Bunheads - Flack, Sophie

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Auteur(s) : Flack, Sophie

Editeur : Little, Brown Book Group

Langue : Anglais

Parution : 01/03/2012

Format : Moyen, de 350g à 1kg

Nombre de pages : 304

Expédition : 243

Dimensions : 20.3 x 12.8 x 2.7

ISBN : 9781907411274

Résumé :

As a dancer with the Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward is living her childhood dream. She gets to be up on stage in front of adoring crowds every night. And while she might not be a prima ballerina yet, she's moving up the ranks and surely if she works hard enough she can make it happen.

But devoting her whole life to ballet leaves very little time for anything else: friends, family, school have all fallen by the wayside. Hannah doesn't mind, until a chance encounter in a restaurant brings Jacob into her life. He's cute, he plays guitar and he's offering a whole future that Hannah never considered. And now she must choose between her lifelong dream or what could be the love of her life. . .

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Biographie:
Sophie Flack danced with the New York City Ballet from 2000 until 2009. She is currently studying English at Columbia University. Bunheads is her first novel....

Sommaire:

As a dancer with the Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward is living her childhood dream. She gets to be up on stage in front of adoring crowds every night. And while she might not be a prima ballerina yet, she's moving up the ranks and surely if she works hard enough she can make it happen.

But devoting her whole life to ballet leaves very little time for anything else: friends, family, school have all fallen by the wayside. Hannah doesn't mind, until a chance encounter in a restaurant brings Jacob into her life. He's cute, he plays guitar and he's offering a whole future that Hannah never considered. And now she must choose between her lifelong dream or what could be the love of her life. . .

Exhilaration and drudgery, passion and exhaustion, exist side by side for dancers in the exalted Manhattan Ballet, a world unto itself, which Flack (a former New York City Ballet dancer) brings vividly to life in this strong debut. Supported by her parents, Hannah moves to Manhattan alone at age 14 to pursue her dream; by 19 she is a senior corps dancer. Hannah finds gratification in the self-discipline and relentless cycle of rehearsals and performances, all in pursuit of perfect beauty, presentation, and a possible solo. However, she's also frustrated with her insular life. The ballet's dependence on wealthy patrons offers a window into the lives of the super-rich, which depresses Hannah, and the physical demands of her work take a toll on her (To anyone on the outside... I look thin and willowy... But in the world of the Manhattan Ballet, my figure is apparently unacceptable). After meeting Jacob, an NYU student and musician, Hannah feels increasingly torn between her love for ballet and the temptations of normal life. Readers, both dancers and pedestrians (the corps' term for nondancers), will find Hannah's struggle a gripping read. Publishers Weekly Starred Review: Hannah has always dreamed of becoming a ballerina and living the most amazing, wonderful, and crazy life. Now 19 and a corps member of the Manhattan Ballet (read: New York City Ballet), she is determined to be promoted to soloist. Her life revolves around company class, rehearsals and performances during the fall, winter and spring seasons that she chronicles. Food-or how little of it to eat-is a constant topic of conversation, and exercise classes fill whatever free time remains. Two new boyfriends, one a downtown musician and the other an uptown patron, raise conflicts in her mind. The realization that she has never been kissed or seen anything of Manhattan outside Avery Center (read: Lincoln Center) begins to trouble her. The author danced with City Ballet for several years before being let go in a budget downsize. She excels at label-dropping, describing friendships tinged with jealousy and detailing every step required to break in toe shoes. More to the point, she brilliantly captures the arc from soaring ballerina to exhausted dancer collapsing in a pool of sweat and the crushing disappointment of not becoming a soloist, forever doomed to dance corps roles. Details have been changed, but fans of ballet will nonetheless relish the inside scoop. A multi-layered and absorbing good read by a promising debut novelist. Kirkus