NON-FICTION – Picture
Books
(* = Available at the Boston Public Library)
* Ancona, George. Dancing Is. New York: E.P.
Dutton Publishing Co., 1991. This book explores dance in
many different cultures and the relationship of dance to other
kinds of movement.
* Barbosa, Steven. I Feel Like Dancing.
Photography by Carolyn George d'Amboise. New York: Crown
Publishers, 1992. Every year, with the help of the
National Dance Institute, 700 New York City Public School students
perform a full-length dance production. This book follows the
process from the auditions in the fall to the performance in the
spring.
* Brighton, Catherine. Nijinsky: Scenes from the
Childhood of a Great Dancer. New York: Doubleday,
1989. This book tells the story of the famous ballet
dancer's impoverished childhood in Imperial Russia, his invitation
to join the Imperial Ballet school, and his debut performance in
front of the Czar.
* Cosi, Lilliana. The Young Ballet Dancer. New
York: Stein and Day, 1997. This book contains photographs
and explanations of the five ballet positions, turns, and
jumps.
* Davis, Jesse. Classics of The Royal Ballet.
New York: Coward, McCann, and Geoghegan, Inc.,
1978. A photo essay of The Royal Ballet performing
some of the most famous ballets in its repertory: The Nutcracker,
Swan Lake, La Fille mal gardée, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet,
and Sleeping Beauty. The photographs are accompanied by the plot of
each tale, as well as historical facts about the ballets and
information on the dancers.
* Duvall, Jill D. Meet Rory Hohenstein: A
Professional Dancer. Photographs by Lili Duvall. New York:
Children's Press, 1997. This book explores the life of a
teenage boy, Rory, who is training to become a professional
dancer.
* Hlibok, Bruce. Silent Dancer. Photographs by
Liz Glasgow. New York: Jullian Messler Publisher, 1981.
This is the story of Nancy, a deaf fourth grade student, and her
ballet classes at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York.
Glover, Savion & Bruce Weber. Savion! My
Life in Tap. Morrow, William & Co.,
2000. This photoessay examines the life of Savion
Glover, a young tap dancer who speaks with his feet and
choreographed the Tony award-winning Broadway show "Bring in
da Noise, Bring in da Funk".
* Gregory, Cynthia. Cynthia Gregory Dances Swan
Lake. Photographs by Martha Swope. New York: Simon and Shuster
Books for Young Readers, 1990. Famous ballet dancer
Cynthia Gregory takes the reader through rehearsals and a
performance of Swan Lake.
* Grau, Andree. Dance. Photographs by Sussanah
Price. Eyewitness Books, 1998. This book explores dance
around the world.
* Isadora, Rachel. Isadora Dances. New York:
Penguin Putnam Inc., 1998. This book tells the story of
Agela Dora (Isadora) Duncan, a breakthrough artist in modern dance.
The story is told with quotes from Isadora Duncan's autobiography,
My Life, and lush illustrations. The book outlines Isadora
Duncan's life and introduces its reader to modern dance.
* Jessel, Camilla. Life at The Royal Ballet
School. New York: Methuen, 1955. This book outlines
what it is like to be a student at one of the world's most famous
pre-professional ballet schools.
* Jones, Bill T. Dance. Photographs by Susan
Kuklin. [Publication info??] 1998. Well-known
African-American dancer Bill T. Jones shares his fun and funky
movement style through photographs and text.
* Krementz, Jill. A Very Young Dancer. New
York: Alfred Knopf, 1977. In this book we meet
ten-year-old Stephanie, a student at the School of American Ballet
in New York. She speaks frankly about her rehearsals, auditions,
and her experience performing in The Nutcracker.
* Kuklin, Susan. Going to My Ballet Class. New
York: Bradbury Press, 1989. This photo journalistic book
follows seven-year-old Jami through her ballet class.
* Martin, John Harding. A Day in the Life of a
Ballet Dancer. [City?] Troll, 1985. Heather, a
professional dancer with the New York City Ballet, leads the reader
through a day in her life including ballet class, rehearsals,
fittings, warm up, and performance.
