"Ruth!" Nadine walked through the crowd with the assurance of a woman who knew people would step aside for her. She was small, with a trim build and grace that revealed her training as a dancer. Her hair was sculptured and palely blond, her skin smooth and pink. The angelic face belied a keen mind. More than she ever had as a dancer, Nadine Rothchild, as company founder, devoted her life to the ballet.
Dance of Dreams
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The ballerina’s life is remarkably long: the regime sets
you up with fighting levels of fitness and energy, and there can have been
few more superb specimens of nonagenarian erectness and alertness than
Tamara Karsavina, Beryl Grey or Yvette Chauviré.
So most ballerinas continue
to work behind the scenes long after they retire from the stage, passing on
the sacred flame either as coaches and teachers (Pamela May, Alexandra
Danilova, Lysette Darsonval) or administrators (Merle Park, Elisabeth
Platel, Monica Mason, Violette Verdy). This continuity of the bloodline is
vital: ballet is an insider’s art, and it does not take kindly to managers
being parachuted in from the outside.
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She faced Ruth directly. "When I first joined the company, Nadine was struggling to keep it going. Nick's coming gave it much-needed momentum, but there were internal problems, financial pressures outsiders are rarely aware of. I know you think Nadine was hard—she undoubtedly was—but the company is everything to her. It's easier for me to understand that now with the distance. I didn't always.
Dance of Dreams