Ballet dancer looks at life on stage in collection of memoir essays

In her new book “Fierce and Delicate,” Renee Nicholson looks back on her 14 years as a ballet dancer, which began as a child and ended abruptly with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Renee pulls no punches in this book—written as a collection of essays—and talks about the internal struggles experienced when it came to certain topics. As she puts it, nearly everything was taken out of the book at one time or another.

Renee and I talk about the direction her life took after her time as a dancer ended. This includes a new teaching role and she reflects on how her time in ballet prepared her, from guiding young dancers to dealing with their parents. We also look at the ways that the dance world has changed, how young dancers are learning from one another, and the way they're planning for the future.

“Fierce and Delicate” isn't Renee's first foray into the writing world and she talks about working in Narrative Medicine, where she helps people in difficult medical situations to share their stories.