Released to tie in with her 50th birthday ( but a little early really as it is not until April next year ) this is a large heavy coffee table book, lavishly, exquisitely illustrated which follows the life of prima ballerina Dame Darcey Bussell from her student days at White Lodge through to now, where among other things she is a judge on Strictly Come Dancing and hosts the ROH Live screenings. Bussell officially retired from performing in 2007 but is busy with numerous other projects . DARCEY BUSSELL EVOLVED has a forward by Jasper Conran and an introduction by Bussell herself. There is a list of photo credits at the back but no index.
A visual biography in some ways, we see stunning photo spreads of various posters and advertising campaigns she has been involved with as well as rehearsal and performance photographs and learn some of her backstory. Some of the photos are intimate and revealing rehearsal shots, some of the wonderful studio shots are fluid , flowing and sculptural almost taking flight .
By the age of five Bussell was taking dancing lessons. She enrolled at the Royal Ballet Lower School at the age of 13. She joined the then Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet at 18 (now Birmingham Royal Ballet) and became the youngest principal dancer in the Royal Ballet two years later.
The book is divided into six chapters – starting with Foundations, then through Off Pointe and ending with To Be Continued – which highlight a diverse array of projects, with a forward by designer Jasper Conran. The photographers range from Anthony Crickmay to Mario Testino , Arthur Elgort , Annie Liebovitz and Richard Avedon to name just a few. Bussell has comments throughout, about working with the photographers and/or the difficulties of the various shoots , the struggles of coping with injury etc .
The book starts in classical ballet territory – Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty – and then we see performances of Manon, Les Biches, Romeo & Juliet & La Bayadère for example. Bussell having become a household name means that she is Godmother to a ship, she was photographed in a car park in Hammersmith (during the Royal Opera House closure for renovation), she took part in a GAP advertising shoot, posed dressed in red at the top of the Albert Memorial , was photographed at Seven Sisters Cliffs at Burling Gap in East Sussex (as part of a promotional campaign of posters shot by Jason Bell), balanced en pointe in a capsule in the London Eye and has worn unusual jewellery for a World Gold Campaign among other things.
This is not to forget her participation in the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony. the Valentino haute couture black organza ruffle edge cocktail dress from 1971 once owned by Audrey Hepburn which she modelled in 2009, or the leather Avengers-style catsuit she wore for an Esquire photo shoot. As well as posing with her wax double at Madame Tussauds. Two of her other TV shows are also mentioned – Viva la Diva (with Katherine Jenkins) and Darcey Bussell Dances Hollywood At the end, the book features her portrait by Allen Jones at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
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The book takes us through to May this year when she was created a Dame and concludes with two striking Adorned photos – designed by Harvey Brown , photographed by David Scheinmann.
Bussell’s Australian links are very briefly mentioned – her father was Australian and she was heavily involved with Sydney Dance Company for a number of years.
A wonderful gift for Christmas, dance lovers will be delighted with this book.