Broadway, Balanchine, and Beyond

by Bettijane Sills, Elizabeth McPherson (With)

Overview

In this memoir of a roller-coaster career on the New York stage, former actor and dancer Bettijane Sills offers a highly personal look at the art and practice of George Balanchine, one of ballet’s greatest choreographers, and the inner workings of his world-renowned company during its golden years. Sills recounts her years as a child actor in television and on Broadway, a career choice largely driven by her mother, and describes her transition into pursuing her true passion: dance. She was a student in Balanchine’s School of American Ballet throughout her childhood and teen years, until her dream was achieved. She was invited to join New York City Ballet in 1961 as a member of the corps de ballet and worked her way up to the level of soloist. Winningly honest and intimate, Sills lets readers peek behind the curtains to see a world that most people have never experienced firsthand. She tells stories of taking classes with Balanchine, dancing in the original casts of some of his most iconic productions, working with a number of the company’s most famous dancers, and participating in the company’s first Soviet Union tour during the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis. She walks us through her years in New York City Ballet first as a member of the corps de ballet, then a soloist dancing some principal roles, finally as one of the “older” dancers teaching her roles to newcomers while being encouraged to retire. She reveals the unglamorous parts of tour life, jealousy among company members, and Balanchine’s complex relationships with women. She talks about Balanchine’s insistence on thinness in his dancers and her own struggles with dieting. Her fluctuations in weight influenced her roles and Balanchine’s support for her—a cycle that contributed to the end of her dancing career. Now a professor of dance who has educated hundreds of students on Balanchine’s style and legacy, Sills reflects on the highs and lows of a career indelibly influenced by fear of failure and fear of success—by the bright lights of theater and the man who shaped American ballet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813063874
Publisher:	University Press of Florida
Publication date:	02/25/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Bettijane Sills, is professor of dance at Purchase College, State University of New York. She danced with New York City Ballet from 1961 to 1972, first as a corps member and later as a soloist.
Elizabeth McPherson is associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance and coordinator of the BA and MFA in dance at Montclair State University. She is the editor of The Bennington School of the Dance: A History in Writings and Interviews.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Introduction 1

1 Child Actor 4

2 Becoming a Dancer 27

3 New York City Ballet, Corps de Ballet 40

4 New York City Ballet, Soloist 78

5 Teacher, Répétiteur, and Choreographer 119

6 Final Thoughts on the Legacy of Balanchine 146

Acknowledgments 149

Appendixes 151

Notes 161

Bibliography 167

Index 171

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“A behind-the-scenes glimpse into the fascinating and challenging world of New York City Ballet under Balanchine. It is also a compelling portrait of a dancer’s career and a testament to the many places a love of dance can take you.”—Suzannah Friscia, former assistant editor, Dance Magazine and Pointe “A gift to everyone who cares about the professional and educational dance world. Sills provides intimate and poignant reflections about her youthful career on Broadway followed by years as a corps de ballet and soloist dancer with New York City Ballet during renowned choreographer George Balanchine’s most prolific years.”—Myron Howard Nadel, coeditor of The Dance Experience: Insights into History, Culture, and Creativity “A lively and valuable read for dance fans, particularly Balanchine enthusiasts. It provides not only a trajectory of Bettijane Sills’s career—from child actor to hardworking ballerina to dedicated teacher —but also a candid view of the talented, complicated Mr. B.”—Yaël Tamar Lewin, author of Night’s Dancer:The Life of Janet Collins

Editorial Reviews

Sills . . . offers an insider’s view of her life as a performer, from child actor to life after retiring at age 30 from the New York City Ballet. . . . [An] intimate look at Balanchine’s dance and leadership style and the ballet world.”—Library Journal “The story of a girl growing up, who finds her independence without losing her ideal.”—Art Fuse “A memoir by a dancer who attained a level of prominence, but who was never a household name in the ballet world, provides a unique perspective. Sills’s recollections of her personal interactions with Balanchine are a valuable addition to Balanchine history and lore.”—Los Angeles Review of Books

From the Publisher

03/01/2019

Sills (dance, Purchase Coll., State Univ. of New York), with McPherson (theater & dance, Montclair State Univ.), offers an insider's view of her life as a performer, from child actor to life after retiring at age 30 from the New York City Ballet (NYCB). Sills studied at famed choreographer George Balanchine's School of American Ballet by 13 and attended New York's High School for the Performing Arts before finding a position at NYCB under Balanchine. She notes Balanchine's preference for extremely thin dancers, which significantly impacted her career. At her thinnest, Sills received choice roles and solos, which were just as quickly taken away. Occasional name-dropping and humblebrags ("I knew my colleagues resented me and were jealous, so I went out of my way to be quiet") pepper this intimate look at Balanchine's dance and leadership style and the ballet world. Frequent photos add interest, as do endnotes citing reviews, articles, interviews, and more. Tidbits about NYCB romances and working with choreographer Jerome Robbins give way to final chapters detailing Sills's life after Balanchine: teacher, choreographer, occasional dancer, wife, and mother. VERDICT Sills is a strong advocate for all things Balanchine while acknowledging there is room for legitimate criticism of his personal and professional approaches. Of most interest to dance enthusiasts, and suitable for all public libraries.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX

Library Journal