Gavin Larsen | Infinite Steps

ABOUT THE EVENT

Tickets include a copy of Infinite Steps, guaranteed entry to the event, and a seat in the reserved section. Gavin will be in conversation with Jared Redick and will sign books after the program.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Portraits of dancers rendered through reflective storytelling and exquisite photography, illustrating the varieties of individual paths within the world of ballet

Infinite Steps invites readers into the deeply personal journeys of thirty-three ballet dancers from around the world, tracing their paths from first pliés to final bows and beyond. Through intimate profiles by writer and dancer Gavin Larsen and stunning photographs by Gene Schiavone, this book reveals the physical demands and quiet triumphs that define a life in ballet. Each chapter offers a glimpse into a dancer’s inner world, illuminating the realities behind the moments portrayed by the images.

The dancers featured in this book span generations, career stages, and perspectives. Some, such as Misty Copeland, are internationally celebrated stars, while others are just beginning their journeys, and still others have transitioned into new lives beyond the stage. Alina Cojocaru began dancing in Kyiv at 9 years old before becoming a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet. Paloma Herrera became one of the youngest principal dancers in the history of American Ballet Theatre, and Marja’ Quaqua received Copeland’s prestigious Ballet in the City Scholarship for emerging Black dancers. Kylie Edwards performed with the City Ballet of San Diego and transitioned to an acting career, while Vjola Hajati found a second home performing cabaret at the Moulin Rouge in Paris.

From the discipline of training to the vulnerability of retirement, these stories reflect the full spectrum of what it means to be a dancer, resonating with Schiavone’s images of the artists at work and rest. Infinite Steps is a tribute to the resilience, craft, and humanity of dancers. For lifelong ballet lovers, students dreaming of the stage, or anyone interested in learning about the people behind incredible art, this book offers a rare and heartfelt look at the many ways a life in dance can unfold.

GAVIN LARSEN was a professional ballet dancer for 18 years before retiring to write and teach about dance. She has written for Dance Magazine, Pointe, Oregon ArtsWatch, and the Threepenny Review, among others, and is the author of Being a Ballerina: The Power and Perfection of a Dancing Life.

Assistant Dean of Ballet JARED REDICK is a 1989 graduate of the high school ballet program at UNCSA, where he studied with founding Dean of Dance Robert Lindgren, Duncan Noble, Melissa Hayden, Gyula Pandi and Frank Smith. As a dance educator, he has taught nationally and internationally at the Royal Danish Ballet School, Tivoli Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet School, Orlando Ballet School, Nashville Ballet School, Charlotte Ballet and Yale University. He has served as guest ballet master with Finnish National Ballet, Houston Ballet, Nashville Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet. He is also a judge and master teacher for the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). At UNCSA, Redick directs the annual production of “The Nutcracker” which was named by Dance Teacher Magazine as one of the nation’s best productions of the holiday classic. He also has directed the Festival of North Carolina Dance, which brings hundreds of young dancers from around the state to campus for master classes with faculty of the School of Dance each year.

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