When Push Comes to Shove: An Autobiography

by Twyla Tharp

Book Overview

The well-known choreographer chronicles her life and career, describing her childhood, her training in music and classical ballet, the influence of the avant-garde climate of New York in the 1960s on... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553073060
• ISBN13: 9780553073065
• Release Date: November 1992
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Dancer Bio

A great read. What can I say. Parts of it are a little dry, but Ms. Tharp writes well enough that we can see her thoughts. There are some nice memories of her past, too.

what it really takes...

to be an artist. If you ever had aspirations (or illusions) of being an artist, you should read this book. Not only is it a fascinating history of post-war modern dance, explaining the genius of Ballanchine and others, but it is an honest portrait of the pain and sacrifice that Tharp and others make to pursue their visions. You get to know that NYC scene of the 1960s and beyond in intimate and unflinching detail.Tharp is a true original, self-made from the bottom up. You really get a feeling for the relentless drive, the long hours of work and experimentation, and the love that drive this artist to create. (At one point, she recounts the stress imposed on her upstate NY house of a dance troupe in its attic!) It offers both great advice and a cautionary tale. I learned an immense amount from this book at a moment - the mid-life crisis if you will - when I was reassessing my life course. By turns funny and sad, this is truly great autobiography. Warmly recommended.

Unexpectedly Fascinating

I don't know much about modern dance; I discovered this book staying up late one night and seeing Tharp interviewed by Tom Snyder- which was pretty interesting in and of itself.I was impressed enough by the interview to buy the book, and I was not disappointed. Tharp is a remarkably engaging speaker and writer, and she is completely open about her life, while avoiding the temptation to self-pity or self-aggrandizemnt typical of celebrity biography. Strongly recommended, both for fans of dance and fans of autobiography.

DANCERS READ THIS!!`

this was a great book, i am a dancer and loved it. I learned so much about what it is to be a professional dancer. Twyla Tharp was one of the leading ladies now dance who actually knows how to choregraphs modren . Her different styles make her one of the greatest!

A fascinating insight into the dance world by a true genius

Twyla Tharp never disappoints with her choreography, and she doesn't disappoint here, either. She's written a marvelous book about her interesting life and the hard choices she made to make the dance her life. A must for all dancers, would-be dancers, and anyone who loves a good life-tale.