In this enthralling memoir Georgina Pazcoguin - the first Asian American woman to be promoted to lead soloist with the New York City Ballet - blows the lid off the ballet industry to reveal the petty dramas, wild nights, beauty, ugliness, and occasional mayhem behind the wings, as well as the emotional highs and lows that come with devoting one's life – and body - to such physically demanding art.
At a time at which the company of which she's a member has been rocked by scandal - including the loss of famed ballet director Peter Martens, ousted after a blistering, anonymous letter detailed his abuse to the New York Times – Swan Dive dusts off old stereotypes, challenging the racism and exploitation that pervades dance companies the world over. It also addresses the tired narrative of ballerinas as uptight, untouchable perfectionists (with occasional eating disorders), to more accurately portray the wild sisterhood of artists, friends, and sometimes frenemies, who play just as hard as they work.