* Pinkey, Andrea Davis. Alvin Ailey.
Illustrated by Brian Pickney. New York: Hyperion Books for
Children, 1995. This biography of Alvin Ailey focuses
on his childhood years in rural Texas. It includes his dance
training in Los Angeles and his move to New York City, where he
founded the Alvin Ailey Dance Company.
* Schomp, Virginia. If You Were a Ballet
Dancer. Photographs by Marshall Cavendish. Publication info?
1997. This book provides an introduction to a career in
ballet. It outlines a professional dancer's day, and briefly
discusses several different ballet styles, costumes, and ballet
terminology.
* Simon, Charnon. Evelyn Cisneros: Prima
Ballerina. Chicago: Children's Press, 1990. This book
tells the story of the childhood and training of Evelyn Cisneros, a
prominent Hispanic ballerina.
* Sorine, Stephanie Riva. At Every Turn It's
Ballet. Photographs by Daniel S. Sorine. New York: Random
House, 1979. This book talks about the relationship
between ballet movement and movements used in everyday life.
* Sorine, Stephanie Riva. Our Ballet Class.
Photographs by Daniel S. Sorine. New York: Random House Inc.,
1981. Cordelia guides the reader through her ballet
class. The book describes ballet exercises and rehearsal.
Spatt, Leslie E. Behind the Scenes at the Ballet:
Rehearsing and Performing Sleeping Beauty. [Publication
info??], 1997. This photoessay detailing the
behind-the-scenes production of a ballet includes sections on
rehearsals, costumes, lighting, the orchestra, and scenery.
* Thomas, Annabelle. Ballet and Dance. London:
Usborne Publishing, 1992. A guide to the history,
style, and basics of different forms of dance including jazz,
modern, ballet, and tap. This book also introduces students to the
various people involved in creating and staging a dance
performance.
* Tobias, Tobi. Maria Tallchief, New York:
Thomas Y. Cromwell Company, 1970. A photo biography
of famous Native-American ballerina Maria Tallchief.
Varriale, Jim and Eliot Feld. Kids Dance: The
Students of Ballet Tech. [publication info?]
1999. A photojournalistic book about America's only
"public" ballet school. Each year 30,000 students from public
schools all over New York City audition for admission to Ballet
Tech. One thousand receive free ballet training. This book includes
quotes and insight on dancing from Ballet Tech students.
*Zeck, Gerry. I Love to Dance: a True Story About
Tony Jones. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, Inc.,
1982. Tony Jones is a ten-year-old dancer at the
Minnesota Dance Theater in Minneapolis. Tony talks about his
classes, auditions, performances, his aspirations, and how he
handles teasing.
NON-FICTION – Chapter Books
(* = Available at the Boston Public Library)
* Butler, Joan. Ballet for Boys and Girls.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Inc. 1979. This
book discusses ballet techniques, dancers, ballet companies,
costumes, and the stories of famous ballets.
* Bussell, Darcy. The Young Dancer. New York:
Dorling Kindersley Publishers Inc., 1994. This book
contains information on elements of ballet such as stretching,
strengthening, barre work, make up, and ballet shoes.
Edom, Helen and Nicola Katrak. Starting Ballet.
London: Usborne, 1992. This book teaches students
beginning positions of the arms and legs as well as stretching,
pointing, and jumping techniques.
* Haskins, James. Black Dance in America, a History
Through Its People. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Junior Books,
1990. A detailed book about African-American dance
culture, including some of the greatest dancers and dance
companies. Covers dance forms from the ritual slave dances to break
dancing.
* Kuklin, Susan. Reaching for Dreams: a Ballet from
Rehearsal to Opening Night. [city, publication info,
date?] A private look at two weeks in the life of a
dancer in Alvin Ailey's Company as he/she? prepares for a modern
dance performance.
* Maze/O'Neil, Grace. I Want to Be a Dancer.
New York: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1997. This book
contains facts and descriptions on a wide variety of dance forms
including modern, jazz, tap, ballet, ballroom, and folk.
