Balancing Acts

There are few jobs more rarefied or as physically and mentally demanding as prima ballerina. And yet, despite very real professional risks, three dancers from the world-class San Francisco Ballet all decided to have children at the pinnacle of their careers. In Balancing Acts, photographer Lucy Gray takes readers on an unforgettable fourteen-year journey with these ballerinas, capturing their remarkable grit and determination.
In dramatic black-and white photography, Gray documents their struggles to balance the demands of family and work from their tireless preparation in rehearsals and dazzling mastery of craft displayed on stage, to their time spent relaxing at home with family and even while giving birth. In extensive interviews the dancers and their husbands discuss their stories with great candor, providing remarkable insight into the life of a ballerina and the everyday challenges and joys of mothers everywhere.

Lucy Gray is an award-winning photographer whose work has been featured in numerous publications, including the New York Times, the Independent, Mother Jones, Dance Magazine, and Salon.com, as well as in exhibitions and projects across the United States

Hilton Als is a staff writer for "The New Yorker". "The Women" (FSG, 1997) was his first book. He lives in New York City.