A long-time observer of George Balanchine describes his experience with and reactions to the great choreographer`s work. Handsomely illustrated with dramatic photographs of past and present members of the New York City Ballet, this fascinating book is both a major contribution to dance criticism and an absorbing chronicle of the education of one man`s taste."A valuable book that provides at once an interpretation of Balanchine`s ballets, a portrait of the intelligentsia that gathered around his enterprise, and the history of one mind`s delight as Garis, over four decades, watched and meditated on the unfolding of this great body of work"--Joan Acocella, dance critic "A unique and original book with two interwoven subjects: the Balanchine oeuvre in its history and development, and a critical account of the development of the author`s own connoisseurship."--John Hollander, Yale University"It serves--and marvelously--as the intellectual autobiography of a critic, and its retrospective of Balanchine`s changing emphases as an artist raises the bar for discussion of his American career."--Mindy Aloff, The New York Times Book Review"Revealing. . . . [A] masterly analysis. . . . For those who want a stimulating, very personal demonstration of why this choreographer mattered so much to tens of thousands, Following Balanchine is unbeatable."--Harris Green, Dance Magazine"A work of great distinction. . . . Truly valuable and precise books about art are rare enough, but much rarer is a satisfying book about the exact character and importance of serious criticism."--Anne Hollander, The New Republic"Passionate and informed, Garis bounces ideas off choreography with alacrity. The outcome is a special-and admittedly specialist-book brimming with enthusiasms, bristling with insight."--Allen Robertson, Time Out"The most valuable aspect of this book is [Garis`s] remarkable recall both of details of now lost ballets and of miraculous performances that he witnessed. . . . His praise for later Balanchine works is rich with captured imagery, and his recall of the unique dancing of Balanchine`s remarkable performers . . . reflects a passionate dedication."--Leland Windreich, Dance International "[This book] contains the greatest information on classical dance in the 20th century, leading into the 21st century. It is a critical work to read to be current in the world of le grand ballet."--Dance Magazine