Author: Eva Maze
Published: April 1st, 2017
Publisher: Moonstone Press LLC
Source: Received from Book Publicity Services for promo and possible review
Synopsis:
A
life spanning close to 100 years is noteworthy, if only because of its
longevity. The rich life of a woman committed to a professional vision
ahead of its time, filled with glamour, excitement, and adventure, is
truly remarkable. Narrated in her own words, this is the story of such a
woman, Eva Maze, who, from the time she left Romania as a teenager in
1939, dreamed of being a ballet dancer, and through a series a
circumstances, became instead one of the most successful theatrical
impresarios in Europe – with a career spanning more than 40 years.
Now
in her nineties, Maze looks back at the path and passion that led her
from Bucharest to the United States as an immigrant, and then, as a
married woman, back again to Europe and Asia, where she found her
professional calling.
Set
against key historical events of the 20th century, including the
building of the Berlin Wall, the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympic
Games, as well as the rise and fall of Pan American Airlines, Maze’s
fascinating past is brought to life through a combination of serious
commentary and amusing anecdotes about the risks and rewards of the
business side of theater and dance, some of the personalities who were
part of those worlds from the 1940s to the 1990s, her own motivation for
being an impresario, and her personal life. Her narration is supported
by more than 250 captivating historical and modern images going back to
her birth in 1922.
Representing
artists and companies abroad from a vast array of talent in the
performing arts of the time – including The Alvin Ailey Dance Company,
The Living Theatre, and The Swingle Singers – this unique woman became a
prolific producer of more than 100 different types of theatrical
programs from the world of dance, music, mime, cabaret, and drama.
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My thoughts: This isn't a book that I normally sit down and read, and I'll admit I didn't actually read it cover to cover, word for word. However, I did page through it, stopping at passages that looked interesting, as well as checking out the pictures that show so much history and culture. Eva Maze's life is one that is something you rarely hear about. All of the different times of the world that she experienced. Also she gives such a great example of what a strong woman can accomplish if they go out and do what they want and don't take no for an answer. This is a book I am going to place in the high school library where I work, knowing that my students will get a lot out of it, both just in her life story, as well as the great history resource she provides.
Excerpt:
Chapter 1 – Bucharest
My dreams of becoming a ballerina were
shattered when I was diagnosed with scarlet fever in the Spring of 1929. “I
can’t see, Mamma. Mamma, I’m blind,” I kept repeating over and over again. My
body shook, racked with a very high fever, and I couldn’t stop
crying. “It will be fine,” my mother whispered as she held me in her arms.“ The
doctor is coming.” My mother’s voice was calm as she tried
to soothe me, but nothing she said or did seemed to
help. I was seven years old, exhausted, and terrified. In my panic, I remember a
doctor coming to our house to deliver the verdict.
It was not unusual in those days for a
child my age to come down with scarlet fever, or what was also known as “brain
fever.” Usually contracted at school, it would begin with a sore throat
and rash, and once diagnosed, the entire family was isolated and quarantined.
There were no vaccines or antibiotics then, and the child would often
die.
Following a previous misdiagnosis – that
of an ear infection – I was finally rushed to the hospital
for an operation by a specialist, a 70-year-old ear, nose, and throat surgeon
known as Professor Popovici. He ended up breaking the mastoid bones behind my
ears to drain the buildup of fluids from my brain. In today’s
world, this disease would have successfully been treated with antibiotics, but
this was Bucharest, Romania, in 1929, and many medical advances lay in the future.
The surgery was successful, and with two scars that, to this day, have remained
behind my ears, I am indebted to Dr. Popovici for having saved my eyesight –
and my life. While this was to be the most traumatic experience of my
childhood, it taught me something perhaps more valuable that has carried me
through life: to have courage.
As far back as I can remember, I had
dreamt of becoming a ballerina, and though I eventually made a full recovery,
my hopes of dancing on stage soon faded when my parents, concerned about my health,
refused to allow me to exert myself physically in any way. Ballet classes I had
previously taken and thoroughly enjoyed were now forbidden. I was their only
child, and had almost died, so their overprotection was perhaps understandable,
but I was very disappointed, especially since, prior to my illness, my mother
had actually wanted me to study ballet. She had taken me to a ballet
performance at the Opera House in Bucharest and, much to my delight, arranged
for my first ballet lessons at the age of five. My teacher at the time – an imposing
former Russian dancer named Madame Semeonova – thought I had a talent for
ballet, and even offered me a scholarship. Once I had recovered
completely, she did her best to convince my
parents to have me resume my lessons, but they would have none of it. My mother
had made up her mind that any strenuous
activity, including ballet, would endanger my health.
I did, however, continue to dance
around the house on my own, since moving my body to music came naturally to me.
We all have different ways of expressing ourselves, and responding to
beautiful music physically made me feel romantic and ethereal – as if I were
floating on air. It would be another 13 years until I
returned to my early love of ballet class when, as a young, married
20-year-old, I began training seriously in New York City. By then, I knew it
was too late for me to have a professional career as a ballet dancer, though I
continued to have a deep affection for the world of music and dance – and felt
an almost mystical connection to it. Little did I know this feeling would eventually
lead me to another fascinating career in the performing arts:
that of managing and touring other talented dancers and artists. Though I
myself would not end up dancing on stage in front
of audiences around the world (other than in a few bit parts early in my
professional life), I would do my best to work behind the scenes and instead,
as what is known as an “impresario,” bring the wonderfully artistic world of
dance – and other highly creative theatrical mediums – directly to the myriads
of passionate spectators who support them worldwide.
Praise:
“Lively, educational,
and a fun romp through Europe's professional circles, With Ballet in My
Soul blends the artistry of performance and visual enhancements with an
adventurer's heart to provide a heady mix of travelogue, career journey and
personal odyssey that's hard to put down.” - Midwest Book Review
“A fascinating
life story about a remarkable woman who had a thriving career as an impresario
that lasted for more than forty years, With Ballet in My Soul is an excellent
memoir about one woman’s world travels, and how the places we travel to can
shape our lives. Growing up in Bucharest, Romania, the narrative told in Maze’s
own words spans the course of her life, following her leaving Romania in 1939
and immigrating to the United States, with dreams of becoming a ballet dancer
often on her mind. After getting married in Brooklyn, New York, Maze eventually
returns to Europe, and then travels to Asia, finding her calling not as a
dancer, but as an impresario, who put together many successful theatrical
performances. With intriguing images following along the rich text, the life of
Maze comes alive on the page, as real world events such as the building of the
Berlin Wall, the Munich massacre, and the rise and fall of Pan Am airlines are
discussed through Maze’s viewpoint. The story is told in a variety of styles,
including straight-forward commentary and entertaining anecdotes detailing the
business side of theater and dance, revelations about personalities who were
part of those worlds across the decades, and Maze’s own motivation for being an
impresario, with details of her personal life sprinkled throughout the text,
allowing the reader to get to know the author in an intimate fashion. This is a well-constructed autobiography
about a woman who has accomplished much in her years. With beautiful
photographs throughout the book, accompanying a pleasing design that makes the
memoir feel as if it is almost a scrapbook, the story is engaging,
well-written, and constantly surprising.” – 5 Stars, Red City Review
