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

A unique memoir about ballet, World War II, and a peerless group of dancers, this is an irresistible read for all ballet loversGillian Lynne is one of the world's preeminent choreographers, but she started her career as a ballerina, learning to dance alongside Margot Fonteyn during World War II, and here is the story of her extraordinary childhood. From Miss Madeleine Sharp's Ballet Class for Young Ladies in Bromley to being evacuated with her theater school to a crumbling pile in rural Leicestershire, and from performing in the West End with doodlebugs falling to touring a devastated Europe to entertain the troops, the early years were hard, exciting, and dramatic. And when the call came to join Sadler's Wells—well, what ballerina hopeful could have asked for more? An irresistible mix of wartime nostalgia and the story of a leading ballerina's hard-won path to success, this is the perfect read for all ballet lovers, and is illustrated throughout with exquisitely charming black-and-white photos, programs, and keepsakes.
A unique memoir about ballet, the second world war and a peerless group of dancers; an irresistible read for all ballet lovers.Gillian Lynne is one of the world's pre-eminent choreographers, but she started her career as a ballerina, learning to dance alongside Margot Fonteyn during the Second World War.A Dancer in Wartime tells the story of Gillian's extraordinary childhood. From Miss Madeleine Sharp's Ballet Class for Young Ladies in Bromley to being evacuated with her theatre school to a crumbling pile in rural Leicestershire; from performing in the West End with doodlebugs falling to touring a devastated Europe to entertain the troops, the early years were hard, exciting and dramatic. And when the call came to join Sadler's Wells -- well, what ballerina hopeful could have asked for more?