* Medova, Marie-Laure. Ballet for Beginners.
[publication info?] 1995. This reference book
includes sections on the history of ballet, the life of a
professional dancer, and a glossary.
* Tatchell, Judy. The World of Ballet. London:
Usborne Publishing, date?. This book contains tips on
watching ballets, performing on stage, and taking ballet
classes.
* Werner, Vivian. Ballet: How it All Began. New
York: Athenaeum, 1982. This book follows the history
of ballet from its beginnings in 15th-century France and Italy to
the present day.
FICTION - Picture Books
(* = Available at the Boston Public Library)
* Auch, Mary Jane. Hen Lake. New York: Holiday
House, Inc., 1995. When a conceited peacock named
Percival arrives at the farm, everyone quickly tires of his
bragging. Poulette decides to put Percival in his place by
challenging him to a dancing contest.
Auch, Mary Jane. Peeping Beauty. New
York: Holiday House, Inc., 1993. Poulette the hen
discovers that she loves to dance. Through hard work and
perseverance she strives to become a ballerina.
* Berger, Gilda. Magic Slippers: Stories from the
Ballet. New York: Doubleday, 1990. This book
contains retellings of the stories from famous ballets such as La
Sylphide, Giselle, and Petrocka [Petrouchka?].
Bottner, Barbara. Dumb Old Casey is a Fat Tree.
San Francisco: Harper and Row Publishers, 1979. Casey
dreams of starring in her ballet class recital. Instead she ends up
with a minor part as a tree. In the end, Casey learns that there is
a reward for hard work.
* Cleaver, Elizabeth. Petrouchka. New York:
Athenaeum, 1980. This retelling of the ballet
Petrouchka includes notes on how the ballet was created
and information about the story's history and characters.
* Diamond, Donna. Swan Lake. New York: Holiday
House, 1980. This book retells the story of the
ballet Swan Lake. The introduction includes a brief
history of the story.
* Edwards, Pamela Duncan. Honk! Illustrated by
Henry Cole. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1998.
Mimi the swan loves to dance and to attend ballet performances.
When she sees Swan Lake, Mimi decides her turn to dance
onstage has come.
Elliot, Donald. Frogs and the Ballet.
Illustrated by Clinton Arrowwood. Ipswich, MA: Gambit,
1979. A humorous book outlining the basic ballet positions
with pencil-drawn frogs.
* Eversole, Roby Harbert. The Magic House.
Paintings by Peter Palagonia. New York: Orchard Books,
1992. This story about two sisters highlights the
importance of imagination in dance.
* Fonteyn, Margot, Coppelia. Illustrated by Leo
Coppelia. Delibes, 1998. This book contains a
retelling of the famous ballet about a doll maker and his attempt
to bring his creations to life.
* Fonteyn, Margot. Swan Lake. Illustrated by Trina
Schart Hyman. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, Jovanouch,
1989. A retelling of the famous ballet about a
wicked sorcerer, an enchanted swan, a prince, and the power of true
love.
* Gauch, Patricia Lee. Bravo, Tanya.
Illustrated by Stomi Khikawa. New York: Philomel Books,
1992. Tanya must discover a way to learn in ballet class
while dancing to her own beat.
* Gauch, Patricia Lee. Tanya and the Magic
Wardrobe. Illustrated by Stomi Khikawa. New York: Philomel
Books, 1997. When Tanya goes to a ballet performance
with her mom and sister, she meets a woman who works in the costume
shop. Through the costumes, Tanya learns the story of the
ballet Coppelia.
* Gauch, Patricia Lee. Tanya and Emily in a Dance
for Two. Illustrated by Stomi Khikawa. New York: Philomel
Books, 1994. When Tanya, the smallest and wiggliest
member of her ballet class, meets a talented newcomer, they both
learn something important about dancing and friendship.
* Geras, Adel. Little Swan. Random House,
1999. Seven-year-old Louisa is delighted when she is asked
to play the role of the Little Swan in Swan Lake.
