At the Ballet: Onstage, Backstage - Tapa dura

This elegant look into the life of dance paints a portrait of the unique world of ballet from within America's oldest ballet company, the San Francisco Ballet.

The photographers' stunning imagery gives the reader an inside look into the daily classes, rehearsals, and performances of these remarkable artists by capturing life onstage and backstage. Over a five-year period and with special permission from the San Francisco Ballet, At the Ballet focuses on the inner workings of this world-class company and reveals the efforts that go into every performance.

Candid interviews with the principal dancers and members of the corps reveal their own secrets to the beauty and grace of this classic art form. It takes a highly driven person with the right mix of talent, devotion, character, body type, and luck to make it into a company of this caliber. The dancers--many of whom came to the company from as far away as China, Russia, and Australia--describe their aspirations, fears, strengths, weaknesses, and philosophies in inspirational texts. They share with readers how they prepare for a performance; what they think about onstage; how they survive the grueling schedule of rehearsals, performances and tours; and to what they attribute their success.

Sandra Lee, a dancer herself, founded award-winning design firm Momentum Design with Tom Hunt in 1990. They have been photographing the San Francisco Ballet for five years, accompanying them on their tours to New York and Washington, D.C.