This is the story of Rebekah “Betty” Harkness, a woman of eminence wealth and influence, who was not shy about using her vast resources to finance her love for dance, including a love-and-break relationship with Robert Joffrey of the famed Joffrey Ballet.
She backed him, his rise in prominence and then they had a falling out over, well, let’s call it “creative” differences (ego) and she pulled her funding … and lured away many of his dance troupe to her own Harness Ballet company.
This break turned the established dance critics against her, who never missed an opportunity to bash her productions. The company had its moments, folded in 1975 after about a decade and Harkness died in 1982 … the moment fades.
This is a fascinating look at the world of dance, especially ballet, and how the business works.
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