Gray, Libba Moore. My Momma Had a Dancing
Heart. Illustrated by Paul Colon. New York: Orchard Books,
1995. An adult ballerina is inspired by the dances
she and her mother created when she was a young girl.
* Hautzic, Deborah. The Story of the Nutcracker
Ballet. Illustrated by Diane Goode. New York: Random House,
Inc., 1983. This book tells the story of the classic
ballet The Nutcracker with colorful pictures.
* Horosko, Marian. Sleeping Beauty: the Ballet
Story. Illustrated by Todd Dong. Antheneum,
1994. This book contains a scene-by-scene
description of the plot of Sleeping Beauty.
* Isadora, Rachel. Lily at Ballet. New
York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1993. This book outlines the
structure of a ballet class.
* Isadora, Rachel. Lily Backstage. New York:
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1997. This book takes the reader
backstage at a ballet production.
* Isadora, Rachel. Max, New York,: MacMillian
Publishing Co., 1978. Max loves to play baseball.
One day while walking his sister to dancing class, he learns a new
way to warm up for his Saturday afternoon games.
* Isadora, Rachel. My Ballet Class. New York:
Greenwillow Books, 1980. A young dancer describes a
day in her ballet class. This book includes illustrations of basic
ballet movements and an introduction to ballet terminology.
* Lee, Sandra. Silent Lotus. A
young girl who can not speak learns to communicate through
classical Indian dance.
* Marshall, James. Swine Lake. Illustrated by
Maurice Sendak, New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999.
A wolf in search of dinner attends a pig production of "Swine
Lake". He becomes so engrossed in the ballet that he forgets he is
hungry. His new-found enthusiasm for ballet leads to some
surprising outcomes.
* Medearis, Angela. Dancing with the Indians.
Illustrated by Samuel Bird. Holiday House, 1991.
This book tells the story of an African-American family's visit to
a Sioux Pow Wow.
McKissack, Patricia. C. Mirandy and Brother
Wind. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkey. Knoff, 1988.
Mirandy is desperate is catch the wind and win the junior cakewalk
dance competition. In the process she learns some valuable lessons
about dancing and friendship.
McMullan, Kate. Nutcracker Noel, Illustrated by
Jim McMullan. HarperCollins Publishers, 1993. Noel
uses her imagination, creativity, and sense of humor to turn a
small part in The Nutcracker into her own starring
role.
* Pulver, Robin. Alicia's Tutu. Paintings by
Mark Graham, New York: Dial Books, 1997. Alicia is
positive she needs a shiny tutu in order to dance. She learns that
dancing comes from inside,and that what you wear isn't as important
as who you are.
* Rosenberg, Jane. Dance Me a Story. New York:
Thames and Hudson Inc., 1985. This book retells the
stories from 12 classic ballets including Cinderella, Romeo and
Juliet, and Coppelia.
* Shortt, Tim. The Babe Ruth Ballet School.
[publication info?] 1996. This humorous book
chronicles the adventures of the baseball legend and his friend,
nine-year-old Izzy. When Izzy decides to retire from baseball to
concentrate on her dancing, ballet and Yankee Stadium collide.
Tadjo, Veronique. Lord of the Dance: An
African Retelling. Harper Collins Children's Books,
1989. This collection of creatively illustrated
poems uses dance to tell the story of the mask celebration of the
Senufo people.
* Vladimir, Vagin. The Nutcracker Ballet.
Scholastic, 1995. A retelling of the classic ballet
The Nutcracker.
Verde, Violette. Of Swans, Sugarplums, and Satin
Slippers: Ballet Stories for Children. Illustrated by Marcia
Brown. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1991. This book
retells the stories of several classic ballets including The
Firebird, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker,
Giselle, and Sleeping Beauty. Each story begins
with information about the story's origins and the creators of the
ballet version.
Wallace, Ian. Chin Chang and the Dragon's
Dance. New York: Athenaeum, 1984. Chin Chang
fears he is too clumsy to perform the dragon's dance with his
grandfather for the New Year's celebration. Chin finds a special
friend to practice with, and together they learn that dance is
possible if you have the spirit.
