center of some serious sabotage. And if she doesn’t find out who is behind it, her next pirouette could be her last.

It’s like Nancy Drew in toe shoes in this light-hearted tween mystery, a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® Award for Best Young Adult Romance.”

You can learn more at www.amandabrice.net.

Would you like to win a copy of the e-book? If so, just leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite dance book or dance movie is. I can’t wait to hear from you!

To enter the drawing for this giveaway, simply comment below and I will pick a name out of a hat (yes, literally!) for the copy. Take a minute and enter–it costs you nothing…

This book would make the perfect summer reading for the beach, a trip, or simply to accompany you out in the yard as you unwind after a long day…or, if you aren’t a big reader, give it away to a dancer you know who is!

1.      Could you tell readers a bit about who you are and what you do?

I’m a dance-lover rather than a dancer; and I’m a writer with two books of fiction published, the first one a short story collection, the second one a novel.

2.      What is your latest book called and what is it about?

It’s called RUSSIAN WINTER and centers on a Bolshoi ballerina during the last years of Stalin’s rule.  The book goes back and forth between modern-day Boston, where the dancer has been living in the decades since her defection, and post-World War II Moscow, where we witness her life as a young dancer rising in the ranks of the Bolshoi and her friendships with other artists striving to fulfill their dreams while living in a totalitarian state.

3.      Why did you decide ballet would play a part in your book?

From the moment I pictured this elderly Russian woman in Boston, I thought of her as a ballerina, maybe because the idea of exploring that world and learning about life in a ballet company was exciting to me.  Then, in my research, I began to understand just how important the ballet was to the Soviet regime, which relied on the beauty and glamour of the theatre as a counter to the bleakness of daily life.  I’m fascinated by how well that government understood the need for the arts in society and tried to foster—well, manipulate—ballet, opera, music, literature, if in an ultimately stifling manner.  What I most wanted to show in my novel, though, was how art is this humanizing force that really can save us.

Only later did it strike me how appropriate ballet in particular was to the book, since I was writing about life in authoritarian state, and ballet can be seen as authoritarian, with its precise rules and strict discipline.  Think of the corps de ballet, the self-abnegation and conformity ballet often requires.  So it was a good parallel to what I was trying to say about Soviet life.

4.      How did you make sure your information about dance was accurate?

I had a strong foundation to start from since I began ballet lessons at age 5 and have always read dancer biographies and memoirs.  For RUSSIAN WINTER I was focusing on ballet in the 1940s-50s, but for nitty-gritty details of backstage life I spoke to a friend who danced with the New York City Ballet (she’s retired now), and she introduced me to another dancer who’s still there and showed me around backstage.  So I asked them whenever I had questions, and after the book was finished I showed the ballet sections to a former ABT dancer as well as a ballet teacher here in Boston and another retired dancer I know.

5.      Why do you think dancers would enjoy this book?

Well, it’s highly entertaining and suspenseful whether you’re a dancer or not, which is why readers have been responding to it.  And while dancers will find the Bolshoi sections interesting, I think overall they’ll connect with the story because it’s about the passion and devotion necessary to succeed at any art.  Other key characters are a poet, a composer, and a literary translator—but dancers will relate to the intense focus, practice, and emotional depth that make these people artists.

6.      How did you develop the characters in it that are dancers?

As a fiction writer, I know what it feels like to be passionate about something that much of society doesn’t really care about, and to keep working hard at a project even when it seems I’m about to fail.  Like dancers, I absolutely HAVE to do this thing, because it’s what I love.  So I tapped into that when I considered these characters and their relationships with each other.  Also, I’m aware of the combination of hard work and luck that’s necessary for success, so I had that in mind, and in particular the huge risk and sacrifice it would be for someone who has worked her way up to prima ballerina to abandon the company in order to find personal and political freedom.

7.      Do you see any similarities between writing and dance?

Yes, both in terms of the work involved—the striving for perfection that always feels just beyond you—and the way that the power and beauty of what you’re producing has to come from within you, from your own inner resources.  And in terms of art forms, they’re also very similar, since ballet is poetry without words, and written language has its own shape and rhythm and music.

8.      What did you enjoy about using ballet as a backdrop in this book?

I loved learning small details about ballet school and backstage life.  I was able to visit the New York City Ballet before a performance and saw the dancers being made up and a principal dancer rehearsing on stage with the pianist, and I loved learning about costumes and wigs and shoes and props.  It was exciting to bring my new “knowledge” to readers who might otherwise not think about this side of ballet.  I especially liked showing not only the beauty of what happens on the stage but also the blisters and corns and hairpins, etc., that the audience doesn’t usually see.

9.      Do you see ballet any differently now that you have written about it?

I think I appreciate even more the physical and emotional intensity of a dancer’s life.  And from reading up on so many classical ballets and watching various versions of them, I see more clearly how deeply rooted—if not always acknowledged—these classic works are in the public imagination.

10.  What’s next for you?

Another novel—a love triangle—about professional musicians in Boston.

Purchase Russian Winter on Amazon

Book club discussion information for those who want to read the book with a group.

Human Kinetics Book

About the author: Daphne Kalotay grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Vassar College before moving to Massachusetts to attend Boston University’s Creative Writing Program. There her stories went on to win the school’s Florence Engel Randall Fiction Prize and a Transatlantic Review Award from The Henfield Foundation. She remained at BU to complete a PhD in Modern and Contemporary Literature, writing her doctoral dissertation on the works of Mavis Gallant. (Her interviews with Mavis Gallant can be read in The Paris Review’s Writers-At-Work series.) Daphne has received fellowships from the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the La Napoule Foundation, Yaddo and the MacDowell Colony, and is a grateful recipient of the W.K. Rose Fellowship in the Creative Arts from Vassar College. She has taught creative writing at Boston University, Middlebury College and Skidmore College and lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.