Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: A Life in Dance (Hardback)

An Australian ballerina and a German dancer and choreographer meet while rehearsing with an American ballet company ahead of a European tour. This chance encounter sets the scene for a lifelong partnership, and the couple literally dance their way around the world. Christina Gallea and Alexander Roy had the opportunity to join several international ballet companies as principal dancers before deciding to follow an independent path, setting off in an overloaded Volkswagen Beetle to tour Europe with their own recital performance. The success of this venture led to the formation of a ballet company, based in London, the Alexander Roy London Ballet Theatre. The company spent 25 years touring throughout the UK, becoming a vital part of the British dance scene, as well as performing in 30 different countries world-wide. Christina recounts the highs, lows and peculiar challenges of performing while touring the globe - how they narrowly escaped revolution in South America, survived being mugged in the Philippines, a fire, and run-ins with the East German police. She also writes vividly of the ballet studios and famous teachers with whom both dancers studied in London and in Paris. Mixing personal anecdote with fascinating insights into an exciting period of dance history, from the post-war years right up to the year 2000, this lively account captures the spirit of this most transient of art forms.