A Dancer in Wartime: The touching true story of a young girl's journey from the Blitz to the Bright Lights

by Gillian Lynne

Overview

London during the Blitz was a time of hardship, heroism and hope.

For Gillian Lynne – a budding ballerina – it was also a time of great change as she was evacuated from war-torn London to a crumbling mansion, where dance classes took place in the faded ballroom.

Life was hard, but her talent and dedication shone through and an astonishing journey ensued, which saw Gillian dancing a triumphant debut in Swan Lake, performing in the West End with doodlebugs falling and touring a devastated Europe entertaining the troops.

A Dancer in Wartime paints a vivid and moving picture of what life was really like during the hard years of the Blitz and brings to life a lost world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781448162185
Publisher:	Random House
Publication date:	11/08/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	719,839
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Gillian Lynne is a British ballerina, dancer, actor, theatre director, television director and choreographer, best known for her iconic choreography of Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. She was born in Bromley, Kent, in 1926. At the age of ten she won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dancing, after which she joined the Cone Ripman School before being selected to join Molly Lake’s Ballet Guild and Ninette de Valois’s Sadler’s Wells. As part of what would soon become the Royal Ballet, she was renowned for her portrayal of the Black Queen in de Valois’s Checkmate, Queen of the Wilis in Giselle, the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty and in roles created for her by Frederick Ashton and Robert Helpmann. Her film, television and stage credits include many long-running West End and Broadway shows, productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the English National Opera and The Muppets. She continues to produce television, film and stage productions and lives in London. A Dancer in Wartime was shortlisted for the Society for Theatre Research’s Theatre Book Prize.

Table of Contents

Prologue 1

1 The Beginning 5

2 Early Childhood 11

3 The Dancing Starts in Earnest 29

4 From Pillar to Post 55

5 The Ballet Guild 91

6 Baby Ballerina 117

7 Sadler's Wells Ballet 145

8 ENSA 175

9 VE Day 203

10 Royal Opera House 243

11 Dream Opening 263

Acknowledgements 291

What People are Saying About This

EBOOK COMMENTARY

"Linskey has done for Newcastle what Ian Rankin has done for Edinburgh. . . . The writing is as fast and furious as a well-oiled machine gun. This alone is impressive, but he also possesses a talent for character development that elevates the story to a new level. An impressive and intelligent début."  —New York Journal of Books on The Drop

"A charming and moving portrait of a wartime childhood and an extraordinary account of what it takes to make it on stage . . . I couldn't put it down."  —Elaine Paige, actress and musician

"Gillian's journey through dance is a story of passion and devotion that should be read by everyone, not just dance lovers."  —Arlene Phillips, choreographer

Editorial Reviews

"Linskey has done for Newcastle what Ian Rankin has done for Edinburgh. . . . The writing is as fast and furious as a well-oiled machine gun. This alone is impressive, but he also possesses a talent for character development that elevates the story to a new level. An impressive and intelligent début."  —New York Journal of Books on The Drop

"A charming and moving portrait of a wartime childhood and an extraordinary account of what it takes to make it on stage . . . I couldn't put it down."  —Elaine Paige, actress and musician

"Gillian's journey through dance is a story of passion and devotion that should be read by everyone, not just dance lovers."  —Arlene Phillips, choreographer

EBOOK COMMENTARY