Raising the Barre

Raising the Barre - Paperback

$19.99
$19.99
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Raising the Barre
  • Raising the Barre
Raising the Barre - Paperback

Raising the Barre - Paperback

by Lauren Kessler
$19.99
$19.99

Book Overview

Like generations of little girls, Lauren Kessler fell in love with ballet the first time she saw The Nutcracker, and from that day, at age five, she dreamed of becoming a ballerina. But when she was twelve, her very famous ballet instructor crushed those dreams -- along with her youthful self-assurance -- and she stepped away from the barre.

Fast forward four decades. Lauren -- suddenly, powerfully, itchingly restless at midlife -- embarks on a "Transcontinental Nutcracker Binge Tour," where attending a string of performances in Chicago, New York, Boston, and San Francisco reignites her love affair with the ballet--and fuels her girlhood dream.

What ensues is not only a story about The Nutcracker itself, but also an inside look at the seemingly romantic -- but oh-so-gritty -- world of ballet, about all that happens away from the audience's eye that precedes the magic on stage. It is a tale told from the perspective of someone who not only loves it, but is also seeking to live it. Lauren's quest to dance The Nutcracker with the Eugene Ballet Company tackles the big issues: fear, angst, risk, resilience, the refusal to "settle in" to midlife, the refusal to become yet another Invisible Woman. It is also a very funny, very real look at what it's like to push yourself further than you ever thought you could go -- and what happens when you get there.
ISBN9780306903274
Author Lauren Kessler
PublisherDa Capo
GenreBiography and Arts
FormatPaperback
PublishedNovember 2017
LanguageENG- English
Pages272
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

Related Subjects

Biography & Autobiography Nonfiction Performing Arts

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More by Lauren Kessler

Raising the Barre

Raising the Barre - Paperback

Raising the Barre - Paperback

By Lauren Kessler

About Lauren Kessler

Lauren Kessler's articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine; O, The Oprah Magazine; and The Nation. She lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her husband and three brilliant and faultless children.

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