An intimate look (although admittedly a bit biased, as the writer was an admirer of Leonide Massine)at a man who was a premier male dancer and chief choreographer of European ballet from 1914 through 1939. Historian Vicente Garcia-Marquez helps to ensure that Massine is recognized for his role in 20th century ballet history, as a dancer who collaborated with other prominent figures such as Diaghilev, Straveinsky, Falla, Cocteau, Pcasso, Matisse, Miro and Dali...among others. High points of the book include vintage photos and passages such as these, where Massine, while dancing, gives insight into the creative process of ballet: "I felt instinctively that something more than perfect technique was needed here, but it was not until I had worked myself up into a frenzy that I was able to transcent my usual limitations. I felt an almost electrical interaction between myself and the spectators....until I was dancing with a sustained force that seemed far beyond my reach at other times."