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  • Associate Professor of Dance Leslie Norton gave a presentation on the career of ballet star and Commander of the British Empire (CBE) Frederic Franklin at the first open house of Dance Theatre of Harlem's (DTH) 2007/08 season on Nov. 11 in New York. This performance was dedicated to Franklin, celebrating his pivotal role in bringing this ballet company to international stature.

  • Associate Professor of Dance Leslie Norton is the author of a new book, Frederic Franklin: A Biography of the Ballet Star. Franklin is one of the greatest ballet dancers of the twentieth century and is still performing at the age of 93, dancing principal roles for American Ballet Theatre. In writing the book, Norton conducted more than 60 hours of taped interviews with Franklin and his most noteworthy colleagues.

  • Associate Professor of Dance Leslie Norton spoke at Jacob's Pillow, Mass., on July 14 about her new book, Frederic Franklin: A Biography of the Ballet Star, which has just been released by McFarland & Co., Inc.  Franklin, one of the greatest ballet dancers of the twentieth century, joined Norton for the talk, which is part of the festival's "Pillow Talk" series. Jacob's Pillow hosts an internationally renowned dance festival each summer, presenting the works of some of the world's finest dance companies, dancers and choreographers.

  • Associate Professor in Dance Leslie Norton is the author of Léonide Massine and the 20th Century Ballet. This work provides a biography of Massine and a detailed analysis of his major ballets, including those for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and American Ballet Theatre.

  • Dance faculty member Leslie Norton, with ballet celebrity Frederic Franklin, will appear on July 13, 2007 at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, MA as part of Jacob's Pillow's "Author Event Series," a series also known as "Pillowtalks." With the assistance of Mr. Franklin, Professor Norton has authored a book entitled Frederic Franklin: A Biography of the Ballet Star. The book will be published by McFarland & Co., Inc. in June of this year. A booksigning will follow the presentation and interviews of Mr. Franklin and Professor Norton. Mr. Franklin was a legendary star with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo from 1938-57. Subsequently, he was a prolific ballet master, staging the Ballet Russe classics for major ballet companies throughout North America and Europe. Remarkably, at the age of ninety-three, he continues to revive historically important twentieth-century ballets (most recently, for England's Royal Ballet) and to perform principal character roles with American Ballet Theatre. Jacob's Pillow ranks as one of the most acclaimed and prestigious dance festivals in the world. During its ten-week summer season, it books ballet and modern companies of lofty international renown and attracts tens of thousands of dance enthusiasts. The date for the Franklin/Norton presentation coincides with a Jacob's Pillow performance by the Royal Danish Ballet of Copenhagen, so there should be a large collection of balletomanes onsite.

  • Professor Norton of the Dance Department was quoted as an authority on set and costume designs of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes era in a January 27, 2008 NYT article by dance critic Claudia La Rocco. The article, "Time to Retire Those Sets and Tutus," discusses the extra-choreographic elements that contribute to a complete artwork and suggests that the traditional expectations and conservative tastes of today's classical ballet audience may have contributed to an inhibited visual aesthetic since the Diaghilev era (1909-29), when artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Dalí were employed to design sets and costumes for the Ballets Russes.

  • Frederic Franklin: A Biography of the Ballet Star By Leslie Norton (July 2007) Associate Professor of Dance Leslie Norton has authored a second book, Frederic Franklin: A Biography of the Ballet Star (McFarland & Co., Inc.). Frederic Franklin was one of the most famous ballets stars of the twentieth century. His performing career reached its peak during his years as a principal with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (1938-57). During that time, such choreographic legends as George Balanchine, Bronislava Nijinska, Agnes de Mille and Sir Frederick Ashton created roles especially for Franklin in their new ballets. In the 60's and 70's, he was Artistic Director of the National Ballet, the first major ballet company in the nation's capital. He then began a new career phase, staging historically significant ballets from the Petipa, Diaghilev, Americana, and Balanchine eras. Franklin has staged works for American Ballet Theatre, London's Royal Ballet, Milan's La Scala and numerous major regional ballet companies across the United States. He has been pivotal in preserving the masterpieces of nineteenth and twentieth-century ballets in their original, authentic form, thus handing down the highly-perishable legacy of the masters to younger generations whom Franklin has inspired with his teaching, coaching and stagings. Now, at the age of ninety-three, Franklin still fills his calandar with performances and stagings. He continues to dance principal character roles with American Ballet Theatre and very recently staged a revival of Sir Frederick Ashton's Devil's Holiday for the Royal Ballet's Ashton centenary. On that same trip to London, in a royal ceremony, Franklin was proclaimed a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II herself. In writing this book, Professor Norton conducted over thiry hours of private interviews with Franklin and another thirty in interviews with Franklin's most noteworthy colleagues. Additional information was obtained through the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the NYPL Newspaper Archives, The Balanchine Foundation in New York City, The George Verdak Dance History Archives in Indianapolis, and Mr. Franklin's personal collection. On July 14 of this year, Franklin and Norton appeared at the renowned Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival on the Festival's "Pillow Talk" series to discuss the new book.

