What I've Learnt - David McAllister

WHAT I'VE LEARNT

David McAllister AC former principal dancer and former artistic director of the Australian Ballet has launched

his second book “Ballet Confidential: A Personal Behind-The-Scenes Guide, in a powerful overview of one of the performing arts' most alluring and mysterious, physically demanding and mentally rigorous art forms.

He says "Today's dancer is a strong, powerful and elite athlete. Both the men and women possess incredible strength, mental toughness and the ability to create feats of skill while having an emotive connection to the audience by creating a mood or telling a story through movement."

With characteristic honesty and insight, David explores a raft of issues surrounding the business of dance – from the joys and challenges that face young dancers and their families, the physical stamina required to build a ballet body, to company politics, on-stage disasters, off-stage relationships, the anxieties around weight gain and weight loss, theatre etiquette, the age-old curiosities surrounding boys who choose ballet instead of footy, plus David’s thoughts on some of the world’s great ballets including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Giselle.

Beyond the formidable combination of tulle and lycra, how much can an audience ever truly understand about the demands of being a ballet dancer? What really is the pain and pleasure of pointe shoes and jockstraps? Can a wardrobe malfunction derail a scene? ... we’re about to find out …

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/
Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850