George Balanchine’s spanned the twentieth century. He was a choreographer who trained in Tsarist St Petersburg and reached the peak of his career in New York during the Cold War. This is more than a biography of one man’s life, and more than a book about ballet… it’s about a changing century and a revolutionary approach to art.

Listen below to our podcast on Mr B. Jennifer Homans – ballet critic for The New Yorker – spoke to Magnus about her intense, ambitious and superbly readable book.