Mr. B: George Balanchines 20th Century by Jennifer Homans

Mr. B: George Balanchines 20th Century Reviews

• 
  G.G.

  So far as I can recall, I’ve never seen even one of the four hundred and some ballets choreographed by George Balanchine (1904-1983). Reading Jennifer Homans’ profoundly insightful account of his life and work makes me want to go somewhere I can— preferably New York!
  
  Among the many exquisitely expressed insights in Homans’ biography are these:
  “His light-suffused memories [of St. Petersburg] stayed with him; they were the jewels he would sew into the hem of his mind and carry with him out of Russia.” (p.29)
  On his early choreography: “He had internalized the driving revolutionary ambition that was all around him. He wanted to make ballet “progressive,” and it upset him when artists he liked saw it as a remnant of a dying imperial world.” (p.85)
  Building the repertory of the New York City Ballet during the 1960s:

  He instinctively turned back to Russia and the imperial past. Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Petipa, early Stravinsky, and the full-length narrative ballets of his childhood at the Imperial Theater. It was a conservative turn, not nostalgia so much as a way of giving his young dancers the education he had received. (p.431) […] He was a great builder for the same reason that he was a great artist: he gave them all a purpose greater than himself. Greater than themselves.” (p.436)

  Homans manages to find the language to describe a number of Balanchine’s important ballets, among them Serenade (1934), to music by Tchaikovsky; The Four Temperaments (1946), to music by Hindemith; Agon (1957), to music by Stravinsky; Don Quixote (1965), to music by Nicholas Nabokov; and Adagio Lamentoso (1981), to the final movement of Tchaikovsky’s sixth symphony, his last.
  
  The Four Temperaments “elaborated a central theme,” Homans writes:

  that the body could itself be made divine, not through magic or the touch of the gods but through work—rhythm, harmony, and dissonance; joint, muscle, flesh, and clay in hand.” (p.273)

  Adagio Lamentoso was performed only once, and later

  no one could quite remember these dances, or what they had all done that night. […] It was as if the tissue of the ballet dissolved in their bodies as they performed it, leaving no trace…” (p.603)

  On Balanchine’s many fraught relationships with women, Homans suggests that he and the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893-1930) “shared an illusion—a woman holds the key to an artist’s gift” (p.93)

  He gave himself to women by making love to them in dances. It was in this sense a secondhand heart, or at least a heart once removed from the source. For a dancer, it was irresistible. For a woman, it was not quite enough. (p.153)

  Of his relationships with dancers during his NYCB years, Homans observes:

  We could say that sex is power, but that would only be an inch of the truth. The mile would be that the whole premise of the NYCB was that Balanchine’s love of women, of them, including the ones he didn’t love or court, promised to give to them their best possible selves in dancing, a seduction few refused. This didn’t mean their most moral selves, or their most pure selves, it meant their deepest “Yes, that’s me” selves. The real allure lay in the work, their bodies daily before him, his soul nightly before them in his dances. These were women willing to give everything for that.” (p.442)

  Yes, one feels, that must surely be what it felt like. And of course Homans knows what she is writing about: she was there, at least towards the end; and she has read everything and interviewed what seems like everyone still alive who worked with him and for him. There’s not a misplaced step in this marvelous feat of empathetic recreation.
• 
  Becca Hansen

  This biography is extensively thorough, and explores the dynamic George Balanchine in depths that we’ve never seen before. It was absolutely fascinating to learn about the connection between the complexities and difficulties in Balanchine’s life and his choreography. I will say, however, readers who are not either from the dance world, or appreciators of the art, may have a difficult time getting through it, because it is LONG and dense. Growing up as a dancer and learning Balanchine’s methods, I was absolutely fascinated. Entranced, even. Homans’ depth of research is something to be marveled.
• 
  Ruth

  This is the most detailed and exhaustive biography of George Balanchine I've ever read. Jennifer Homans previously wrote Apollo's Angels, documenting the history of ballet. In this tome, at nearly 800 pages, she revisits "Mr. B"'s dramatic life. She begins with his family ancestry and history of Russia during the past few centuries. She continues through details of his childhood, his tragic experience during the war, and eventual migration through Europe. Homans parallels the loves and conflicts of Balanchine's life with the ballets he choreographed. This is a fascinating read. It is several hundred pages until he begins his ballet dynasty with Lincoln Kirstein (whose own history is extensively detailed). Her travels throughout Europe and the many, many Balanchine associates she interviewed are evident throughout the telling of the influential genius' life.
• 
  MadeleineWP

