On-stage beauty. Backstage drama. As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet. But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other 'bunheads' in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life? Ages 13+.
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
Title: Bunheads
Subtitle:
Contributors:
By (author)
Sophie Flack
ISBN 13: 9781907411274
ISBN 10: 1907411275
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Imprint: ATOM
Publication Date: 28/02/2012
Place of Publication:
London,
United Kingdom
Edition:
BIC Subjects:
Fiction
NBS Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Dewey Classification:
813.6
(DC22)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Height: 198mm
Width: 126mm
Thickness: 22mm
Weight: 244g