Product Description
Illus. in full color. In simple, clear language, children can follow the story of the Christmas ballet themselves, from the opening Christmas Eve party scene to the closing scene in which Marie and her Nutcracker prince bid farewell to the Land of the Sweets. "Children who are exposed to the ballet every Christmas will enjoy reading it on their own."--School Library Journal.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An answer to the next review
Although many versions of the ballet call the girl Clara, she is called Marie Stahlbaum in the original E.T.A. Hoffmann story and in some versions of the ballet.This retelling is not incorrect; it just refers back to an earlier version of the story.

What happened to Clara?
This is a nice book and the story is simple but seems true to the classic story, however, I'm bugged by the fact that the main character is named Marie not Clara. I'm not a nutcracker expert but I know that much. Also Amazon's title say Step 2 but it is really a step 3 book. ... Read more

Product Description
The lights, the velvet curtain, the spotlight, the graceful dancers—nothing beats going to the ballet for the very first time.  In this beautiful picture book,  Deanna Caswell and Elizabeth Matthews conspire to recreate all the joy and wonder of the first theatrical experience, for children to relive again and again.

Product Description
Long renowned as one of the world's preeminent ballet companies, San Francisco Ballet marks its seventy-fifth anniversary with a stunningly beautiful retrospective. Replete with intimate portraits of the dancers and behind-the-scenes contributors, this book is the first serious depiction of America's oldest ballet company. Included in this deluxe package is a DVD that provides insight into the company's illustrious history and together with the book, tells the story of how San Francisco Ballet has forged a fresh identity for American dance and is now pioneering a new model of internationalism in the dance world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Taking Flight and Taking Note
SAN FRANCISCO BALLET AT SEVENTY-FIVEis a richly illustrated and photographed survey of this great ballet company from its inception in 1933 through its hiatus to its present state of the art.Quoting the important man behind the success of this company - Helgi Tomasson - 'I have always believed that ballet brings beauty and poetry into our lives; it stirs our imagination. It appeals to the heart and nourishes the soul....it tells us something about who we were, providing a window to the past, and who we are, mirroring the present.It opens a door to the future.' The book is naturally celebratory (by name!) and the author Janice Ross is careful to chronicle the events the ballet has encountered, and survived, going on to reign as one of the world's most honored companies.There is a Preface written by Brigitte Lefevre (of the Paris Ballet) that praises Tomasson and a Foreword by dance critic Allan Ulrich that adds kudos to Tomasson and the company.Ross then examines the history and the highs and lows of the company under the following sections: Ballet Reborn in America; Inside San Francisco Ballet; Lives of the Dancers; Helgi Tomasson at work; Making visible - the Ballet and the Repertory; The invisible city backstage; and The ballet on Tour - company matters.

Then open this very large book and enjoy the richly colorful full page and double page photographs of dancing - in costume, in rehearsal clothes, in modern works and in the classics - and the results will take your breath away.The photographers (and there are many) are all credited, but the giant among them is without a doubt Erik Tomasson.It is rare to find such artistic images of ballet as these and the book is as much an art book as it is a book about a ballet company.The appendices include the entire of repertory of the company with all the details of choreographer, composer, and years of world premieres and San Francisco Ballet premieres.It is a staggering list.

For all who enjoy the arts and especially the art of dance and movement, this book is a must.Highly recommended.Grady Harp, June 10 ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Dance Book
I was really happy with this book. I bought two (2) copies one for my niece who is learning to dance. Beautifully written and great pictures.

Thanks!

Boring and Dry
I bought this for my daughter who is a dancer. Based on the description, it seemed like a great present for her. However, once she opened it, I realized it was a mistake. Very few photographs and lots of very dry text, laid out in a very uninviting almost old-fashioned textbook-style layout. Too badI judged this one by its cover!

