Toni Bentley was born in Perth, Australia, and after moving to Bristol, England, took her first ballet lesson at the age of four. At the age of 18 she became a member of George Balanchine's New York City Ballet, where she performed for ten years. Since retiring from dancing, she has written Holding On to the Air with Suzanne Farrell (Farrell's autobiography), Costumes by Karinska, and Sisters of Salome, as well as articles for periodicals ranging from the New York Times, New York Newsday, and the Los Angeles Times, to Rolling Stone, Smithsonian, Mirabella, and Ballet Review.