Melanie Hamrick. Andres de Lara
Melanie Hamrick could have retired from the world {of professional} ballet, however the former ballerina is placing her abilities to good use in her new guide and her collaborations with companion Mick Jagger.
“I’ve all the time beloved studying and writing and the few college programs I might match into my schedule whereas I used to be dancing have been targeted on writing,” Hamrick, 37, advised Us Weekly completely whereas selling The Unraveling, the follow-up to her debut novel, First Place. “It felt like a pure step, and with a bit of encouragement from my household, I used to be in a position to pursue it.”
Hamrick retired from dance in 2019 after 15 years with the American Ballet Theatre, and he or she has used her expertise as a ballerina — each in entrance of audiences and backstage — to write down her two fiction books, that are each set on the planet {of professional} ballet. Hamrick additionally makes use of her dance background to choreograph, together with beforehand engaged on a Rolling Stones-themed rock ballet with Jagger, 81.
“It was good to have his experience,” Hamrick advised Us of working together with her companion of 10 years, with whom she shares son Deveraux, 7. “It was cool to share [because] there’s alternative ways to rely music from his facet [as a musician] and my facet as a dancer.”
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Whereas she loved working with Jagger on the distinctive present — which premiered in the USA in 2019 — Hamrick advises towards working professionally with romantic companions long-term.
“I don’t essentially assume companions ought to work collectively as a result of I believe it’d be boring to only go residence and discuss what you labored on all day,” she quipped. “It was enjoyable for a pair weeks, however I discover it extra attention-grabbing once we come to the desk like, ‘Oh, what was your day like?’ as a substitute of already understanding.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and choreographing main ballet productions was now not an possibility, Hamrick took her abilities to the written phrase as a substitute with Jagger’s unwavering help.
“My entire household’s been supportive. Mick’s been tremendous supportive,” she advised Us of her profession transition. “It’s all the time scary to vary careers and hope it really works. And I’ve simply been actually blessed.”
Her most up-to-date launch, The Unraveling, explores London’s skilled ballet world and the scandal, lust and luxurious that may include being knowledgeable ballerina. By means of the character of Jocelyn Banks, Hamrick engulfs the reader into the horny, intense and typically traumatic universe during which she spent nearly all of her profession.
“I’m very totally different from Jocelyn,” she stated. “I believe that’s why I actually loved writing her as a result of she was so totally different. However we share similarities like experiencing the ballet world and the [types of] characters you run into and the folks you meet.”
Readers of The Unraveling might also be shocked to be taught in regards to the donor system — a course of during which ballerinas are matched with a sponsor or donor to basically fund their careers — in addition to the cutthroat setting in ballet and the physique picture points many dancers face. Whereas fictionalized and dramatized, Hamrick based mostly these components on actual experiences she has had all through her profession.
“That’s why I wished to write down The Unraveling to let folks know some issues in regards to the ballet world,” she advised Us. “Like with any job and profession, you might have good issues and dangerous issues.”
Along with the donor system — which matches terribly fallacious within the fictional world of the novel, however Hamrick notes is usually “protected” in actual life — she shared that readers could also be shocked to be taught that dancers undergo about 10 personalized sneakers per week (“Persons are like, ‘ladies love sneakers,’ and I’m like, ‘No, ballet dancers love sneakers.’”) and ballerinas additionally know find out how to have enjoyable regardless of their seemingly uptight demeanor.
“Numerous these dancers, they don’t go to regular excessive faculties. They don’t go to promenade they usually don’t have the faculty expertise,” she defined. “So quite a lot of dancers mature later and undergo their late teenagers of their twenties… So once you do get that style of freedom touring the world, you would possibly go a bit wild.”
The Unraveling is on sale now.
