The White Ballets

Rajka Kupesic

ISBN 10: 0887769233 / ISBN 13: 9780887769238

Published by Tundra Books, 2011

About this Item

Possibly the best-loved of all ballets are Giselle, La Bayadere and Swan Lake. Known as the White Ballets, they each tell stories of ethereal creatures suspended somewhere between heaven and earth. Rajka Kupesic has retold these three magical stories: Giselle, the peasant girl who is compelled to dance and fears that she will become a spirit maiden in the afterlife; Nikiya, the beautiful temple dancer who breaks tradition when she falls in love with a warrior; and the infamous Swan Lake. Set against breathtaking art, this is a stunning illustrated adaptation.

Seller Inventory # 00097297762

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The White Ballets
• Publisher: Tundra Books
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0887769233
• ISBN 13: 9780887769238
• Binding: Hardback
• Illustrator: Kupesic, Rajka
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

Possibly the best-loved of all ballets are “Giselle,” “La Bayadère,” and “Swan Lake.” Known as the White Ballets, they each tell stories of ethereal maidens costumed in floating white, who seem to be lovely creatures suspended somewhere between heaven and earth.

It is every ballerina’s dream to dance “Giselle.” Despite being frail, the simple peasant girl, Giselle, can’t give up dancing. She is afraid that if she dies before she weds, she will become a Wili, a spirit maiden who haunts the forests seeking revenge on young men. Though she can’t change her own fate, she finds a way to save the one she loves.

Nikiya is a beautiful temple dancer, a bayadère. She fights tradition when she falls in love with the warrior Solor. Solor has already been promised to a well-born girl, but he risks everything for Nikiya.

“Swan Lake” is also about recognizing true love and risking everything for it. Prince Siegfried meets Odile by the shores of a mysterious lake and he vows to marry her. But Odile is under a curse: she must spend every day in the form of a swan and is only human for a few hours during the night. If they are to spend eternity together, Siegfried has to find a way to lift the curse.

Rajka Kupesic, herself a dancer, has retold the stories and set them against her breathtaking art to create a book to cherish. Notes about the ballets are included.

About the Author

Rajka Kupesic was classically trained as a ballerina and danced in Europe. As a painter, she is known for her unique handling of detail, color, and mood, which infuses the familiar with an extraordinary quality. Her paintings have been shown in numerous galleries worldwide. Her first book Claire’s Gift, was awarded the Mr. Christie’s Book Award for Best Children’s Book. She lives in Toronto with her husband. They have two sons.