The Master's Muse

In 1956, hours after performing with the New York City Ballet in Copenhagen, Tanaquil (Tanny) Le Clercq fell gravely ill, waking to find that she could no longer move her legs. Her husband, George Balanchine, quit the ballet for a year to care for her, crafting exercises to help her regain her strength, deepening their partnership and love. In the ensuing years, after Tanny discovers she will never walk again, her marriage is challenged as she endeavors to create a new identity for herself and George returns to the company, choreographing ballets inspired by the ever-younger, more beautiful and talented dancers. Set against the backdrop of the fashionable, creative New York of the 1960s and ’70s, The Master’s Muse tells the remarkable story of two artistic legends whose profound love and complicated relationship forever changed American cultural history.