{"product_id":"9781250244307","title":"Swan Dive : The Making of a Rogue Ballerina","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eSwan Dive\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Georgina Pazcoguin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A page-turner.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAward-winning New York City Ballet soloist Georgina Pazcoguin, aka the Rogue Ballerina, gives readers a backstage tour of the real world of elite ballet—the gritty, hilarious, sometimes shocking truth you don’t see from the orchestra circle.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this love letter to the art of dance and the sport that has been her livelihood, NYCB’s first Asian American female soloist Georgina Pazcoguin lays bare her unfiltered story of leaving small-town Pennsylvania for New York City and training amid the unique demands of being a hybrid professional athlete\/artist, all before finishing high school. She pitches us into the fascinating, whirling shoes of dancers in one of the most revered ballet companies in the world with an unapologetic sense of humor about the cutthroat, survival-of-the-fittest mentality at NYCB. Some swan dives are literal: even in the ballet, there are plenty of face-plants, backstage fights, late-night parties, and raucous company bonding sessions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRocked by scandal in the wake of the #MeToo movement, NYCB sits at an inflection point, inching toward progress in a strictly traditional culture, and Pazcoguin doesn’t shy away from ballet’s dark side. She continues to be one of the few dancers openly speaking up against the sexual harassment, mental abuse, and racism that in the past went unrecognized or was tacitly accepted as par for the course—all of which she has painfully experienced firsthand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTying together Pazcoguin’s fight for equality in the ballet with her infectious and deeply moving passion for her craft, \u003ci\u003eSwan Dive\u003c\/i\u003e is a page-turning, one-of-a-kind account that guarantees you'll never view a ballerina or a ballet the same way again.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“While the juicy details of beautiful people behaving badly are beguiling, it’s Pazcoguin’s unsparing criticism of the industry that begs an encore. This is potent stuff.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Pazcoguin writes with astounding passion about her achievements, and her prose is enchanting as she describes finally being comfortable in her own skin. Vulnerable, raw, and full of grit, this is the story of a woman who has been broken yet clawed her way to victory. . . . A personal tale of darkness, passion, and euphoric triumph.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In her brisk, spirited debut memoir, [Pazcoguin] recounts her experiences in the competitive, hierarchal ballet world. . . . A lively chronicle of dedication and joy.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Aggressively entertaining. . . [\u003ci\u003eSwan Dive\u003c\/i\u003e] is equal parts autobiography, insider intel, and righteous indignation.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Always arresting onstage, Georgina Pazcoguin gives us a take on the ballet world that is witty and from the heart. An eye-opening read.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Mikhail Baryshnikov\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A thoroughly captivating read. Determination and passion are the cornerstones of Georgina’s magic onstage and off, and her humor and wit make this peek behind the curtain like no other dance memoir. Her courage in the face of adversity is to be admired.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Chita Rivera\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Georgina has led quite the journey to become the woman she is today. She exemplifies a natural, nostalgic showgirl attitude combined with the sensitivity and precision of a life in ballet.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e —Zac Posen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is a fearless book written with a courageous, blazing spirit. Georgina’s story compels you to look at yours as fiercely as she examines hers.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Jose Antonio Vargas, founder of Define American and author of \u003ci\u003eDear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Georgina Pazcoguin has brought the glories of ballet and technique into a new light. She is refinement and explosion wrapped into a woman whose personal style is ready for the runway. She can captivate an opera house as easily as she can earn the adoration of a young fan. . . . You will find \u003ci\u003eSwan Dive\u003c\/i\u003e to be a wild ride dancing between risk and balance, legacy and possibility.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Andy Blankenbuehler\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781250244307\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Henry Holt and Co.","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":40819104153806,"sku":"9781250244307","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_9c455c1c-5525-4541-872c-be45a524b483.jpg?v=1643443526","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781250244307","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}