EXCELLENT!
This book is amazing! It has short biographies of jazz, ballet, modern and Broadway dancers. I love this book - I read it everyday almost. It show pictures when they were young and has a lot of info on the first page. This book is an definitely a buyer for those dancers who want to learn about other dancers. I would suggest this book first. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the story of one of America s most important ballet companies, founded in 1938 by Sergei J. Denham and Léonide Massine, who choreographed for it Gaîté Parisienne, Seventh Symphony, Saint Francis, and Rouge et Noir. Among other choreographers were George Balanchine, Frederick Ashton, Bronislava Nijinska, Ruth Page, Valerie Bettis, and Agnes de Mille, who choreographed Rodeo. Stars included Alexandra Danilova, Frederic Franklin, Alicia Markova, Mia Slavenska, Tamara Toumanova, André Eglevsky, Leon Danelian, Ruthanna Boris, Maria Tallchief, Alicia Alonso, and Igor Youskevitch. ... Read more

Product Description
Introducing a ballet class in a book. Created by LiseFriedman, a passionate ballerina as a little girl who grew up to dancewith the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and photographed byK.C. Bailey, whose dance photography is part of the Lincoln CenterDance Collection, First Lessons in Ballet is an intimate andinnovative approach that takes the reader right into the studio andteaches basic steps and positions.

Each spread works as a lesson. On the left, in a full-length,silhouetted photograph with callouts, a young ballerina named Rebeccademonstrates each move. On the right, a group of younger kids whomight be the reader's fellow students practice the moves, while brieftext, written in the voice of a master teacher, explains exactly whatto do. Covered are the five basic positions of ballet, followed by aseries of exercises just as they would be performed in class--barreexercises, such as plie and rond de jambe; centerwork exercises,including arabesque and pas de bourree; and such jumps and turns aschangement, pique, and emboite. Class finishes with reverence--aformal way dancers thank their teacher--and the book ends with a briefdiscussion of the next steps in ballet--pointe work and partnering. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great resource for parents and newer students...
I am a dance teacher and constantly refer to the book, "Classical Ballet Training." However, the book is too comprehensive for parents and too overwhelming for students. I constantly recommend this book to my young students as well as their parents so they can have a little guidance as they work outside of class.

I love that the book has pictures of both a more mature ballet dancer (although I don't love her thumbs in many of the positions :) ) as well as young dancers, and I love that it includes definitions of the terminology. Knowing what the word means in English always helps dancers remember it and visualize it as they work.

I definitely recommend this book!

little girl in need of guidance
I have a little girl,Anna, whom just recently started into her first year of serious ballet instruction. She felt nervous and scared that she wouldlook silly in front of the other girls who have been taking classes sincetheir pre-school years. Anna on the other hand has only been taking themfor a year and still has a hard time remembering all the names andtermology. I purchased this book about a week after she started instructionand we have enjoyed every moment together. The description of the stepsmake it very easy for me to relate and tell her how to hold herself proper,and the pictures are a great reference for her when mom is not around.After reading the book Anna has received confidence and poise that I don'tthink she knew she had in her. Great Book for beginners! ... Read more

Product Description
This volume covers a year in the lives of three dancers at the Royal Ballet School - from auditions to first ballet classes and on to the excitement of the end-of-term show. The focus is on the dancers, their day-to-day training and the challenge of the climb to stardom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Inferior Quality
I bought this book from Amazon, and returned it.I own the author's earlier book, Life at the Royal Ballet School, and this new book on the same subject unfortunately lacks magic and charm.The text emphasizes the arduous aspects of the training, the difficulty and self sacrifice of the students.The rewards of pursuing a great art are somehow given short shrift.And inexplicably, the studio photos are uniformly grainy and indistinct.The ballet students manage to seem awkward and unattractive.I wish this book had conveyed the romance and beauty of ballet, as did the author's previous book on the Royal Ballet school.An update is needed, but this book is, alas, not an improvement.

Ballet School shows the epitome of ballet student standards
This book is very well suited for the aspiring young ballet student.Although it shows the prestious English Royal Ballet School, it shows the standard which all ballet students should reach.The young students auditioning for entrance are already well trained, and their physique isevident in the beautiful photos.The photos are more prolific than thewriting, which is what is important in ballet - the look, the style, thetraining.All parents of children who aspire to a ballet career shouldview this book to see what is expected in London, and therefore, thestandard set for ballet students all over the world. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful book!
Gigantic elephants dancing in elegant pink tutus along with human ballerinas sounds like pure fantasy--but it's all true.Considering the great showman, choreographer and composer involved in creating the actual circus show, it couldn't escape being an amazing production. Now it's all documented in a fascinating book, worthy of being appreciated by young and old.
BALLET OF THE ELEPHANTS is well-written and exquisitely illustrated with dream-like art.

