Power to Rise is the first fully documented account of the artistic and organizational history of this remarkable Canadian cultural institution. Based on archival sources, many hitherto unavailable, of the National Ballet of Canada and the National Archives of Canada, the book includes first-hand accounts of more than fifty of the personalities closely associated with the company throughout its life.

In Power to Rise, we learn of the inhospitable environment in which the National Ballet struggled to establish itself, of its close calls with bankruptcy, and of its evolution into a full-fledged professional company.

We witness the events that led to Franca's arrival from England, the uncompromising and often controversial idealism of her artistic leadership, the company's dramatic and sometimes perilous growth to a level that prompted the greatest dancers of the age - among them Rudolf Nureyev and Erik Bruhn - to come to work with company's own stars, including Karen Kain and Veronica Tennant.

The text is illustrated with over 140 photographs, drawn from the company's enormous archives as well as from private sources, that re-create the characters, settings, moods, and artistry of the company.