FICTION - Chapter Books
(* =
Available at the Boston Public Library)
* Asher, Sandy. Just Like Jenny. New York:
Delacourt Press, 1982. Stephanie struggles with
ballet steps that come easily to her talented friend Jenny.
Gradually competition and jealousy begin to break apart their
friendship. In the end each girl must decide for herself what she
values.
* Bottner, Barbara. Bootsie Barker Ballerina.
An I Can Read Book, 1998. When bully Bootsie Barker
decides to enroll in ballet class, it is up to Bernie and Lisa to
outwit Bootsie and save the class.
* Carter, Abby. Baseball Ballerina.
Illustrations by Kathryn Crisaldi. Random House Step Into Reading,
1992. A young girl who loves baseball is afraid her
friends will find out that she also takes ballet lessons.
* Charbonnet, Gabrielle. Tutu Much Ballet.
Illustrated by Abby Carter. New York: Henry Holt and Co.,
1997. Charlotte is excited to begin gymnastics lessons
with her friends. Charlotte's mom has other plans and signs
Charlotte up for ballet.
* Cohen, Miriam. Born to Dance Samba.
Illustrated by Gioia Fiammenghi, New York: Harper and Row
Publishers, 1984. Maria Antonia lives and dreams
Samba in a small village in Brazil. Maria is sure this is the year
that she will be Queen of the Samba at Carnival. When a new rival
arrives in town Maria finds her dream threatened.
* Crayder, Dorothy. The Joker and the Swan.
Drawings by Elise Primavera. New York: Harper and Row Publishers,
1981. Zoe is an 11-year-old aspiring dancer. After
her dance teacher takes her and her rival Tavia to visit the famous
dancer, Anna Pavlova, Tavia is touched with magic and Zoe is
failing in class. Zoe finds herself consumed by jealously and must
find out how to over come it.
* Giff, Patricia Reilly. Dance with Rosie. New
York: Penguin Books Inc., 1996. When eight-year-old
Rosie misses the sign up deadline for ballet class, she looks
through an alley window and learns to dance with the class.
* Giff, Patricia Reilly. A Glass Slipper for
Rosie. New York: Penguin Books Inc., 1997.
Rosie plans a ballet for her class as a surprise for her Grandpa.
When her Grandpa has to leave on a trip, Rosie must learn how to
deal with disappointment.
* Giff, Patricia Reilly. Rosie's Nutcracker
Dreams. New York: Penguin Books Inc., 1996.
Rosie is kicked out of ballet when she hits her rival, Stephanie,
for getting the part Rosie wanted. Rosie learns that it takes more
than good dancing to be a star.
* Giff, Patricia Reilly. Not-So Perfect Rosie.
New York: Penguin Books, 1997. When Rosie's cousin
comes to visit, Rosie learns that you can't always be
perfect.
* Giff, Patricia Reilly. Starring Rosie. New York:
Penguin Books Inc., 1997. Rosie's ballet class is
performing the ballet, Sleeping Beauty, and needs to find
a prince. In charge of the props and the prince, Rosie finds
herself starring in a way she hadn't quite expected.
* Giff, Patricia Reilly. Rosie's Big City Ballet.
New York: Penguin Books Inc., 1998. An artistic
director comes to Lynnfield to observe Rosie's class and choose one
student for her adult ballet. Rosie has her heart set on the part,
but doesn't realize that she may get an even better
opportunity.
* Godden, Rumer. Listen to the Nightingale. New
York: Penguin Books Ltd., 1992. Lottie, a promising
dancer, has been accepted to the prestigious Queen's Chase School.
Ballet is her first love, and then she meets Prince. Prince is a
lovable dog who teaches Lottie a lesson about balancing her
life.
* Landis, James David. The Sisters Impossible.
New York: Knopf, 1979. When Lily begins to study
ballet her haughty older sister is horrified to have a tag-along.
Gradually the sisters learn to get along.
Leggat, Bonnie-Alise. Punt, Pass and Point.
1992. When Amy, the star of the football team,
breaks her arm, her parents insist she give up football and take up
ballet instead.