Circus Polka
BALLET OF THE ELEPHANTS by Leda Schubert is a charming book telling the story of three talented men and fifty performing elephants. In April 1942, a unique show opened: Circus Polka, the brainchild of three men with very different backgrounds: John Ringling North, George Balanchine, and Igor Stravinsky. The book briefly describes the individual lives of the three men, the collaboration between the three men in the creative process, the training of the elephants in preparation for the show, and the show itself. The book concludes with background notes from the author which adds even more interest to the book. For example, the author notes that during her research she learned that "the elephants, even when they retired, so loved the ballet and were so well trained that they performed it all by themselves, without music."There is also a black and white photograph of the real performance!

Excellent book!
This is a wonderful book, and I highly recommend it for children and adults alike.This true story is simply and poetically described, giving very clear and interesting background on historical figures Stravinsky, Balanchine, and John Ringling North.The descriptions and illustrations of the elephant ballet are beautifully done, allowing the imagination to run wild at the thought of circus elephants in tutus, dancing a ballet.A truly magical book. ... Read more

Product Description

Part of the Eminent Lives Series, this biography, written by the gifted author Robert Gottlieb, will describe the life of the dynamic George Balanchine, the foremost contemporary choreographer in ballet. Timed to coincide with the 2004 centenary of the artist's birth.

The life and achievement of the great choreographer who both summed up everything that proceeded him in ballet, and extended the art form into radical yet inevitable new paths. Leaving Revolutionary Russia in 1924 (he was 20), he joined Serge Diaghilev's famous Ballets Russes, where he created his first enduring masterpiece, Apollo, cementing his lifelong collaboration with Stravinsky.

In 1933 he arrived in America to found a school and a company, but the company as we know it – The New York City Ballet – didn't emerge until 1948. Meanwhile, he made ballets wherever opportunity allowed, while choreographing Broadway shows (four for Rodgers and Hart), movies (The Goldwyn Follies), even the circus – a ballet for elephants with a score by Stravinsky. By the time of his death, in 1983, he had been recognized as a member of the triad of the greatest modern masters, alongside Picasso and Stravinsky.

Balanchine was married many times, always to outstanding ballerinas, but his truest muse always remained Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance.

Customer Reviews (2)

"...there is a glow -- the space, the hands, everything is fantastically beautiful"
This is one of several volumes in the HarperCollins Eminent Lives series. Each offers a concise rather than comprehensive, much less definitive biography. However, just as Al Hirschfeld's illustrations of various celebrities capture their defining physical characteristics, the authors of books in this series focus on the defining influences and developments during the lives and careers of their respective subjects. In this instance, George Balanchine.

Credit Gottlieb with attracting and then generously rewarding the interest of readers such as I who previously knew very little (if anything) about Balanchine. Even a summary of the key biographical details suggests that his life and career were extraordinary. The subtitle of this compact biography correctly but insufficiently describes him as "The Ballet Maker." True, Balanchine created a total of at least 425 ballets but it is much more important to note that according those best qualified to do so, during his lifetime and then since his death (on April 30, 1983), Balanchine is described as the greatest choreographer.

Because there is already an abundance of information about Balanchine readily available from The George Balanchine Foundation (http://balanchine.org/01/bio.html) and other excellent sources, Gottlieb wisely and brilliantly focuses on what seems to him to be most remarkable about a man for whom "teaching was the heart and soul of his enterprise -- he was frequently quoted as saying that he would be remembered first and foremost as a teacher, not as a choreographer, [his] school now firmly in place as the premier training ground for ballet dancers in America. It taught the basics the way he wanted them taught, and he was secure in the competence of his teachers, who through the years included important dancers from his Russian past." He taught by example, by demonstration, not be words.

But it is also true that Balanchine could "explain a step or role with a simple image that would uncannily convey his intentions." Here are two examples from one of his greatest creative achievements, The Prodigal:

When explaining to the Prodigal's drinking companions how they should run their fingers up and down his (the Prodigal's) exhausted, nearly naked body as if to strip it further of worldly goods: "Like mice."

When explaining to the Prodigal what to do when the Siren steps off of his legs as he lowers them to the floor: "You lower her like an elevator."

According to Nathan Milstein, Balanchine "left an inheritance that consists of more than his works. He left his moral example, a considerable legacy: the strength and wholeness of his character; his directness, adherence to principle, and lack of greed....his devotion to his art; his independence of fashion, fame, and trappings of success."

