Who am I? Im a man; an American, a father, a teacher, but most of all, I am a person who knows how the arts can change lives, because they transformed mine. I was a dancer.

In this rich, expansive, spirited memoir, Jacques dAmboise, one of Americas most celebrated classical dancers, and former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet for more than three decades, tells the extraordinary story of his life in dance, and of Americas most renowned and admired dance companies.

He writes of his classical studies beginning at the age of eight at The School of American Ballet. At twelve he was asked to perform with Ballet Society; three years later he joined the New York City Ballet and made his European debut at Londons Covent Garden.

As George Balanchines protégé, dAmboise had more works choreographed on him by the supreme Ballet Master than any other dancer, among them Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux; Episodes; A Midsummers Nights Dream; Jewels; Raymonda Variations.

He writes of his boyhoodborn Joseph Ahearnin Dedham, Massachusetts; his mother (the Boss) moving the family to New York Citys Washington Heights; dragging her son and daughter to ballet class (paying the teacher $7.50 from hats she made and sold on street corners, and with chickens she cooked stuffed with chestnuts); his mother changing the family name from Ahearn to her maiden name, dAmboise (Its aristocratic. It has the d apostrophe. It sounds better for the ballet, and its a better name).

We see him. a neighborhood tough, in Catholic schools being taught by the nuns; on the streets, fighting with neighborhood gangs, and taking ten classes a week at the School of American Ballet . . . being taught professional class by Balanchine (he was small, unassuming, he radiated energy and total command) and by other teachers of great legend: Anatole Oboukhoff, premier danseur of the Maryinsky Theatre (Such a big star, said Balanchine, people followed him, like a prince with servants); and Pierre Vladimiroff, Pavlovas partner (So light on feather feet). Vladimiroff drilled into his students, You must practice, practice, practice. Onstage, forget everything! Just listen to the music and dance.

DAmboise writes about Balanchines succession of ballerina muses who inspired him to near-obsessive passion and led him to create extraordinary ballets, dancers with whom dAmboise partneredMaria Tallchief; Tanaquil LeClercq, a stick-skinny teenager who blossomed into an exquisite, witty, sophisticated angel with her long limbs and dramatic, mysterious elegance . . .; the iridescent Allegra Kent; Melissa Hayden; Suzanne Farrell, who Balanchine called his alabaster princess, her every fiber, every movement imbued with passion and energy; Kay Mazzo; Kyra Nichols (Shes perfect, Balanchine said. Uncomplicatedlike fresh water); and Karin von Aroldingen, to whom Balanchine left most of his ballets.

DAmboise writes about dancing with and courting one of the companys members, who became his wife for fifty-three years, and the four children they had . . . On going to Hollywood to make Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and being offered a long-term contract at MGM (If youre not careful, Balanchine warned, you will have sold your soul for seven years) . . . On Jerome Robbins (Jerry could be charming and complimentary, and then, five minutes later, attack, and crush your spiritall to see how it would influence the dance movements).

DAmboise writes of the moment when he realizes his dancing career is over and he begins a new life and new dream teaching children all over the world about the arts through the magic of dance.

A riveting, magical book, as transformative as dancing itself.

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I Was a Dancer

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