  A tour de force book on the long complicated life of George Balanchine. This biography succeeds in both providing exhaustive detail about his artistic and personal life but manages not to exhaust. How I wish I could watch his most celebrated pieces, fresh from the knowledge gained having read this book. Kudos to the author!
• 
  Meredith

  This is a superbly researched and highly absorbing biography. I find Balanchine to be one of the most fascinating people in history, and as a frequent NYCB patron, I am constantly reminded of his unparalleled genius. The biographies I have previously read of him did not delve as deeply into his family history and childhood in Russia (and Finland), so this one breaks new ground in that area. I thought that part might be dry but Homans brings his time in Russia to life, and I have a much deeper understanding of what he endured during and after the Revolution - and how much he lost when his mother country was overtaken by communism. I also had not known before how deeply faithful Balanchine was, and how much Russian Orthodox theology and iconography influenced him. This book conveys a great deal about Balanchine's intellect, his sense of humor, the depth of his love of women, and his humble daily routines and lifestyle. I'm so glad that Homans is a former dancer so she has a great command of ballet terminology and can convey so much about his dances on paper.
  
  One thing I found very interesting was reading through the bibliography at the end and seeing who did *not* participate in Homans's research. She spent over a decade researching and interviewing people for this work, yet perhaps the most significant absence is Peter Martins. I have to assume that he declined to be interviewed. He would have such a unique and specific perspective, having been selected by Balanchine to run the company after Mr. B's death, that it's a real shame not to have his first-hand account included here. Perhaps he is working on a book of his own. Or maybe the events of the past few years, during which he was unceremoniously dethroned as the head of NYCB, have made this too difficult to talk about. I'm very curious about that. But overall, this was a really terrific book, and after reading it I feel even more fortunate to have had the experience of learning some Balanchine ballets when I was a young dancer, even though I never got anywhere close to SAB or NYCB. To dance Balanchine's ballets is to know him - and after reading this, I understand him more.
• 
  June

  paint time with bodies
  no sin through dancing
  love his women, ballet is feminine....
  
  The book is a fealty to Dance (modern ballet) - through Mr. B (and history of 20th century) - transforms the transient and visual art form to lyrical and long lasting words.
  Though my upbringing was immersed with modern dance and theatre, I'd regretted not having lived in Mr. B's period to watch the original choreographies until now when I'm pleased to read this book.
  I haven't read dance nor music (along with literature and faith), esp. of esoteric form, being interpreted in such a poetic and profound way.
• 
  Bookworman

  DNF. The history of the ballets and the formation of the NYCB was really interesting. However, I started getting impatient with all of the dysfunctional relationship issues even though I was familiar with many of them before reading this book. I guess it didn't bother me so much when I was younger. Anyway, the final straw was a quote from Balanchine using really foul and disgusting language.
  
  
• 
  Marks54

  I really miss not being able to attend the ballet for some time due to COVID. Jennifer Homans is a gifted historian, the dance critic of the NYT, and former dancer herself who wrote “Apollo’s Angels” - a ;history of ballet. It is an amazing book that got me to go see Giselle. Her current book - Mr. B. is a biography of George Balanchine, perhaps the most legendary choreographer of the ballet and a cofounder of the American Ballet Theater. I do not always rush into long critical biographies, especially of such great artists. This is an amazing book, however, and it is doubtful that anyone could have written a more engaging book about Mr. Balanchine.
• 
  kerrycat

  would have been a five except for the author's extrapolations/speculations, which were often judgmental and definitely unwelcome
• 
  reader

  Very uneven book saved by the fact that people in it are all very fascinating. Jennifer Homans is a racism, homophobia and misogyny apologist, an anti- Suzanne Farrellist, and actively seems to envy any woman that her subject was ever close to. Parts of this are so gratuitously cruel to Karin Von Arlingoen that it feels personal, and Gelsey Kirkland does not exist whatsoever, though Baryshnikov inexplicably gets a huge glowing airbrushed appearance. I am still moved by the people described but came away with the distinct impression the biographer is a cowardly, priggish, undercover white supremacist.
  