I am grateful to Gottlieb for so much. First, for helping me to understand and appreciate a man who "carried within him all of ballet, past and present, and was constantly redefining its future. Looking backward and forward were not separate matters for him; he summed up everything even as he was reinventing everything." I am also grateful to Gottlieb for obtaining permission to reprint an article written by Balanchine, "Mr. B Talks About Ballet," which appeared in the June 11, 1965, issue of Life magazine. As Gottlieb explains, it is one of Balanchine's very few by-lined articles. In it, he invites those who are interested in ballet to "come and see, come and discover."

When concluding this brief commentary, I presume to suggest that Gottlieb invites those who are interested in Balanchine to "come and see, come and discover."

Brief, but well-written and informative biography
How does one possibly compress the life of Balanchine into a small, thin mini-biography? For if anyone had a "packed life" it was George Balanchine: careers at the Mariinsky, Ballet Russes, and of course the NYCB, five wives, many more "muses," a long and fascinating collaboration with Igor Stravinsky, and endless critical acclaim as the most important ballet choreographer of the 20th century. Even Bernard Taper's biography (much longer) feels oddly thin.
Keeping this in mind, I think Robert Gottlieb's mini-biography is a success, much more so than Terry Teachout's simultaneous minibio "All in the Dances," which seems to be mostly rehashes of earlier published material. Gottlieb is a well-known editor and dance critic, and he was at the premieres of many of Balanchine's works. He also knew Mr. B and many of the NYCB's dancers, so the book has an insider/fan feel. Gottlieb also has a blunt and engaging manner of writing, which makes "The Ballet Maker" feel much less perfunctory than most minibios. Particularly his descriptions of Balanchine's ballets, of which Gottlieb is obviously a great and sincere admirer.
Mr. B was a frustratingly opaque man, who was fond of repeating simple truisms ("Just do the steps, dear" or "It's all in the dances") while leading a very complex and perhaps unhappy life. Wisely, Gottlieb does not attempt to dissect every Balanchine relationship, or cover every event and ballet. The book is neatly divided into chapters (Balanchine as Teacher, et al.) that focus on a particular aspect of Balanchine. Gottlieb also has some unorthodox and interesting views about the man. You know how Mr. B often went on about creating a ballet because he remembered doing this or that as a student in the Mariinsky? The tone is always deliberately nostalgic. Gottlieb has a much different view of Balanchine's childhood -- that it was extremely lonely and scarred Balanchine for life. He theorized that Balanchine felt abandoned by his family (remember the social upheaval in Russia at the time) and was never able to form lasting attachments to women as a result.
The pictures are few but well-chosen. In particular, there are some wonderful photos of Balanchine's last wife, Tanaquiel LeClercq, whose career was cut short by polio. Balanchine spent years caring for her day-and-night, and then divorced her quickly in a (failed) attempt to romance Suzanne Farrell. The story of LeClercq illustrates to me the fascinating paradox of Mr. B. Gottlieb can't explain it either, but as a "primer" on Balanchine it's insightful and well-written. ... Read more

Product Description

Part of the Eminent Lives Series, this biography, written by the gifted author Robert Gottlieb, will describe the life of the dynamic George Balanchine, the foremost contemporary choreographer in ballet. Timed to coincide with the 2004 centenary of the artist's birth.

The life and achievement of the great choreographer who both summed up everything that proceeded him in ballet, and extended the art form into radical yet inevitable new paths. Leaving Revolutionary Russia in 1924 (he was 20), he joined Serge Diaghilev's famous Ballets Russes, where he created his first enduring masterpiece, Apollo, cementing his lifelong collaboration with Stravinsky.

In 1933 he arrived in America to found a school and a company, but the company as we know it – The New York City Ballet – didn't emerge until 1948. Meanwhile, he made ballets wherever opportunity allowed, while choreographing Broadway shows (four for Rodgers and Hart), movies (The Goldwyn Follies), even the circus – a ballet for elephants with a score by Stravinsky. By the time of his death, in 1983, he had been recognized as a member of the triad of the greatest modern masters, alongside Picasso and Stravinsky.

Balanchine was married many times, always to outstanding ballerinas, but his truest muse always remained Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance.

Customer Reviews (2)

"...there is a glow -- the space, the hands, everything is fantastically beautiful"
This is one of several volumes in the HarperCollins Eminent Lives series. Each offers a concise rather than comprehensive, much less definitive biography. However, just as Al Hirschfeld's illustrations of various celebrities capture their defining physical characteristics, the authors of books in this series focus on the defining influences and developments during the lives and careers of their respective subjects. In this instance, George Balanchine.

