Without Wings The Way Is Steep
Now Available for Free Digital Download.
Three-Volume Autobiography Reveals Nearly a Century of Dance and the Full Arc of a Dancer’s Life.
Sybil Shearer’s three-volume autobiography, Without Wings The Way Is Steep, is now available as a free digital download. This treasure trove of wisdom and personal insights is a new resource available to dance enthusiasts, scholars, and artists worldwide through a registration portal on the Foundation’s website.
Sybil Shearer, a pioneering force in modern dance, left an indelible mark on the dance world. Shearer’s autobiography offers an intimate glimpse into the mind of a visionary, chronicling her journey, challenges, and triumphs. By digitizing this invaluable resource, the Foundation aims to breathe new life into Shearer’s legacy and inspire a new generation of artists. The idea for the Foundation originated in the early 1980s when noted photographer and filmmaker Helen Balfour Morrison and internationally renowned modern dancer-choreographer Sybil Shearer conceived a plan to have their forty-year artistic collaboration serve as an inspiration to others.
Shearer laid the foundation for her second career as a writer and dance critic with the publication of the first of many articles for Ballet Review in the fall of 1984. “Embedded in these reviews are clues to her philosophy of dance and art,” writes Wendy Perron, the noted dancer, choreographer, and teacher who was the editor-in-chief of Dance Magazine from 2004 to 2013. “I saw her dance at Ravinia in 1970 and never forgot her…I remember an intense, riveting figure shaking and shimmering, with light flecks coming off her. One couldn’t look away.”
In his forward to the second volume, the internationally acclaimed choreographer, John Neumeier, wrote, “Although I knew, worked with, and saw Sybil dance, there was always something special, almost secret, in her character which fascinated, defied definition, and discouraged specific questions. Now for all the world and generations to come, her own words reveal aspects of her life, define her art, and illuminate the enigma that was ‘Sybil.’”
Without Wings The Way Is Steep is more than just a personal account; it’s a roadmap for artists seeking to forge their own paths. Shearer’s words resonate with the struggles and joys that all creatives experience. As readers delve into her world, they will find not only a historical account but also timeless wisdom that speaks to the very essence of artistic expression.
The decision to make these volumes available for free digitally aligns with the Foundation’s mission to nurture and inspire the creative process. By making Shearer’s insights more accessible, new creativity can be sparked, dialogues fostered, and innovation encouraged.
To gain access to the free digital version of Without Wings The Way Is Steep, complete the form found at the registration portal and a link for the digital download will be sent. A limited number of hard copies are available for purchase via the same website portal. Hard cover price: $25 for each. Shipping and handling to the U.S. included.