  Useful for interesting bits of gossip about Balanchine's private life. Learned a lot of new information about Paul Mejia. The descriptions for why Balanchine's dances are important were beautifully written. But the man deserved someone who was a better thinker than this author. I would have loved to see Ron Chernow have a go at Balanchine.
• 
  Bri

  Massive, incredibly detailed account of Balanchine's life - very readable despite its 600+ pages. It is a journey through some of the most events in 20th century history, and yet it doesn't lose its laser focus on the person of George Balanchine.
  
  Homans paints a portrait of a very human and idiosyncratic genius, and does so without judgment. This biography is probably not for those who would examine Balanchine's conduct (particularly those of a sexual/romantic nature) with 21st century standards. Homans does a good job bracketing that conduct (5 wives, lots of womanizing) in the context of his artistic philosophy, centered on elevating woman in dance.
  
  The writing is lyrical but not too rhapsodic, and Homans slips easily between evocative descriptions of ballet scenes and attention to Balanchine himself. There is a good balance between the art and Balanchine the man - an impressive achievement in a biography of this size.
• 
  Lauren

  This incredibly, incredibly detailed book delved deep into the life of arguably the man who brought modern ballet into the spotlight - especially into the Americas. Balanchine is the name one associates with ballet when one doesn't know much about it, and this book gave new life to the man behind (literally) the curtain. I grew up dancing ballet and Balanchine was always a mysterious figure who was always seen as impacting everything even after his death. This book was a heavily detailed but informative read. Some readers might find this too in-depth, and if that's the case they can skip around to parts that may interest them the most. A lovely read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC!
• 
  Susan

  As a long-time fan and follower of NYCB and Balanchine, I was eager to read this book. Very in-depth research but for me, a bit too much research. There were so many minute details about things and people I care nothing about who were on the periphery of Balanchine's life. I found myself skipping over pages of descriptions of the every movement that happened in certain ballets. I had no idea about the affair between Balanchine and Karin von Arnoldingen though - none at all. That was a surprise.
• 
  Kathy Houser

  Extremely dense and detailed but prob the most devoted and all around thorough coverage of one of the great artists of our times. The soul and charactacter of Mr. B is now permanently and indelibly placed in my heart and mind as my understanding of the man and his works has been elevated to new levels of admiration and compassion. Bravo to Ms Homans!
• 
  Siobhan Burns

  A truly masterful biography. Homans has pulled together all the previous writing and conducted an astonishing amount of primary research to lay down the definitive accounting of Balanchine’s life. To top it off, she has synthesized this mountain of research into a hard-to-put-down whiz-bang Great Read that fills a huge hole in the arts world.
• 
  Gary Stavella

  I think I have read every biography of George Balanchine ever written, and Homans’ is the most extensive and the most moving. Pick up this book and read about the agony and ecstasy of a real genius.
• 
  Karen

  However...no matter how long the book (over 600 pages), you can't find hide that B. was an unrepentant exploiter of women... really girls... for sex... A lot of fancy dance criticism thar dances around his fundamental unsavory and creepy stalking of girls
• 
  Sherry Brown

  This book is the life story of George Balanchine.
  It was intriguing, very interesting and heart touching.
  
• 
  Kay Whelan

  Extraordinary research on an iconic genius written by a lyricist with enormous skills.
• 
  Jill Diamond

  Wonderful! It took just a bit to get into, but this is a definitive and unflinching biography of Balanchine. I learned so much about the multiple facets of the life of this true genius of dance.
• 
  Lori

  Not anything revelatory, but I continue to be amazed at this one man’s depth and breadth and impact on 20th-century dance.
• 
  Bebe

  1
• 
  Jane

  I loved every minute of this book. Homans, a former dancer, spent a decade researching this and it really is a definitive life of one of the geniuses of the 20th century. I'm lucky to have seen many Balanchine ballets and it is truly incredible to think about Balanchine's life and the many influences that came together to enable such a great outpouring of art from one person.