Credit Gottlieb with attracting and then generously rewarding the interest of readers such as I who previously knew very little (if anything) about Balanchine. Even a summary of the key biographical details suggests that his life and career were extraordinary. The subtitle of this compact biography correctly but insufficiently describes him as "The Ballet Maker." True, Balanchine created a total of at least 425 ballets but it is much more important to note that according those best qualified to do so, during his lifetime and then since his death (on April 30, 1983), Balanchine is described as the greatest choreographer.

Because there is already an abundance of information about Balanchine readily available from The George Balanchine Foundation (http://balanchine.org/01/bio.html) and other excellent sources, Gottlieb wisely and brilliantly focuses on what seems to him to be most remarkable about a man for whom "teaching was the heart and soul of his enterprise -- he was frequently quoted as saying that he would be remembered first and foremost as a teacher, not as a choreographer, [his] school now firmly in place as the premier training ground for ballet dancers in America. It taught the basics the way he wanted them taught, and he was secure in the competence of his teachers, who through the years included important dancers from his Russian past." He taught by example, by demonstration, not be words.

But it is also true that Balanchine could "explain a step or role with a simple image that would uncannily convey his intentions." Here are two examples from one of his greatest creative achievements, The Prodigal:

When explaining to the Prodigal's drinking companions how they should run their fingers up and down his (the Prodigal's) exhausted, nearly naked body as if to strip it further of worldly goods: "Like mice."

When explaining to the Prodigal what to do when the Siren steps off of his legs as he lowers them to the floor: "You lower her like an elevator."

According to Nathan Milstein, Balanchine "left an inheritance that consists of more than his works. He left his moral example, a considerable legacy: the strength and wholeness of his character; his directness, adherence to principle, and lack of greed....his devotion to his art; his independence of fashion, fame, and trappings of success."

I am grateful to Gottlieb for so much. First, for helping me to understand and appreciate a man who "carried within him all of ballet, past and present, and was constantly redefining its future. Looking backward and forward were not separate matters for him; he summed up everything even as he was reinventing everything." I am also grateful to Gottlieb for obtaining permission to reprint an article written by Balanchine, "Mr. B Talks About Ballet," which appeared in the June 11, 1965, issue of Life magazine. As Gottlieb explains, it is one of Balanchine's very few by-lined articles. In it, he invites those who are interested in ballet to "come and see, come and discover."

When concluding this brief commentary, I presume to suggest that Gottlieb invites those who are interested in Balanchine to "come and see, come and discover."

Brief, but well-written and informative biography
How does one possibly compress the life of Balanchine into a small, thin mini-biography? For if anyone had a "packed life" it was George Balanchine: careers at the Mariinsky, Ballet Russes, and of course the NYCB, five wives, many more "muses," a long and fascinating collaboration with Igor Stravinsky, and endless critical acclaim as the most important ballet choreographer of the 20th century. Even Bernard Taper's biography (much longer) feels oddly thin.
Keeping this in mind, I think Robert Gottlieb's mini-biography is a success, much more so than Terry Teachout's simultaneous minibio "All in the Dances," which seems to be mostly rehashes of earlier published material. Gottlieb is a well-known editor and dance critic, and he was at the premieres of many of Balanchine's works. He also knew Mr. B and many of the NYCB's dancers, so the book has an insider/fan feel. Gottlieb also has a blunt and engaging manner of writing, which makes "The Ballet Maker" feel much less perfunctory than most minibios. Particularly his descriptions of Balanchine's ballets, of which Gottlieb is obviously a great and sincere admirer.
Mr. B was a frustratingly opaque man, who was fond of repeating simple truisms ("Just do the steps, dear" or "It's all in the dances") while leading a very complex and perhaps unhappy life. Wisely, Gottlieb does not attempt to dissect every Balanchine relationship, or cover every event and ballet. The book is neatly divided into chapters (Balanchine as Teacher, et al.) that focus on a particular aspect of Balanchine. Gottlieb also has some unorthodox and interesting views about the man. You know how Mr. B often went on about creating a ballet because he remembered doing this or that as a student in the Mariinsky? The tone is always deliberately nostalgic. Gottlieb has a much different view of Balanchine's childhood -- that it was extremely lonely and scarred Balanchine for life. He theorized that Balanchine felt abandoned by his family (remember the social upheaval in Russia at the time) and was never able to form lasting attachments to women as a result.
The pictures are few but well-chosen. In particular, there are some wonderful photos of Balanchine's last wife, Tanaquiel LeClercq, whose career was cut short by polio. Balanchine spent years caring for her day-and-night, and then divorced her quickly in a (failed) attempt to romance Suzanne Farrell. The story of LeClercq illustrates to me the fascinating paradox of Mr. B. Gottlieb can't explain it either, but as a "primer" on Balanchine it's insightful and well-written. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

