Dancing through it : my journey in the ballet

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Title:

Dancing through it : my journey in the ballet

Author:

Ringer, Jenifer, author

ISBN:

9780670026494

Physical Description:

275 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm

General Note:

Includes index.

Contents:

Tiptoe -- New York -- The company -- Darkling -- Dawning -- Dancing through -- Intermission -- The other side -- Sugar plumgate -- Dancing Dances at a Gathering -- Facing away -- The mirror.

Personal Subject:

Ringer, Jenifer

Corporate Subject:

New York City Ballet.

Subject Term:

Ballerinas -- United States -- Biography.

Summary:

A behind-the-curtains look at the rarefied world of classical ballet from a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet. From the heart-pounding moments waiting in the wings before a performance to appearing on Oprah to discuss weight and body image among dancers, Dancing Through It is moving and revelatory. By the age of twelve, Jenifer Ringer was enrolled at the elite Washington School of Ballet and soon moved to the School of American Ballet. At sixteen she was a professional dancer at the New York City Ballet in Manhattan, home of the legendary George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. Ringer takes us inside the dancer's world, detailing a typical day, performance preparation, and the extraordinary pressures that these athletes face. Ringer shares exhilarating stories of starring in Balanchine productions, working with the famous Peter Martins, and of meeting her husband and falling in love at the New York City Ballet. Ringer also talks candidly of Alistair Macauley's stinging critique of her weight in his 2010 New York Times review of The Nutcracker that ignited a public dialogue about ballet and weight. She unflinchingly describes her personal struggles with eating disorders and body image, and shares how her faith helped her to heal and triumph over these challenges.

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	792.8028092 RIN	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	792.8028092 RIN	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Stillwater Public Library	792.8028092 RIN	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Jenifer Ringer, as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, knows what it's really like to make it to the top in the rarefied world of classical ballet. In her charming and honest memoir, Ringer goes behind the scenes at one of the most renowned ballet companies in the world and shares the story of her own journey from student to star, a path that included losing her job during her struggle with an eating disorder and handling a media storm after her weight was commented on by a New York Times critic. Witty, insightful, and modest, Ringer is the perfect guide to the world behind the curtain.

Raised in South Carolina, Ringer grew up knowing nothing about dance until she sat in on a friend's ballet class, an experience that would change her life forever. By the age of twelve she was enrolled at the elite Washington School of Ballet and soon moved to Manhattan to attend the School of American Ballet. At sixteen she became a professional dancer at the New York City Ballet, home of the legendary George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.

Ringer takes us inside the dancer's world, detailing the day-to-day demands, the performance preparation, and the extraordinary athletic challenges dancers face. She shows us, step by step, how she approaches the premiere of a new piece or assumes roles in the storied ballets of the repertory, giving us an exhilarating dancer's-eye view of these magnificent productions and allowing a whole new appreciation of what we see from the audience.

Dancing Through It is also a coming-of-age story of a teenager, suddenly a professional on her own in Manhattan, struggling with weight and body image and trying to keep her faith a central part of her life. Ringer discusses the ways in which she matured, both on and off the stage, as she built and then rebuilt her career, and shares the story of her courtship by fellow dancer James Fayette and the joys of starting a family. Finally, we hear her candid account of Alastair Macauley's stinging critique of her appearance in the New York Times . Her response ignited a public dialogue about ballet and weight that put Ringer in a new spotlight - but one in which she shined as brilliantly as when on stage.

Ringer's story is a revelatory insider's account of life on the stage that many of us only dream of, and a hopeful and inspiring memoir about triumph over the body issues that torment all too many women and men. Her love for her craft, personal strength, and faith have supported her as she has danced through it all, against the odds.

'Jenifer Ringer's book is an honest and exhilarating look into the life of a young dancer, with both the excitement of achievement and the desperate anxiety given proper treatment. This is a must-read for anyone entering the dance community, but even more broadly, for any young person passionately following their dream. Jenifer was fortunate to have help in conquering her eating disorder and other demons, and this book may be a help to those wrestling with their own issues. Besides, for those of us who wish we could dance, knowing about it from the inside is a rare privilege.' Kathy Keller, coauthor of The Meaning of Marriage

