With Ballet in My Soul


Book Description

"Autobiography of a Romanian-born American impresario, now in her 90s, whose love for ballet led her to become, for more than four decades, one of the first successful 20th century female theatrical producers of the performing arts in Asia and Europe, especially in Germany"--Provided by publisher.




Turning Pointe


Book Description

A reckoning with one of our most beloved art forms, whose past and present are shaped by gender, racial, and class inequities—and a look inside the fight for its future Every day, in dance studios all across America, legions of little children line up at the barre to take ballet class. This time in the studio shapes their lives, instilling lessons about gender, power, bodies, and their place in the world both in and outside of dance. In Turning Pointe, journalist Chloe Angyal captures the intense love for ballet that so many dancers feel, while also grappling with its devastating shortcomings: the power imbalance of an art form performed mostly by women, but dominated by men; the impossible standards of beauty and thinness; and the racism that keeps so many people of color out of ballet. As the rigid traditions of ballet grow increasingly out of step with the modern world, a new generation of dancers is confronting these issues head on, in the studio and on stage. For ballet to survive the twenty-first century and forge a path into a more socially just future, this reckoning is essential.




Being a Ballerina


Book Description

Finalist, the Arts Club of Washington Marfield Prize A look inside a dancer’s world Inspiring, revealing, and deeply relatable, Being a Ballerina is a firsthand look at the realities of life as a professional ballet dancer. Through episodes from her own career, Gavin Larsen describes the forces that drive a person to study dance; the daily balance that dancers navigate between hardship and joy; and the dancer’s continual quest to discover who they are as a person and as an artist. Starting with her arrival as a young beginner at a class too advanced for her, Larsen tells how the embarrassing mistake ended up helping her learn quickly and advance rapidly. In other stories of her early teachers, training, and auditions, she explains how she gradually came to understand and achieve what she and her body were capable of. Larsen then re-creates scenes from her experiences in dance companies, from unglamorous roles to exhilarating performances. Working as a ballerina was shocking and scary at first, she says, recalling unexpected injuries, leaps of faith, and her constant struggle to operate at the level she wanted—but full of enormously rewarding moments. Larsen also reflects candidly on her difficult decision to retire at age 35. An ideal read for aspiring dancers, Larsen’s memoir will also delight experienced dance professionals and fascinate anyone who wonders what it takes to live a life dedicated to the perfection of the art form.




Ballet with Heart


Book Description

Join Louis and Ella on a new adventure as they start Ballet classes. Together they meet new friends and challenge themselves to fulfil their dreams to dance with heart. Ella is shy but willing to try, Louis is brave and never afraid, both children are eager to start ballet for the very first time. A heart-warming story of friendship and perseverance. Ballet with Heart celebrates inclusion, highlighting boys in ballet and classical dance for children of all abilities.




Dance with Your Heart


Book Description

Ballet, dance, adventure, mystery, magic, fantasy and a touch of first-love romance combine in this spellbinding series for preteens, tweens and teens. If you think this is your regular ballet or urban fantasy book, think again! 13-year-old Gemma James is just your average girl with anything-but-average dreams of being a professional ballet dancer. She attends the prestigious SA Ballet Academy - an eerie old ballet school bursting with secrets...and where nothing is quite what it seems. Now the Grade 7s at the academy are putting on a performance of the enchanting ballet Giselle, and Gemma is determined to get a lead role. But the discovery of a 100-year-old mystery in the depths of the old academy building one moonlit night, stiff competition from the other teen dancers, and the constant harassment of Super Snob and star performer, Aimee Atherton, all threaten to derail Gemma's chances. Plus cute new boy Ethan Blake has just transferred to the academy from a top London ballet school, and he's complicating things even further. Will Gemma get her chance to dance? Readers will fall in love with sassy Gemma and her alluring sense of adventure, as well as best friends Marley Moon and Dineo as they get to grips with life in this unusual ballet school with its enchanting setting and larger-than-life characters. Dance with your Heart is the first book in the delightful SA Ballet Academy series of fantasy dance and ballet books for girls. "As a hardened ballet teacher of many years of back-breaking work in my beloved profession, I fell in love with the characters in DANCE WITH YOUR HEART. An extremely enjoyable read, it is also fun and catches with great wit, the foibles of both fellow pupils and teachers. This is a great book for parents and all ages of dancers to read - for those of us for whom the magic of dance will always continue." Amy Gould, Editor: Imaginemag "I read the first book, DANCE WITH YOUR HEART. My daughter Megan and myself couldn't wait to read the book, we both enjoyed it so much. It kept us captivated. Thank you Bronwyn for a wonderful book. Looking forward to the next one!" Sanet, reader "I absolutely adored DANCE WITH YOUR HEART. I really enjoyed the story and all the characters! I even felt different in my first dance class after reading it! I can't wait for the next one!" Taylor, 13, reader "When I read DANCE WITH YOUR HEART I felt as though I'd been granted access to a world filled with magic and dance, where anything was possible. I LOVED this novel. Gemma had me wishing I was a ballerina and attending a ballet academy from page one; she showed me the excitement and struggles dancers face from beautiful costumes, long lasting friendships and even bleeding toes! With characters that dived out of the novel and pirouetted across my room, it was easy to imagine them as my best friends, rather than characters in a book. They were easy to love and oh-so real. All I wanted to do was step out of my room and visit Gemma on stage or, have a conversation with Ethan or burn Aimee to the ground because I hated her. I loved the journey the group took together and can't wait to see what else they discover at SABA!" Storm, 15, reader "My 14-year-old daughter loved this book and says it has a real story - it is not just a little girl's book about tutus and tiaras. There's a ghost called Emily and a cute boy too..." Sasha Wyatt-Minter, editor: All4Women




Butoh


Book Description

In Butoh Ethan Hoffman creates virtually a new genre of photographic theater and gives us an invaluable contribution to the literature of contemporary dance and theater. 100 full-color photographs.