McLauren, Clememnce. Dance for the Land.
1999. When Kate's family moves back to Hawaii so
that her father can fight for natives' rights, she is resentful.
Her classmates and family tease and ignore her. To top it off she
misses her ballet classes. When Kate has the chance to learn the
hula she rediscovers her love of dance and begins to understand the
importance of her roots.
* Robinson, Nancy. Ballet Magic. Illustrated by
Karen Loccisano. Chicago: Albert Whitman and Co.,
1981. Stacey is struggling with the effects of a
growth spurt in ballet class. Through her classes and a
performance of The Nutcracker, Stacey learns that attitude is the
most important element of dance, and to be tall can also mean to be
graceful.
Simon, Marcia L. A Special Gift. New York:
Harcourt Brace and Jovanovich, date?. Peter loves to
dance and play basketball. Afraid that his teammates will tease
him, Peter keeps his ballet classes a secret. When he wins a
role in The Nutcracker, Peter realizes he will have to
come to terms with his double life.
* Streatfeild, Noel. Ballet Shoes. Illustrated
by Diane Goode. New York: Random House Inc., 1937.
Three young orphans study ballet with the help of a wealthy
benefactor. Through their experiences, they learn about themselves
and decide if dancing is right for them.
* Swift, Carolyn. The Little Swans Fly East.
Illustrated by Carol Betera, Guernsy Ireland: The Guernsey Press
Ltd., 1995. Bernie and six other dancers set out
from their homes in Ireland to train in a Russian Ballet
School.
* Tamar, Erika. Alphabet City. New York: Harper
Collins Publishers, 1996. Marisol, a girl from
Puerto Rico, is living a dream when she wins a scholarship to
dancing school. Everything changes when violence breaks out
in her neighborhood. Marisol is faced with some hard decisions when
her family is threatened.
Wolff, Ferida. Pink Slippers, Bar Mitzvah
Blues. 1995. Now that her Bat Mitzvah is over, a
young dancer can concentrate on what she loves best,ballet.
However, when a friend becomes seriously ill, the young dancer must
make some tough decisions.
* Yep, Laurence. Amah. [publication
info??] Amy begins to feel like the wicked
stepsister she is playing in her ballet studio's production of
Cinderella when her widowed mother takes a job as a nanny. This
book explores intergenerational and intercultural conflict in a
Chinese-American family.
* Yep, Laurence. Ribbons. New York: GP Putnam's
Sons, 1992. Robin loves ballet more than anything
but never has a chance to express it since no one will listen. Her
family is concentrating on bringing her grandmother from China to
America. Robin resents her cold grandmother until she gets to know
her and learns that she has more in common with her grandma than
she thinks.
ONLINE RESOURCES
American Ballet Theatre Online Dictionary
www.abt.org/library/dictionary/index.html
This website contains over 700 ballet and dance terms with video
clips of dancers demonstrating technique.
Arts Edge
www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teaching_materials
This website is sponsored by the Kennedy Center and is a
comprehensive resource of arts-based teaching materials and
curriculum. You have the ability to search by subject area, grade
level, or art form to personalize your interests, and the format is
printable and easily adaptable for any classroom.
Boston Ballet Company
www.bostonballet.org
Details the current season for Boston Ballet, as well as the
Education & Outreach programs such as Citydance and Taking
Steps.
Dance Art
www.danceart.com
This website contains animated video clips of certain dance
techniques, ballet terminology, and general information about
ballet and dance.
Dance Magazine
www.dancemagazine.com
Dance Magazine is the number-one publication about dance. The
magazine contains articles about the dance world and school guides.
The website has video clips from major dance companies across the
United States.
Massachusetts Cultural Council
www.massculturalcouncil.org/grants/for_schools/index.html
This website is a good resource for grant programs and other
services in the arts for schools and educators statewide.
Sapphire Swan Directory
www.sapphireswan.com/dance
The Sapphire Swan website is a guide to all the dance resources
available on the internet. It lists all different styles of dance
and where to study them.