A review by gleefulreader
Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself by Chloe Angyal

2.0

I love ballet and really wanted to love this analysis of the current state of ballet and the systemic changes that are needed to ensure the viability of the format going forward. However, this book felt unfinished and unedited. The phrase “as we will examine in later chapters” pops up frequently. There is a great deal of repetition. Sudden topic changes happen such that in a chapter on sexual harassment and the power of men, I had to double check I hadn’t somehow skipped ahead because suddenly I was reading at length about the pros and cons of unionization. There’s a great deal of criticism and examples of where ballet companies are failing but few examples of where companies are succeeding at changing. Overall, it felt like this book had a great premise but was let down by inadequate writing, inadequate editing and a rush to publish.