Story Library: Ballet Stories (Story Library) - Hardcover

Castor, Harriet; Holmes, Sally

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1856973794 ISBN 13: 9781856973793

Publisher: Kingfisher Books, 1997

Synopsis

Capturing everything from the stage-fright of auditions, to the difficulties of training, to the final joys of performing, these 15 stories encompass all facets of the dance experience. Authors include Margot Fonteyn, Cynthia Voigt and Amy Hest.

About this title

About the Author

Sally Holmes was born in Scotland and studied art in Dundee. Her previous books include an acclaimed version of Hans Christian Andersen's "'The Snow Queen."' She is married and lives in Sussex, England. "'The Complete fairy Tales of Charles Perrault"' is her first book for Clarion.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6?In addition to short stories, this collection includes chapters taken from novels and autobiographies. Although they are introduced with a short synopsis of the complete story, the context is not always clear and the endings sometimes seem abrupt. The selections examine the self-doubt and struggles inherent in the choice of dance as a career and present a balanced look at successes and failures. "Pulling Up the Old Socks," a chapter from Lynn Seymour's autobiography, describes the dancer's loneliness as a gifted 15-year-old Canadian studying ballet in London. Told through her letters, her sacrifices, dedication, and hard work are compellingly communicated. In contrast, "Wartime Ballet," from Margot Fonteyn's autobiography, is disappointingly scattered and flat. In "Ugly Feet Are Beautiful," a girl idolizes her older sister, down to her misshapen, tortured feet. Cynthia Voigt goes inside the isolation of failure as seen through the eyes of a black girl alone among white teachers and students in a "Summer Camp" for dancers. Most of the selections feature girls as the main characters. Unfortunately, the point of the story is too often hammered home. Sam is her best friend's understudy in "Samantha and Lizinka," which makes her work harder than ever. "Pauline Learns a Lesson" for putting on airs by having to yield a performance to her understudy. Average fare for lovers of dance.?Frances E. Millhouser, Chantilly Regional Library, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Kingfisher Books
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1856973794
• ISBN 13: 9781856973793
• Binding: Hardcover