He Was a Dancer

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More About

• George Balanchine
• Jacques D'Amboise
• Maria Tallchief
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Ballet

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In the 60-year-plus history of the New York City Ballet, much of the spotlight was reserved for George Balanchine's muses, including Maria Tallchief, Tanaquil LeClercq, Allegra Kent and Suzanne Farrell. While many of them have recounted their relationship with the legendary founder-choreographer, the literary world has rarely heard from the company's star male dancers. Jacques D'Amboise was a principal dancer and Balanchine protege for more than 30 years who partnered all those ballerinas. After joining the company at 15 at Balanchine's request, D'Amboise had more ballets created for him than any other member, though it would be Balanchine's oldest surviving ballet, Apollo, that made him famous. D'Amboise also collaborated with other notable choreographers, including Jerome Robbins, Merce Cunningham and Martha Graham, and watched firsthand Leonard Bernstein and Igor Stravinsky in the creative process. As part of ALOUD at Central Library, D'Amboise discusses his memoir, I Was a Dancer, with Sasha Anawalt, a former L.A. Weeklycontributor and current director of the USC Annenberg Arts Journalism Program.
Wed., April 20, 7 p.m., 2011