WINSTON-SALEM – North Carolina School of the Arts alumna Janie Parker, the former prima ballerina of Houston Ballet, has written a book. 

“Generous Hearts and Gentle Spirits/Reflections of a ballerina and her mother” was written over the past five years by Parker and her mother, Dee Parker-Davies. The 320-page book, which contains more than 200 pictures, was recently published by The Pointe Press of Delavan, Wisc.

Janie Parker danced professionally for 23 years – three with the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève in Switzerland and 20 with Houston Ballet. She retired from Houston Ballet after the 1996 season.

Parker performed leading roles in many classics, including “Swan Lake,” “Coppélia,” “The Nutcracker,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Giselle” and “Les Sylphides,” as well as nearly 100 other works by contemporary choreographers such as Ashton, Balanchine, Robbins, Tetley and Tudor. She appeared in many cities in the United States as well as in Canada, Chile, Mexico, Cuba, China, Japan, Indonesia, Russia and Western Europe. She won a gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in 1982.

According to the publisher, the book begins with the story of Parker’s training, which includes her four years of study at NCSA (1968-72, when she received her high school diploma), and continues throughout her professional career. Her mother, Dee, adds her commentary about her daughter’s experiences and also offers “information for beginning dancers, their parents, and balletomanes.”

Parker currently lives in Houston, Texas.

For more information, contact Marla Carpenter at 336-770-3337 in the public relations office at NCSA.