Something Spectacular: The True Story of One Rockette's Battle with Bulimia - Pa

by Greta Gleissner (Author)

Greta Gleissner, a longtime professional dancer, dreamed her whole life of becoming a Rockette. Then she became one--and she fell into the grips of a powerful eating disorder that began poison her life from the inside out.

Something Spectacular is Gleissner's raw, personal chronicle of the devastating effects bulimia exacts upon her life during her time as a Rockette. As her disorder takes over, she begins to lead a dual life: happy-go-lucky on the outside; tortured by obsessive, self-destructive voices on the inside. Immersed in an environment in which even talent is secondary to appearance, Gleissner hides her disorder by any means necessary--lying, cheating, and stealing with no regard for the consequences of her actions--until she hits rock bottom and is forced to face the truths behind her disease. Her intensive odyssey of self-discovery ultimately gives her the strength to reshape her self-image, embrace her sexuality, and break free of the malignant hold bulimia has on her life.

The first book to give voice to the pervasive but often unaddressed problem of eating disorders in the dance industry, Something Spectacular is a gripping expose of the insidious nature of eating-related diseases--and a profound account of one woman's journey toward self-acceptance and recovery.

Author Biography

In recovery from bulimia for the last ten years, Greta Gleissner uses her experience as a platform to help others. Gleissner has been a contributor for The Disordered Times and The F-Word, and also publishes a personal blog about eating disorder recovery, Life with Cake, which is a Gürze Books Eating Disorders Blog. Gleissner has a master's in social work from New York University, dedicates her life to the eating disorder field, and is a member of NEDA, NASW, and IAEDP. She is the Day Treatment Team leader at The Renfrew Center of Old Greenwich, Connecticut, and has a practice in New York City.