by Toni Bentley
Bentley, 24, is a dancer with the New York City Ballet. Last year she underwent an early career crisis before deciding to remain with the company. Her memoir is more than just a personal odyssey, though; she provides an insider's view of the often grueling world of ballet, along with profiles of such dance masters as George Ballanchine and Peter Martins. In the process, Bentley belies the image of dancers as single-minded automatons. Her writing is literate, often lyrical. She writes, for instance, that dancers are dependent on composers and choreographers: "We are not the beginning or the end of creation. We are the innocents of beauty; we wait and listen and pray for guidance." (Random House, $11.95)
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