[A] crisp ability to convey an affection for ballet and a clear-eyed view of its oddities is the abiding tone of this authoritative study of the art form's history; from its origins in the courts of France and Italy to its current incarnation as a many faceted, international genre. -Sarah Compton, Sunday Times This entertaining read will spark ... Read moreinterest in an assortment of productions and make readers want to go see a performance-or at least view The Red Shoes. -Library Journal Anderson conveys everything in a friendly, easy going way; and there is a lot of information and detail to convey. She makes reading what she has to say a pleasure, whether looking at whole chapters or dipping in and out... It reminded me a little of going along to one of the more friendly easy-going, twenty-minute pre-performance talks that the likes of the New York City Ballet are so good at. -David Mead, Critical Dance The perfect amalgam of relevant and enlightening information with an utterly enjoyable prose . . . Reading it is like having a conversation with an expert friend who, with great love, introduces you to the secrets of an art too often regarded as elitist or esoteric. -Giannandrea Poesio, Dance Europe Clearly a lover of ballet herself, Anderson compiles program notes and synopses of 140 key productions in the international ballet repertoire...as if the author is a knowledgeable friend pointing out the salient bits. Full of context... an essential reference. -Good Book Guide Anderson is highly knowledgeable, and has chosen to write a highly readable work that also touches on some of the issues that ballet as an art form faces today . . . A sumptuous and enjoyable gift. -Maggie Watson, Oxford Dance Writers Show Less