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Swan Dive
Swan Dive: The Making of a Rogue Ballerina | Georgina Pazcoguin
Award-winning New York City Ballet soloist Georgina Pazcoguin, aka the Rogue Ballerina, gives readers a backstage tour of the real world of elite balletthe gritty, hilarious, sometimes shocking truth you dont see from the orchestra circle. In this love letter to the art of dance and the sport that has been her livelihood, NYCBs first Asian American soloist Georgina Pazcoguin lays bare her unfiltered story of leaving small-town Pennsylvania for New York City and training amid the unique demands of being a hybrid professional athlete/artist, all before finishing high school. She pitches us into the fascinating, dizzying shoes of dancers in one of the most revered ballet companies in the world with an unapologetic sense of humor about the cutthroat, survival-of-the-fittest mentality at NYCB. Some swan dives are literal: even in the ballet, there are plenty of face-plants, backstage fights, late-night parties, and raucous company bonding sessions. Rocked by scandal in the wake of the #MeToo movement, NYCB sits at an inflection point, inching toward progress in a strictly traditional culture, and Pazcoguin doesnt shy away from ballets dark side. She continues to be one of the few dancers openly speaking up against the sexual harassment, mental abuse, and racism that in the past went unrecognized or was tacitly accepted as par for the courseall of which she has painfully experienced firsthand. Tying together Pazcoguins fight for equality in the ballet with her infectious and deeply moving passion for her craft, Swan Dive is a page-turning, one-of-a-kind account that guarantees you'll never view a ballerina, or a ballet, the same way again.
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Kristy_K
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Pickpick

A wonderful memoir. Georgina is relatable, open, and humorous. She held a light to a lot of the toxic and harmful culture of ballet, but also allows the beauty of dance to shine through. I found her inspirational and admired her talent and dedication, even more so with being the first Asian-American soloist for her company.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#memoir #ballet

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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

Read by the author, Swan Dive is a dance memoir and Georgina- “Gina” or “Paz”- frankly discusses her over 20 years with New York City Ballet. She touches on the blatant misogyny and racism in the pro-ballet world, as well as her laundry list of falls (hence the title) and injuries. But at its heart this is a memoir of the love of the dance. Paz has had some amazing experiences, and I‘m glad she shared them. 💕

Soubhiville #NFNovember book 1 😃 3y
64 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Kappadeemom
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Up next….🩰🩰

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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Georgina Pazcoguin, the Rogue Ballerina, lays bare her life as the first Asian American soloist in the New York City Ballet, a company - and profession - where blatant misogyny, emotional abuse, sexual misconduct, and racism are/were largely ignored and accepted as normal. She‘s strong and honest and persisted through the bullshit. I loved the “Nutbuster” (Nutcracker) stories and her foray into Broadway. Solid memoir!

Cinfhen Sounds great!!! Thanks so much for tagging me 💚💚💚 3y
Soubhiville Your review made me read this, and it‘s great so far! Thanks! 3y
britt_brooke @Soubhiville Yay - I‘m so happy you‘re enjoying it! 3y
97 likes7 stack adds3 comments
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britt_brooke
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☀️ 6:30AM audio walk with my buddy. Today is predicted to be the hottest day of the year here in Nashville. It‘s not too bad right now, thankfully, but the air is thick!

#audiowalk #dogsoflitsy

kspenmoll Beautiful dog!!! 3y
kspenmoll It must be very hot there!!! We are supposed to be extremely hot here in CT & we are north… 3y
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Aww, hello gorgeous doggo! 😍 It‘s a very humid day where I live. Been wishing it would just rain! 3y
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Megabooks Awwww crap…supposed to get to 95 here. 👎🏻👎🏻 3y
britt_brooke @kspenmoll Thank you! ?? It‘s supposed to be 95° with a heat index of 105-110. ? 3y
britt_brooke @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm The humidity is killer! The pupper hates it. Poor guy! He stuck his face in a neighbor‘s sprinkler on our way home. 😂 (edited) 3y
britt_brooke @Megabooks 95° here, too, with a heat index up to 110°. The kids‘ teachers have been keeping them inside as it‘s too hot for outdoor recess. But the 9 year old has soccer practice later. ? A wet towel and Gatorade will get him through, but it‘s rough! 3y
ravenlee I live in NW Louisiana; somebody here once described it as “air you can wear” and I‘ve never heard a more truthful description. 3y
britt_brooke @ravenlee So accurate! 😂 3y
NovelGirl82 @ravenlee I‘m from NELA and that‘s very accurate! I tell everyone when I go home to visit I feel like I take a shower and never get dry! 3y
83 likes10 comments
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Cedricsmom
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Pickpick

I loved her story!!

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Tera66
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#JulyJourneys #dance💃🕺👯‍♀️👯👯‍♂️
@Eggs & @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Since I was a kid I have had a thing for Ballerina stories, I don't have this book yet, but I won an ARC and it's on its way.😃

Eggs 👍🏼🥰💃 3y
28 likes1 comment
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Andrea313
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If you were a fan of Black Swan, you should join me in reading Swan Dive by Georgina Pazcoguin, New York City Ballet's first Asian American female soloist. I've admired Georgina for a long time, both for her fierce dancing and also her work in making the world of performing arts more inclusive and equitable. Her book drops this month, so definitely pick it up for the real-life backstage drama and joy. #Movie2BookRecs #NataliePortman
@Klou

Klou Perfect!! 3y
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Andrea313
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Eggs Nicely done ✅👩🏻📚 3y
26 likes1 comment