Irina: Ballet, Life and Love

by Irina Baronova Tennant and Irina Baronova

Book Overview

Choreographer George Balanchine discovered her. Yul Brynner romanced her. Genius artists designed sets and costumes for her. She danced for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Adolf Hitler and Josef... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813030269
• ISBN13: 9780813030265
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Length: 534 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.3" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A lovely book.

A lovely read. Not into Ballet or Ballet books but I loved the book. Every chapter was pleasant to read. Nothing to upset you in them. A nice story about what was a differnt life back then. I liked reading about all her travels in particular from her escape from Russia to her days in France and looking at all her photo's in the book. If I had a negative on the book like somebody said elsewhere it was just a pity we didn't get one or Two more chapters on her life after Ballet. But I guess that would have intruded on her own family lives too much. But like a said a beautifull read especially for a cold winters night when the rest of your life seemed to be crushing you. Its pure Escapism. PS...I'm now looking forward to seen a Ballet sometime.

Sparkling Irina

Even for those with little knowledge of ballet this is a sparkling book. It tells a fascinating story of an extraordinary life.

Irina: Ballet, LIfe and Love

I'd be tempted to write this off as endless gossip if it weren't for the fascinating cast of characters involved. A good look at history, too: the golden years of the Ballets Russes in its many incarnations. A delightful memoir from an enchanting lady.

A Fairy Tale Life

Several years ago, I had occasion to visit the village on Long Island where I grew up. I visited its small museum and viewed an exhibition - " Russians in Sea Cliff" - chronicling a history of families of Russian descent who settled in the 1930s, built two Churches and accounted for about 10% of its population of 5,000. (My mother was born in Moscow and spoke mainly Russian with her neighbors.) I noticed that there was no mention of Sea Cliff's most notable Russian, Irina Baronova, and pointed this out to the curator who never had heard of her. This inspired me to try and contact my beautiful neighbor.I had a good idea that she was still living and after a few phone calls, I was able to get her address in Australia and wrote her. She is in her late 80's and is 17 years older than myself, so my memory of her was very hazy as I was between 5 and 10 years old when I met her and her gentle parents. At the time, Irina was a prima ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre and spent most of her time in New York City. In my letter, I asked her to join a charity as an Honorary Director. I quote part of her replies, which clearly show her vivid memory and keen intellect. Received Feb. 10, 2004 "Dear Volodia, What an unexpected, happy surprise receiving your letter! So many memories sprang back in my mind, Sea Cliff, a truly Russian village, your parents across the street, your brother, and you, funny, at times solemn little boy! And now, you are in charge of a great, humanitarian organization helping all these poor children. My hat is off to you all. I am touched that you thought of me, and gladly say "yes" to your request. I embrace "little" Volodia of my memories, and send a big hug to you, "big" Volodia, with much affection. Irina" "Dear Volodya, Thank you for your letter and may I say again what a wonderful organization you are heading and what a brilliant job it keeps doing around the world. I feel honoured to join it, if only in name. In great haste, I found your photo in the newsletter and must agree with you that you have not changed much except for your spectacles which I do not remember you wearing when you were a child... but the same cozy rotundness. We were friends then, although you were a bit shy of me as I was much older and I know now we would be friends without shyness! - Big hug, dear Volodya.,Much love,Irina These letters are to me a great delight and her memoir is filled with the same charm, goodness and intellect of her most exceptional life. Born in St. Petersburg in 1919, leaving as a little girl and settling in Paris after going from elegance to poverty as a result of the civil war, it is a fairy tale that she debuted at the age of 12 for the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo. Known as one of the "baby ballerinas", her life was totally devoted to ballet until she retired at the young age of 30 after marrying Cecil Tennant, the agent for Lawrence Olivier. She had two children of which the more well known is the actress Victoria