'As a dancer, Jenifer Ringer offers quintessential musicality, brilliant technique, infectious humor, and a good old dash of gorgeous. As a writer, she offers all of this and more, providing us with a rare opportunity to look behind the curtain and understand the pressures, challenges, and rewards faced by this remarkable individual. Dancing Through It is one of the most candid and insightful books about classical ballet I have ever read. An honest portrait of the rarefied world of the New York City Ballet, Jenny's writing will make you tear up, roar with laughter, and reflect on the myriad pressures and rewards of being a dancer and a

Author Notes

Authors Bio, not available

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

"The ballet world is a narcissistic world made up of circles of interlocking insecurities," says New York City Ballet principal Ringer as she looks back on more than two decades in the company. With disarming candor, she relates devastating low points she experienced as a young dancer, invited to join City Ballet at age 16, as well as years of ascension through the hypercritical ballet world. Her story is turbulent, littered with trials and failures, but also with miraculous comebacks, like after she was fired from City Ballet, criticized for her atypical body size in the New York Times, her problems then dissected in the national media. Ringer infuses her narrative with a deep appreciation for the magic of the theater and a moving sense of gratitude toward her success in such an arduous profession. She is candid about her struggle with eating disorders, her rediscovery of the Christian faith, and her realization, with motherhood, that performances need not be the only measure of success and happiness. Fans of the ballet will revel in her intricately detailed, gently humorous descriptions of rehearsals, hair and make-up preparations, and onstage mishaps. When writing about her religion, occasionally Ringer's words seem rehearsed, but her memoir is an eloquent reminder that moving forward often involves a few falls, missteps, and leaps of faith.(Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

Faith buoys one dancer's life. At the age of 14, studying dance in Washington, D.C., Ringer was chosen to fill in at the Washington Ballet. The piece was George Balanchine's lyrical, elegant Serenade, and performing, Ringer recalls, felt "like a light taking up residence in my chest." She decided then that she must become a professional ballerina. When her family moved to New York, she was accepted into the prestigious School of American Ballet, the feeder for the New York City Ballet. There, she undertook a grueling schedule of classes, as well as finishing high school. She was also faced with Balanchine's ideal of the perfect ballerina: "small head, long neck and limbs, slim hips, arched feet, tall and very thin." When Ringer reached puberty, however, her new curves generated anxiety that her body was out of her control. At the same time, she was accepted into the New York City Ballet as an apprentice, which intensified her training and also her feelings of vulnerability about her body and her talent. Dancers, she realized, never admit pain, exhaustion or weakness but instead sacrifice their bodies "for the approval of whoever happened to be watching, whether it be a ballet master or the audience." Desperate to exert control over her life, Ringer became obsessed with her body image and spent the next few years alternating between anorexia and bingeing. Finally, she gained so much weight that ballet master Peter Martins fired her. The author reclaimed her life and her career through a renewal of her religious faith: prayer and a belief in God's watchful care. Married now, with two children, she is a principal ballerina with the NYCB. Told with modesty and humility, Ringer's memoir exposes the unrelenting rigor of a dancer's life and the passion and exhilaration of dance itself.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Dancing has always been essential to Ringer. As a child, a student, and a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet, dance and her strong faith in God were at the center of her life. And she has danced with the best over the course of her extremely successful career while also becoming a wife and mother. With ballet dancers, body image can become an obsession, and like so many others, Ringer suffered from anorexia and bulimia until she ended up gaining enough weight to be fired from the company. Perseverance, prayer, family, and church helped her to get past these issues and return to the company. Then, just when she finally came to terms with her body type, a New York Times critic suggested that she was fat, creating a publicity storm that drove her to the talk shows. Ringer now offers a frank and open account of her demanding dance life, revealing seldom-seen technical aspects of this rigorous art form. A sure hit for balletomanes and everyone concerned about body-image issues.--Hoover, Danise Copyright 2014 Booklist

Prologue	p. 1
Chapter 1 Tiptoe	p. 6
Chapter 2 New York	p. 28
Chapter 3 The Company	p. 59
Chapter 4 Darkling	p. 86
Chapter 5 Dawning	p. 121
Chapter 6 Dancing Through	p. 150
Chapter 7 Intermission	p. 162
Chapter 8 The Other Side	p. 188
Chapter 9 Sugar Plumgate	p. 211
Chapter 10 Dancing Dances at a Gathering	p. 232
Chapter 11 Facing Away	p. 245
Chapter 12 The Mirror	p. 255
Acknowledgments	p. 259
Ballet Glossary	p. 261
Index	p. 265

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

Table of Contents

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