  • Frederic Franklin: A Biography of the Ballet Star By Leslie Norton (July 2007) Associate Professor of Dance Leslie Norton has authored a second book, Frederic Franklin: A Biography of the Ballet Star (McFarland & Co., Inc.). Frederic Franklin was one of the most famous ballets stars of the twentieth century. His performing career reached its peak during his years as a principal with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (1938-57). During that time, such choreographic legends as George Balanchine, Bronislava Nijinska, Agnes de Mille and Sir Frederick Ashton created roles especially for Franklin in their new ballets. In the 60's and 70's, he was Artistic Director of the National Ballet, the first major ballet company in the nation's capital. He then began a new career phase, staging historically significant ballets from the Petipa, Diaghilev, Americana, and Balanchine eras. Franklin has staged works for American Ballet Theatre, London's Royal Ballet, Milan's La Scala and numerous major regional ballet companies across the United States. He has been pivotal in preserving the masterpieces of nineteenth and twentieth-century ballets in their original, authentic form, thus handing down the highly-perishable legacy of the masters to younger generations whom Franklin has inspired with his teaching, coaching and stagings. Now, at the age of ninety-three, Franklin still fills his calandar with performances and stagings. He continues to dance principal character roles with American Ballet Theatre and very recently staged a revival of Sir Frederick Ashton's Devil's Holiday for the Royal Ballet's Ashton centenary. On that same trip to London, in a royal ceremony, Franklin was proclaimed a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II herself. In writing this book, Professor Norton conducted over thiry hours of private interviews with Franklin and another thirty in interviews with Franklin's most noteworthy colleagues. Additional information was obtained through the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the NYPL Newspaper Archives, The Balanchine Foundation in New York City, The George Verdak Dance History Archives in Indianapolis, and Mr. Franklin's personal collection. On July 14 of this year, Franklin and Norton appeared at the renowned Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival on the Festival's "Pillow Talk" series to discuss the new book.

  • Frederic Franklin: A Biography of the Ballet Star By Leslie Norton (July 2007) Associate Professor of Dance Leslie Norton has authored a second book, Frederic Franklin: A Biography of the Ballet Star (McFarland & Co., Inc.). Frederic Franklin was one of the most famous ballets stars of the twentieth century. His performing career reached its peak during his years as a principal with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (1938-57). During that time, such choreographic legends as George Balanchine, Bronislava Nijinska, Agnes de Mille and Sir Frederick Ashton created roles especially for Franklin in their new ballets. In the 60's and 70's, he was Artistic Director of the National Ballet, the first major ballet company in the nation's capital. He then began a new career phase, staging historically significant ballets from the Petipa, Diaghilev, Americana, and Balanchine eras. Franklin has staged works for American Ballet Theatre, London's Royal Ballet, Milan's La Scala and numerous major regional ballet companies across the United States. He has been pivotal in preserving the masterpieces of nineteenth and twentieth-century ballets in their original, authentic form, thus handing down the highly-perishable legacy of the masters to younger generations whom Franklin has inspired with his teaching, coaching and stagings. Now, at the age of ninety-three, Franklin still fills his calandar with performances and stagings. He continues to dance principal character roles with American Ballet Theatre and very recently staged a revival of Sir Frederick Ashton's Devil's Holiday for the Royal Ballet's Ashton centenary. On that same trip to London, in a royal ceremony, Franklin was proclaimed a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II herself. In writing this book, Professor Norton conducted over thiry hours of private interviews with Franklin and another thirty in interviews with Franklin's most noteworthy colleagues. Additional information was obtained through the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the NYPL Newspaper Archives, The Balanchine Foundation in New York City, The George Verdak Dance History Archives in Indianapolis, and Mr. Franklin's personal collection. On July 14 of this year, Franklin and Norton appeared at the renowned Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival on the Festival's "Pillow Talk" series to discuss the new book.

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