"Oh, yeah, oh, yes: you go across in front of the stage," Balanchine informed Wilde. "Nobody showed me what to do," she confessed. He wasn't worried. "You just do saute, step, glissade, entrechats cinq, and then you bow to Nicky and he will come on."
--Wilde Times, ForeEdge 2016
While we wait for what we hope will be a major work about Balanchine by Arlene Croce there are more and more books coming out about the "mercurial" choreographer. Lobenthal's book is Balanchine as seen by one of his dancers, Patricia Wilde, who danced with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo when Balanchine was there, joined New York City Ballet shortly after Balanchine and Kirstein started it in 1948 and retired in 1965 (shortly before I arrived in New York for college, so I never saw her dance)
Lobenthal's book is an engrossing work of journalism, helped immensely by his knowledge of ballet steps and the choreography of Balanchine. Lobenthal had the cooperation of Wilde while writing this book and learned a great deal about Maria Tallchief and Tranquil Le Clercq as well as Suzanne Farrell, with each of whom Balanchine was obsessed. Lobenthal is no more successful than anyone else who has written about Balanchine in understanding his genius but there are a few hints, especially about the changes that Balanchine made in his ballets based on who was dancing them, as well as his preoccupation with not repeating himself, even (or perhaps especially) if he was using the same music with new choreography. When one was seeing a new Balanchine ballet one never knew quite what to expect but one was almost always delighted and thrilled.
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