No Ballet Shoes in Syria


Book Description

Winner of the Books Are My Bag Readers Award Aya is eleven years old and has just arrived in Britain with her mum and baby brother, seeking asylum from war in Syria. When Aya stumbles across a local ballet class, the formidable dance teacher spots her exceptional talent and believes that Aya has the potential to earn a prestigious ballet scholarship. But at the same time, Aya and her family must fight to be allowed to remain in the country, to make a home for themselves and to find Aya's father - separated from the rest of the family during the journey from Syria. With beautiful, captivating writing, wonderfully authentic ballet detail, and an important message championing the rights of refugees, this is classic storytelling - filled with warmth, hope and humanity. "Wise and kind and unputdownable." - Hilary McKay, Costa Book Prize-winning author of The Skylarks' War "A perfect balance of tragedy and triumph." - Natasha Farrant, author of The Children of Castle Rock "A moving story about one of the big issues of our time, told with wonderful clarity, and incredibly touching." - Axel Scheffler, illustrator of The Gruffalo "A moving, textured story ... Ballet Shoes for the 21st century" - The Times




Dancing Is the Best Medicine


Book Description

“Lively and enlightening.”—Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post “[A] zippy guide to better health.”—Publisher’s Weekly STARRED Review Discover why humans were designed for dancing—and learn how to boogie for better health—with two neuroscientists as your guide. Dancing is one of the best things we can do for our health. In this groundbreaking and fun-to-read book, two neuroscientists (who are also competitive dancers) draw on their cutting-edge research to reveal why humans are hardwired for dance show how to achieve optimal health through dancing Taking readers on an in-depth exploration of movement and music, from early humans up until today, the authors show the proven benefits of dance for our heart, lungs, bones, nervous system, and brain. Readers will come away with a wide range of dances to try and a scientific understanding of how dance benefits almost every aspect of our lives. Dance prevents and manages illness and pain: such as Diabetes, arthritis, back pain, and Parkinson’s. Dance can be as effective as high intensity interval training: but without the strain on your joints and heart. Dance boosts immunity and lowers stress: it also helps reduce inflammation. Dance positively impacts the microbiome: and aids in digestion, weight loss, and digestive issues such as IBS. Dance bolsters the mind-body connection: helping us get in tune with our bodies for better overall health. We’re lucky that one of the best things we can do for our health is also one of the most fun. And the best part: dance is something anyone can do. Old or young, injured or experiencing chronic pain, dance is for everyone, everywhere. So, let’s dance! Types of dance featured in the book: Partner dance (salsa, swing dancing, waltz) Ballet Hip hop Modern Jazz Line dancing Tap dancing And more!




Black Ballerinas


Book Description

From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland comes an illustrated nonfiction collection celebrating dancers of color who have influenced her on and off the stage. As a young girl living in a motel with her mother and her five siblings, Misty Copeland didn’t have a lot of exposure to ballet or prominent dancers. She was sixteen when she saw a black ballerina on a magazine cover for the first time. The experience emboldened Misty and told her that she wasn’t alone—and her dream wasn’t impossible. In the years since, Misty has only learned more about the trailblazing women who made her own success possible by pushing back against repression and racism with their talent and tenacity. Misty brings these women’s stories to a new generation of readers and gives them the recognition they deserve. With an introduction from Misty about the legacy these women have had on dance and on her career itself, this book delves into the lives and careers of women of color who fundamentally changed the landscape of American ballet from the early 20th century to today.




Girl Through Glass


Book Description

Long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize An Amazon Best Book of the Month A Buzzfeed Most Exciting Book of the Year A The Millions Most Anticipated Book of the Year & Bestseller Selected as a Skimm Read A Refinery 29 Best Book of the Year Chosen as a Rumpus Book Club Selection Chosen as a Bustle Best Literary Debut Novel Written By Women in the Last 5 Years An enthralling literary debut that tells the story of a young girl’s coming of age in the cutthroat world of New York City ballet—a story of obsession and the quest for perfection, trust and betrayal, beauty and lost innocence. In the roiling summer of 1977, eleven-year-old Mira is an aspiring ballerina in the romantic, highly competitive world of New York City ballet. Enduring the mess of her parent’s divorce, she finds escape in dance—the rigorous hours of practice, the exquisite beauty, the precision of movement, the obsessive perfectionism. Ballet offers her control, power, and the promise of glory. It also introduces her to forty-seven-year-old Maurice DuPont, a reclusive, charismatic balletomane who becomes her mentor. Over the course of three years, Mira is accepted into the prestigious School of American Ballet run by the legendary George Balanchine, and eventually becomes one of “Mr. B’s girls”—a dancer of rare talent chosen for greatness. As she ascends higher in the ballet world, her relationship with Maurice intensifies, touching dark places within herself and sparking unexpected desires that will upend both their lives. In the present day, Kate, a professor of dance at a Midwestern college, embarks on a risky affair with a student that threatens to obliterate her career and capsizes the new life she has painstakingly created for her reinvented self. When she receives a letter from a man she’s long thought dead, Kate is hurled back into the dramas of a past she thought she had left behind. Told in interweaving narratives that move between past and present, Girl Through Glass illuminates the costs of ambition, secrets, and the desire for beauty, and reveals how the sacrifices we make for an ideal can destroy—or save—us.