very lovely!
this book is filled with many wonderful ideas. the lovely projects remind me of my mom and how she cared about me and my love for ballet.

knit, crochet, sew, or craft a keepsake
There are knit legwarmers with intarsia hearts or stripes, crocheted bun cover, 2 knitted surplice wrap ballet sweaters, sleeveless knit sweaters, crocheted slippers and some scrapbook, sewing, and accessory projects. Only problem is the size ranges are small. I think this book is the answer to your wish for a collection of ballet projects.
I liked this book very much. Thirty five projects is pretty generous for a craft book and this one can also be used as a journal/scrapbook. The projects are beginner/intermediate in terms of difficulty. There are projects for children and adults. My only complaint would be that the sizing options are very limited on the knitting and crochet patterns.

Beautiful!
This is a lovely book!The pictures are beautiful and there are many things in it I plan to make for my daughter who is a ballerina.I recommend it!

Perfect for the Dancer
Though I was hoping for a few more items to be knit, I was delighted with the number of well designed and presented ballet-related pieces. The author takes time to address the beginning dancer as well as the experienced one with new and different things to keep her ON HER TOES.Da

Outstanding Book of Crafts!
I recently begun knitting and I adore ballet. I was in the libraby when I found this book and I am already attached to it! I don't know how to use my sewing machine, but that's OK because I just like to look at the book. I recommend this book for any balletomane or knitter... or anyone! ... Read more

Product Description
The ideal interactive gift for every child who likes dancing, theater, music, fairy tales, or make-believe.

Restage the romantic SLEEPING BEAUTY ballet — and invent your own creative embellishments — with the help of a charming miniature theater containing everything you need!

- A sturdy foldout theater
- Changeable scenery and backdrops
- A booklet that tells the full story and offers stage directions
- Nine twirling figures and a supporting cast
- An audio CD with selections from the musical score ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Sleeping Beauty Ballet Theatre
This fold out book/theatre is wonderful for my five year old daughter.She plays with it every day since Santa brought it for Christmas.It's great imaginative play, and it's great for familiarizing her with the art of ballet and the classical music of Tchaikovsky.The backdrops, sets, and dancing figures are enchanting.I can see my daughter playing with it for months and years to come.

WONDERFUL!!!!
This is a wonderful set.The details of the design are amazing.There is a drawer to hold the book, backdrops, and characters which makes it easy to keep everything together. It folds out easily into a stage and the backdrops are a breeze to slide into place. The dancers are on long sticks so they may be moved around the stage from above and there are holes in the stage so that characters may "stand" while other characters are in play. Everything came preassembled and it was ready to be played with right out of the box.

As if all of this wasn't good enough, there is a great book that comes along with it.It not only tells the story of the ballet in a simple narrative, it also has information about the story's history, the composer, and the choreographer. At the beginning of each new scene, the book shows the reader what characters and what backdrop should be used and the book even cues what track on the accompanying CD should be played!The illustrations are beautiful and the book can be enjoyed on its own without the play set.

