Suzanne Farrell; world-renowned ballerina; was one of George Balanchines most celebrated muses and remains a legendary figure in the ballet world. This memoir; first published in 1990 and reissued with a new preface by the author; recounts Farrells transformation from a young girl in Ohio dreaming of greatness to the realization of that dream on stages all over the world. Central to this transformation was her relationship with George Balanchine; who invited her to join the New York City Ballet in the fall of 1961 and was in turn inspired by her unique combination of musical; physical; and dramatic gifts. He created masterpieces for her in which the limits of ballet technique were expanded to a degree not seen before. By the time she retired from the stage in 1989; Farrell had achieved a career that is without precedent in the history of ballet. One third of her repertory of more than 100 ballets were composed expressly for her by such notable choreographers as Balanchine; Jerome Robbins; and Maurice Bejart. Farrell recalls professional and personal attachments and their attendant controversies with a down-to-earth frankness and common sense that complements the glories and mysteries of her artistic achievement.
#3055175 in eBooks 2012-10-01 2012-10-01File Name: B00KUXKYKS
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Read with utter delightBy Trudie BarrerasTo say that I was ecstatic when a friend tipped me off that ldquo;For Those Tears I Diedrdquo;; Marsha Stevens-Pinorsquo;s memoir bearing the same title as her immortal song; had just been published would be the understatement of the decade. I couldnrsquo;t log on to the product page fast enough to place my Kindle order; and moments after I began to read with utter delight.Of course; having been to numerous performances by Marsha in the years from the early 1990rsquo;s to the mid 2000rsquo;s; I have heard her basic testimony often; but never with the depth and clarity offered in this exceptional book. I have also had a number of rewarding personal encounters with her over the years. The first; at an MCC General Conference in Phoenix; AZ in the summer of 1993; bears sharing because this was when I discovered the absolute authenticity of Marsharsquo;s Christian compassion. As it happens; I was very familiar with her music; especially ldquo;For Those Tears I Diedrdquo; and ldquo;Like a Falling Starrdquo;; because wersquo;d used them so often for AIDS funerals during those years. My own son had been killed a few months before in a car crash. As it happens; driving across Arizona on the way to the Conference; I was playing Marsharsquo;s songs as part of my Celebration of Life for my son; while scattering some of his ashes at beautiful sites along the way. When I reached the Conference venue; it turned out that the EXCEL booth I was helping to staff was right beside Marsharsquo;s music booth. I told her how much her music had meant to me on this trip; and her empathetic response was a total blessing for me.It is wonderful to know that the work Marsha Stevens-Pino first began in the early Jesus Movement which ndash; as she demonstrates ndash; got so sadly derailed into the excesses of the political ldquo;Religious Rightrdquo; is truly ldquo;getting back on trackrdquo;. Through this memoir as well as through her past and present work with Christian music; especially with the new young performers she is mentoring; Marsha continues to show the Love of God in a new and much broader context than was ever possible before. One can only say; with profound reverence; ldquo;Thank you; Jesus; for continuing to let Marsha share You is so wonderful way!rdquo;6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. This Will Be the Next Stranger at the Gate!By Lana PhillipsIt is an amazing story!Im not old enough to remember Children of the Day; but I first sang the song For Those Tears I Died at a Bible study when I was in high school in the early 80s. I remembered the song for years; but was flabbergasted many years later to hear that Marsha was a lesbian. I had recently come out and was still trying to figure things out. I saw her at a concert in Edmonton; Alberta; and knew it was possible to be me and still be a Christian.So earlier tonight I saw Marshas post on Facebook that this book had come out. I immediately went and bought it; started to read; and here I am four hours later trying to put words on the experience of reading it. Im glad I read it on Kindle; because I could easily highlight meaningful passages that I probably wouldnt have in a hard copy. (Im a nerd that way.) I played the music of hers I could find on Youtube while I was reading it.I felt like I had read the story of a good friend when I was done. I hurt when I saw what she had been through; but she writes about it in a way that shows that she is a loving person who truly knows the God she follows. I had kind of quit thinking about her over the years; but God knew I needed this book right now. Its funny that the post even came through on my news feed. I guess it was just a God thing!3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Excellent Read!By Elaine CorneliusIf you have heard Marsha sing; you know she has a beautiful voice. Beyond the voice is an even more beautiful message. Her story is not a light; easy read. He life has not been easy; but it has been blessed. Her message tells of faith and the movement of God not only in her life; but also in the world. God gave Marsha a song and used it and her experiences to draw His people back to Himself. Every event was used by God to equip her for His plan for her life. He chose Marsha to lead all Gods children; the broken; the struggling; the hurting people of God to a place where we can see we are all safe in His arms.I have known Marsha for over 20 years and knew there was more to her story than I heard at her concerts. Her book tells more of her history and how each step of the way God was there. It is a story of hope; the hope that burns within her and why she has an answer for any who may still need to hear.Marsharsquo;s story tells of the history of Contemporary Christian music; but instead of feeling like a history lesson; it is more like a conversation with a trusted friend. She is called to share Jesus with the world. Yes; her life has held many forms of tearshellip;but God has used those tears and given her a family in Christhellip;and tears of joy.
