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Hi all.

 

After picking up Darcey Bussell's excellent photo book at a talk and book signing, I've quite enjoyed building up a bit of a mini-collection of some of the other ballet photo books that are floating around.

 

I've grabbed the Andrej Uspenski Dancers: Behind The Scenes With The Royal Ballet (which is a wonderful thing :) ), as well as The Royal Ballet: In House and Pas De Deux: The Royal Ballet In Pictures. Next on my list is The Royal Ballet: 161 Images which I'm particularly looking forward to as Johan Persson's photos frequently stunning.

 

I've also scooped up the Natalia Ospiova: Becoming A Swan and the Birmingham Royal Ballet collection.

 

So, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations or suggestions of books to look for next? I'm not overly fussed about them being UK companies, and I tend to prefer the behind-the-scenes photos to performance ones. :)

 

Any tips gratefully received!

 

Thanks!

Edited by BristolBillyBob
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I would recommend Sylvie Guillem's 'Invitation' which is an amazing and massive book of fantastic and varied photographs. Also, a less massive but most excellent book of photos of Irina Kolesnikova, imaginatively titled Irina Kolesnikova.

As far as I am aware, both books are fairly easily available but a bit costly. Worth it though, within reason anyway!

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Natalia Makarova's big picture book is superb.  I also have a truly marvelous one on Anna Pavlova.  The anniversary book of San Francisco Ballet.  

 

I have several on Fonteyn and Nureyev and another really good one on Kariska.

 

All of these are big picture books. 

 

If any of these sound interesting - let me know and i will supply exact titles and other info.

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In the Company of Stars, Gerald Uferas, many beautiful photos on stage and back stage of Paris Opera Ballet

 

The Ballet Book, American Ballet Theatre. This book is about 10 years old and captures the stars of ABT when there were so many brilliant stars there. Gorgeous photos by Nancy Ellison. Also very good reading on the life of a dancer.

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As a teen (many moons ago !) I loved Private View (Baryshnikov at ABT) and Winter Season by Toni Bentley (the latter more of a dancer's journal than a ballet photo book) After reading this thread I really need to save up and locate the fantastic suggestions you've all given :) 

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If you want to go back a bit - Ballerina, a book about Nadia Nerina, has good photos. 

 

Also some of the books (in French) about the Maurice Bejart's company have great photos of the dancers at work in rehearsal.  These books will probably be very expensive and are likely only to be available via Abebooks or some such site - I bought them twenty or thirty years ago in Belgium and France and still treasure them.

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Surely the revised "Birmingham Royal Ballet" with excellent photography by Bill Cooper should be on your shelves.

 

It is indeed! As much as anything, books like that are a fantastic accompaniment to a programme collection for reminiscing about past shows! :) 

 

Thanks all so, so much for your suggestions! Quite a few of them have astronomic price tags on Amazon, but I love a challenge. :) Other than the Darcey Bussell book, I've managed to not spend more than a tenner on any of those books, all either new or in tip-top condition! 

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Well done! Yes, Darcey's book is pretty pricey. I have finally bought it today from a good Amazon subsidiary for a reasonable price.

 

Glad to hear it! Have a look at the credits for some of the photos too, turns out Bryan Adams is quite a talented shooter! Who knew?

 

My favourite photo is near the middle (don't have a copy to hand), a full page one of Darcey at the dressing room mirror. Do report back, let us know what you think! :)

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BristolBB: There has been no mention thus far of "The Art of The Royal Ballet'" by Keith Money, first published by Harrap in 1964.  Full of rehearsal, behind-scenes pictures of that era, plus some rather good line sketches by KM, it serves as a valuable historical document and can be highly recommended.

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I have 'The Art of the Royal Ballet" and it is indeed a beautiful book.

 

I also have one totally devoted to Margot Fonteyn and shows her in the exact same moment of a ballet - 40 yrs on.  Quite wonderful.

 

One can also see the progressions of costuming through the years.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I share your love of ballet books and have built up a fair collection over the years. I agree about The Art of the Royal Ballet - one of my favourites. There is a further title by Keith Money called The Royal Ballet Today which is very nice. Also his books on Fonteyn are wonderful photographic tributes. Another one in a similar vein is The Dancer's World Alexander Bland & Michael Peto . Here's a couple more favourites that haven't been mentioned:- Sibley & Dowell , Leslie Spatt & Nicholas Dromgoole, Karen Kain, Lady of Dance, David Street and Nureyev, Clive Barnes.

I'm not surprised you have been able to pick up titles quite cheaply. Books seem to have decreasing value as people dispose of their collections and there's been a huge rise in online discounting of new books. Great for the new collector, but sad that the secondhand bookshop is fast disappearing along with independent booksellers.

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I've a big collection too going back many years, I've the three Baron books of photographs and the first, Baron at the ballet, was reprinted five times after its first publication.  I think that proves just how popular ballet was back then, I can't see a book of ballet pictures selling like that today.

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  • 4 years later...

In case anybody is interested, I've been watching In the Company of Stars: The Paris Opera Ballet on Amazon and second hand copies have dropped to £1.06 (+ £2.80 p+p). Can't comment on the book itself as my copy has yet to arrive, but thought I'd give a heads up. :)

 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/2080300008/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

 

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I would love to get my hands on the giant volume of photographs of Sylvie Guillem called Invitation at a good price. I once discovered a copy online at a very reasonable price  -particularly for the postage and packaging as it is a heavy book. Much to my exasperation it never arrived and the seller refunded! 

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13 hours ago, Odyssey said:

I would love to get my hands on the giant volume of photographs of Sylvie Guillem called Invitation at a good price. I once discovered a copy online at a very reasonable price  -particularly for the postage and packaging as it is a heavy book. Much to my exasperation it never arrived and the seller refunded! 

 

there are some on ebay I think.

I got mine at ROH for £25 I think it was - and signed by Sylvie herself 🙂

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On 07/09/2018 at 19:24, Odyssey said:

I would love to get my hands on the giant volume of photographs of Sylvie Guillem called Invitation at a good price. I once discovered a copy online at a very reasonable price  -particularly for the postage and packaging as it is a heavy book. Much to my exasperation it never arrived and the seller refunded! 

 

I saw this in the Opéra de Paris shop and had a leaf through. It's really quite a wonderful but remarkably weighty thing; I think it would've been my hold luggage allowance by itself!

 

I quite enjoy bargain hunting - it's something of a hobby for me! - so I'll keep an eye out and report back if I spot it somewhere!

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On ‎07‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 19:24, Odyssey said:

I would love to get my hands on the giant volume of photographs of Sylvie Guillem called Invitation at a good price. I once discovered a copy online at a very reasonable price  -particularly for the postage and packaging as it is a heavy book. Much to my exasperation it never arrived and the seller refunded! 

A very kind member of this forum has responded and I am now the proud owner of this luscious volume.

How good is the ballet forum?!

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