Renee D’Aoust’s book chronicles the life of a ballerina in New York City
Renee D’Aoust’s memoir, “Body of a Dancer” that is a collection of essays that tells the story of her life as a dancer in New York City at the Martha Graham Center for Contemporary dance. At age 25, she came there with a lot to prove.
“Remember why you came to this city and do it,” she said. “The dancer’s dreams are unattainable; you keep dancing because you must.”
While everyone settled into their seats with coffee, chocolates, cookies, and raffle tickets, instructor Jonathan Frey introduced Renee D’Aoust and gave her flowers from the English department in honor of Valentines Day. She dedicated her reading to Jonathan Frey and Bob Bennett.
She labeled her book as “narrative non-fiction, creative non-fiction, and a memoir.” The book goes into her life as a dancer, how she felt physically and emotionally, as well as her successes and failures measured in the pain that she felt as she began her life as a dancer at this elite school.
“The body of a dancer is tired,” she said. “I had friends who were talented, and every bit talented, but didn’t see their names in lights.” She continued to read through her book, telling stories of friends. “I can you my friends physical problems more than their family history,” she said. She also emphasized the amount of pain she felt. “Pain is boring. Pain is so much apart of the story. Pain is one of the issues,” D’Aoust said. But despite the pain, she said she loves to dance. “I felt at home in my dancers body and there was no place else I would be.”
D’Aoust said her book “pissed off people in the dance world.” This has allowed her to “speak up in a world where you aren’t allowed to speak.” Since her books publication, she’s recived letters thanking her for sharing her story.
“You need to take a risk for what you want to share.” she said.
After her reading, the room was opened to questions and answers, during which period she told people she decided to write her story in short epilogues because her experiences with the art where episodic.
Members of the audienc where given the opertunity to win copies of her book in a raffle.
While many students attended simply to hear her writing, some were there to learn from her.
“I came to get extra credit, and to learn better structure in writing,” said Nicole Jennings, 27 Paralegal, Rathdrum, Idaho. Her book is available at the Mica Peak book exchange, as well as on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through Etruscan Press.
