I Was a Dancer
"Highly engaging. . . with many passages of particular import for Balanchine devotees. . . enthusiasm is what he does best, and he makes it infectious."—Alastair Macaulay,The New York Times Book Review"In his memoir,I Was a Dancer, Jacques d’Amboise proves that great artists are not necessarily limited to their own fields of accomplishment. He leaps gracefully from one superbly written paragraph to the next, carrying the reader high in the air through a fascinating life, illustrated by wonderful photographs and his own amusing illustrations."—Hannah Pakula"God of music, poetry, and the arts. It’s no coincidence that Apollo was Jacques’s greatest role. And when he tossed me into the air in Swan Lake, I knew I could really fly. An honest and revealing glimpse into the soul of one of our greatest dancers. The heart of a lion, the stamina of a thoroughbred, the grace and beauty of a Michelangelo. Unpredictable, generous, dependable, infuriating and consistently brilliant. In other words: Jacques d’Amboise. The fascinating journey of one of our great dancers, honest, revealing and beautifully told."—Allegra Kent“Jacques d’Amboise is one of the great dancers of our time. His story is an American story: how did a poor street-kid from Washington Heights rise to the summit of ballet and make himself an American Apollo and a household name? It is all here in this poignant and personal memoir: he did it through discipline and poetry; through romantic love and fierce intelligence. Above all, he did it through dancing.” —Jennifer Homans, author ofApollo’s Angels“Jacques’ searingly honest, endlessly-fascinating voice takes you on a wild, fun-filled ride through the world of dance, introducing you to unforgettable characters and entertaining adventures. It is a tribute to Jacques that he speaks to readers as if he was talking to his best friends.”—Donald Newhouse