A Miscellany for Dancers (1934) (Grania Guinness Bookplate) (Claudia Guercio)

Title page by Barnett Freedman’s talent wife Claudia Guericio. Ex-libris bookplate of British aristocrat and philanthropist  Grania Maeve Rosaura Guinness, known as the Dowager Marchioness of Normanby

This anthology is intended to afford glimpses of well-known dancers from the eighteenth century to the present day, both on the stage and off, and at the same time to present a composite picture of the life of a dancer from the period of training to the farewell performance.

We are shown dancers in the making, dancers in their most celebrated rôles, and we learn something of the bitter-sweet feelings of the dancer making her last public appearance.

But this is not all. There are many examples of the manifold activities that make up the life of a dancer—accidents that may befall her, sayings, bons-mots, anecdotes, madrigals written in her honour, her influence on fashion—in short, this book is a fascinating compilation which can be read with both pleasure and profit by all those interested in the art of ballet.

Condition: some spotting to prelims and edges of text-block. Dust-wrapper worn with chipping and closed tearing along top edge (tape repair to verso).