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Review of ENCORE
By Julie Ferone
The Quest for Liberation in Encore:

At first we think Encore is a simple, linear novel about love during Imperial Russia. Yet already at the outset, we observe its complex and multi-layered level of meaning. We see the beautiful and elegant Natalia Oblonova: the spirit of dance herself. She is truly the heroine of the novel with her co-stars Boris and Pierre, companions with whom she shares the stage.

With detailed description, intense moments such as Natalia biting her lips, clenching her nails into her palms, the ethereal dances and  passionate exchanges of feelings, the  author spins a tale of romance, the search for self-determination  and much more. Unlike Anna Karenina, another Russian heroine, Natalia does not succumb to her own fears or doubts but is resolute until the end. She lives for dance and she is a realist first and foremost understanding that marrying Boris is the only way to achieve status and protection in the intimate circle of the Russian elite.

Boris is like a father figure allowing her to be herself and dedicate all her time to her art. Natalia says “dancing is being able to be a person.” As the novel evolves, Natalia’s quest for freedom is at the heart of the plot. The author deftly “times” the succession of events allocating enough space to each episode, the first pregnancy , Arkady’s death, her reunion with Pierre, Tamara’s birth, and the divorce and final reconciliation with everyone as they all continue dancing in her life. Natalia is not the spectator however; she gains her own space and inner sanctity. Throughout the novel she keeps a balance between her emotions and her rationality. 

Natalia’s passion is also encircled by a great sense of pathos and compassion although she may seem to be a mere opportunist. She is actually protecting herself from the harshness of the world around her that is changing. Natalia is a simple peasant girl and finds herself surrounded by the grandeur of the Russian tsarist world. She then witnessed the collapse of that world she knew and bravely she lives through her son’s death and Boris’ as well. Pierre is her love, the person she runs to in despair of course, but she does not live “for him” rather for herself. The mistake Galina made which lead her to her death was relying on Pierre for everything, and similar to Karenina she is the victim of her own fears, doubts and second guessings.

“Marriage strips a woman of her humanity and turns her into a serf,” observes Natalia. Another issue we see emerging in the novel is the theme of modernism, the contemporary notion of women existing as separate and liberated individuals. Homosexuality is also mentioned briefly as Boris does admit to liking men as well. Within the context of their time, we observe how the “ancien regime” trapped these characters, creating a cycle of insidious dependence. Pierre for example will always have mixed feelings toward his patron Boris. The author is also touching upon the differences in social class as well and in this dance, a long and elegant pirouette, with chasses and jettes, the characters twist and turn as their world does as well. War of course devastates the balance and elegance created bringing out the worse in human nature. Natalia says ”women would never allow this to happen.” Again the novel is modern in its quest for the female voice.

We are introduced briefly, as a sottofondo, to the artistic world and   the novelties in art and culture: Picasso, Chanel, Braque, Stravinsky and others are mentioned in the background, just as Hollywood and America become the last destination for the members of the famed Ballet Russes. From the ashes of the old Russia we see the emergence of new ideas, dance itself changes with new and innovative choreography. The ballet russes continuously adjust to modern times, and in times of financial distress, it is Natalia, just like Boris, who secretly finances the entourage. The Revolution of 1917 also flickers in the background, heralding the end of patronage and the possibility of self-determination. Throughout these upheavals and major changes, Natalia however remains faithful to one thing only: dance.

Encore is at the heart of what it means to be a dancer, the sacrifices we make in the name of art and the pursuit of our muses at any cost. The novel asks us what is fundamentally the nature of love, art, and human relations. Is it a complex thread that holds us all together as we struggle to free ourselves from this web? From a larger perspective, the novel also explores the themes of good and evil, God and his existence and destiny. Natalia is always proclaiming herself as an atheist, a modern voice, while Pierre is the one who feels “God will punish them, “echoing the traditional peasant view of a punitive deity. Between these two opposing viewpoints, we ask ourselves if we are the products of a cruel fate, “life didn’t’ bring its promised gifts; instead it robbed one even of the will to hope, “Natalia says at the end. Are we therefore condemned to an existence characterized by a mere set of circumstances? Or is there another force that guides us, something almost divine? And who is the ultimate puppet-master in this show? Again, the author answers these questions by letting her heroine choose her own destiny.

With Boris we have the demiurge, the patron of the ballet russes, an enigmatic figure whose ghost is still present even after his death through the arrival of his niece Galina. Although Natalia accepted him as her protector and husband, she always lived according to the dictates of her own conscience. Pierre, who has always been impetuous and in love with Natalia since their first romantic encounter, finally accepts, like Boris did, that Natalia will belong to herself only. Their love will remain unchanged but it is not the fuel of their lives.

Three characters that are like cells sharing the same nucleus, they feed off each other, yet as the ocean changes the sand dunes with every wave, so are they changed in the end, finally exorcised from each other. This is especially true for Natalia Oblonova, “She has always been alone and proud.” Tamara, the product of the passionate yet almost doomed love of Natalia and Pierre is the  symbol of a new world, she will be a dancer like her mother but her mother will not live through her to be mother or wife as imposed by the social norms.

By giving her daughter a crumpled rose Boris gave her when she herself danced in the Nutcracker, Natalia finally frees herself from her past, of self-destructive passion and even of her attachment to Pierre. They make love one last time and the curtain falls on them, with Natalia’s wit and resilience winning at the end. Finally, Natalia Oblonova says goodbye to the world she knew at the Marinsky, the passions, desires and tragedies that subsequently followed her throughout her young life. She is about to embark on a journey to America, a new continent and dance there, continuing to choreograph her own ballets, she is going to a place where many more encores await.

Julie Ferrone is a talented young woman who works as the personal assistant of Monique’s long-time mentor, Professor Maristella De Panizza Lorch.  Professor Lorch took Monique to Florence when she was her advisor at Barnard, and recently, was one of the guests, along with Julie, at the 1969 Fortieth Anniversary Dinner at Barnard College, which Monique chaired.  Julie had hoped to attend this event because she is an ardent admirer of Monique’s work.