Publishers Weekly
05/24/2021
Pazcoguin, New York City Ballet’s first Asian American soloist, reveals the grimy underbelly of elite stagecraft and the extreme passions that fuel it in this rollicking debut. She affectionately recounts her 1980s childhood in Pennsylvania, where she started dancing at age four. (“I didn’t know what I was doing, but... I wanted to move this way all the time,” she recounts.) At age 13, Pazcoguin attended the School of American Ballet in New York, where she thrived under the grueling regimen but felt battered by racism and body shaming, including one instance in which the artistic director said “you don’t really fit in from here... to there,” pointing to her thighs. She also exposes the truth about ballet’s sequins and tulle: costumes go unwashed for years, and the glittering snow in The Nutcracker (which she calls the “NUTBUSTER” because it’s such a grind) is swept up and dumped right back onto dancers’ heads the next night. Pazcoguin’s humorous asides entertain, though at times they can undermine the abuse she endured. (“I’ve felt the pain... I’ve even farted onstage and survived.”) 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. (July)
From the Publisher
"A page-turner."
—The New York Times
“Witty, sobering, hell-raising. . . . Pazcoguin exposes more turmoil at New York City Ballet than any fictional melodrama could hope to match. Good luck trying to look away. . . . There are enough real-life crises in this brisk, often laugh-out-loud tell-all to light the imagination of any cable TV script writer. But with her string of criticisms and even in her crazy-funny asides, Pazcoguin has a serious point to make about the ballet world."
—The Washington Post
“Revelatory. . . . Sure to ruffle some tutus."
—New York Post
"As no-holds-barred as [Pazcoguin's] dancing. . . . Come for the unfiltered peek behind the curtain, stay for the accessible, often hilarious writing."
—Dance Magazine
"A funny, poignant, and shocking read. . . . [Pazcoguin] punctures, with enormous glee, the stereotype of the ballet dancer as an elegant, ethereal being."
—The Guardian
“Swan Dive is to ballet what Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential was to restaurants, a chance to go behind the serene front of house to the sweaty, foul-mouthed, psychofrenzy backstage.”
—Sunday Times (UK)
"Explosive. . . . The lively pages are filled with colloquialisms (her school is 'prestigious AF') as well as juicy sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll tales."
—The Daily Telegraph (UK)
"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.”
—Publishers Weekly
"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."
—Library Journal (starred review)
"In her brisk, spirited debut memoir, [Pazcoguin] recounts her experiences in the competitive, hierarchal ballet world. . . . A lively chronicle of dedication and joy."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Aggressively entertaining. . . [Swan Dive] is equal parts autobiography, insider intel, and righteous indignation."
—Shelf Awareness
"Always arresting onstage, Georgina Pazcoguin gives us a take on the ballet world that is witty and from the heart. An eye-opening read."
—Mikhail Baryshnikov
“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.”
—Chita Rivera
“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.”
—Zac Posen
“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.”
—Jose Antonio Vargas, founder of Define American and author of Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen
“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 Swan Dive to be a wild ride dancing between risk and balance, legacy and possibility.”
—Andy Blankenbuehler
Library Journal
★ 07/01/2021
Pazcoguin, who calls herself "the Rogue Ballerina," has danced with the New York City Ballet (NYCB) since 2002, and in 2013 became the first Asian American woman soloist in the company. Her passionate relationship with dance started young, and in this book she tracks her ballet trajectory—from her first class at age four; to the School of American Ballet, where she learned the Balanchine style; to her current position as a principal dancer at NYCB. Pazcoguin writes about her struggles and some of the abuse she's suffered: eating disorders; emotional trauma inflicted by Peter Martins, the former artistic director of NYCB; and ballet's physical toll on her body. Pazcoguin writes with astounding passion about her achievements, and her prose is enchanting as she describes finally becoming comfortable in her own skin. Vulnerable, raw, and full of grit, this is the story of a woman who has been broken yet has clawed her way to victory. "From this point on, the narrative belongs to me," she writes. VERDICT A moving memoir that will resonate with readers who appreciate the exquisite form of ballet, as well as those hungry for a personal tale of darkness, passion, and euphoric triumph.—Bree Jennrich, Kirkwood P.L., MO
Kirkus Reviews
2021-05-11
Behind the scenes with an acclaimed ballerina.
At 14, Pazcoguin, who had been dancing since she was 4, won a scholarship to the summer program at the School of American Ballet, launching her on a path to join the New York City Ballet. In her brisk, spirited debut memoir, the author recounts her experiences in the competitive, hierarchical ballet world, from the “elitist cult” of the corp de ballet to her promotion as the “first Asian American woman soloist in the history of the company.” Despite talent, ambition, and hard work, Pazcoguin became frustrated that racial stereotypes barred her from roles she coveted. “Need an ambiguously ethnic, badass female?” she recalled. “It’s Paz to the rescue!” Even in The Nutcracker, she found that she was assigned to the B cast, composed of people of color, while the A cast featured lighter-skinned dancers. She directs unmitigated anger at former NYCB director Peter Martins, who “wanted me in a cage, to be okay with his idea of what a dancer who looks like me should be.” After he criticized the size of her thighs, she went to a doctor who prescribed that she eat 720 calories per day for the next four months. Trained to find everything wrong with her body, she came to see herself as a “monster,” eventually spending $10,000 on liposuction. “As I’ve grown older and wiser,” she reflects, “I can see that the younger me twisted sacrifice into something darker. Especially when it came to Peter’s subjective view of what my body should look like.” Despite the abusive culture that Martins fomented, Pazcoguin never lost her passion for ballet. Besides performing throughout the world with other companies, she danced on Broadway in Cats: a challenging role and a window on a more nurturing culture than she had known on the ballet stage.
A lively chronicle of dedication and joy.
