It happens all over the world. The lights dim, the conductor raises his baton, the curtain rises, and soon, through the magic of theater, the audience is transported to another place and time. Every human sense is awakened to the magnificence of the sets and costumes, the spellbinding notes of the music, and the ethereal movements of dance. This experience is for everyone, not just for the artists who create it. And so it is with the story that is told in this book. . . . Many books have been written about the history of dance. Nonetheless, readers will appreciate the broad historical significance of this book, despite its focus on a local ballet company. It will be surprising to discover how one ballet company that flourished in the often forgotten, westernmost tip of Texas could be so intertwined with major world events and with the advancement of the art of ballet across the world. The story begins in Nazi Germany, where a young girl spent her formative years training and performing with the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. Her love of her art and the excitement of her life on stage are set against the horrors of war. Compelling. When this German artist, Ingeborg Heuser, came to the U.S. as a "war bride" and later settled in El Paso, Texas, she was well prepared to fulfill her destiny as a highly acclaimed director, choreographer, and instructor of ballet. The first decade of her ballet company is chronicled in a straightforward, informal style, and readers will see many photos of the major characters and hear their own voices in the anecdotes and commentary they provided. Personal. For half a century, this ballet company thrilled audiences with ballet and opera productions that rivaled those of larger cities. Renowned guest artists from world-famous companies (The Ballets Russes, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, to name a few) not only performed with the local company, but were also instrumental in its formation and later success. Extraordinary. An illustrated epilogue takes the reader to 2006, when the final production of the Nutcracker Ballet was presented at El Paso's historic Plaza Theater. Seven appendices detail over 100 company premieres, 40 years of Nutcracker performances, years of opera productions, and other topics of interest. If you are a dancer, it's possible you may know someone in the book. Former members of Heuser's company are spread far and wide throughout the world. If you are not a dancer, it's very likely that you will be entertained, educated, and perhaps inspired Softback, 200 pages (8.5 x 11), 250] images]"