My daughter is ten and she loves it; I certainly wouldn't think that eight is the oldest age that this set can be enjoyed. If a child is a serious student of ballet, I would expand the age range to the early teens.After seeing my daughter's copy, her repertory teacher is ordering it to use in company classes.If you are buying something for a child who is interested in ballet, I definitely recommend this product.
... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Ballet: From the First Plie to Mastery is designed as a complement to a beginning student's ballet training. The book opens with a brief description of the benefits of ballet training to young dancers, and then introduces fundamentals and precepts of the technique.Clear photographs show exactly how to execute each movement.Then an eight-year course is presented, taking the student from age 5 or 6 through the teen years, outlining exactly what is to be taught and how it is to be performed.A glossary, bibliography, and discography close the book.
Young girls-and increasingly boys-are drawn to ballet training as a way of developing healthy musculature and bones, building an aesthetic awareness, and enhancing body image.Paskevska believes that-when performed correctly-ballet can provide a lifetime of artistic and physical pleasure.Shunning pyrotechnics and flashy technique, the book offers a solid grounding in the basics of ballet movement that will serve the student well, whether or not he or she chooses to continue training.Through her comprehensive examination of the how, why, and when of performing basic ballet techniques, Paskevska offers a concise and easy-to-follow regimen for everyone from the beginning to more advanced dancer.
For ballet students, their parents, and their teachers, Ballet: from the First Plie to Mastery is an invaluable first step toward enjoying dance and excelling as a dancer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Big academic, Bad book, inaccurate information...
"Ballet: From the First Plie' to Mastery, An Eight-Year Course" or "WHERE'S THE BEEF?"

I admit.I ordered this book expecting to get a condensation of Kostrovitskaya's "100 lessons". (available through this site)(A book I highly recommend.The John Barker translation is no longer available, but Oleg Briansky's is still available:

Yes.I saw the name "Paskevska" and said to myself, "Well "8 Lessons" and she's gotta be a Vaganova practitioner, right? WRONG!!!

Okay, I have been a Vaganova practitioner for many years.But, I wrote a thesis on the Documentation and Colloquia of the Oral Tradition of Balletic Vocabularies in the English Speaking World. (Not very publishable). When I opened the book I knew that it wasn't what I expected.photos of children too young to assimilate the positions they are posed in (and thus are showing them incorrectly) most of the dancers breaking their hips (leaning slightly forward), under utilizing the natural turnout available from their buttocks, hips and through their legs.But, no - I don't have problem with this: its difficult to find well trained dancers in the US.I knew that examining content was the best way to evaluate the book.So I went on to examine it...

here's what I found:
- Cecchetti and French terminology combined, (with some Legat thrown in for good measure) without explanation throughout.particularly ports de bras and relative spacial positioning.
- No decent explanation of turnout as an active function in ballet virtcle.No explanation of utilization of ports de bras as 1) functional as counter balance to extension, flexion, motion or stasis 2) the primary functionary of presentation.
- No decent explanation of placement as either somatic (as in some English styles and Cecchetti, or placement as spacial as it is in all other schools (eg: `a la seconde is placed in accordance to available external rotation from hips in Cecchetti.`A la Seconde is placed in accordance to second position of the feet and angular relationship toaudience in Vaganova and other schools.)

In fact, there is so much more I find wrong with this book, I can't fit it in here.So, here is the little of what I liked, unfortunately undone by each points' subsequent failing:
1) it does a half decent job giving the progression of classes structure and emphasis -according to the author's presumptive stance._In other words, because of the lack of definitive information of alternative schooling, the author has assumed that her presentation is best.(If she didn't, she wouldn't have written a book about it.)The truth is that it is an American Melting Pot of a variety of styles.This was fine through the 1980s when Americans dominated world ballet...that is, until Perestroika!

2) She is an academic and so writes in a succinct and direct manner that is easy for a novice to understand.But, the devil is in the details in two ways in this statement.

A) Novices hould not read a book to learn ballet.Period.(For example, a novice would not be able to fathom Kostrovitskaya's 100 lessons.It is a good reference book, but terrible to glean an ability to instruct - as it should be!It is a book for seasoned trained professionals.)

B) She is an academic with little professional experience.To train children from beginner to professional (as as if they are to be professional) one must not only have studied pedagogy -with professionals who were your teachers- but one should have at least some professional experience on stage for a few years.Ballet is meant for the stage; if you haven't been on many, night after night, dealing with applause and the rather difficult lifestyle, you won't be able to prepare your dancers for what ballet really is: an ATHLETIC ART FORM!!

To Ms. Pavkevska credit, she has a long resume'.But her background is dated.The principles she prescribes in "Ballet" are simply out of date.For example, we now know that creative dance is good for children from age 4 (at the earliest) until 9.You can start a child in ballet at age 7, but this "level one" must continue until age 9 to 11, depending upon physical and mental maturity.At this point, the only major in emphasis should be arms, stretch and strength training.Some forms of character and movement can be trained.But around age ten is when you really kick in teaching technique in the form of positioning, and simple transition movements.If you have taught them arms first, when standing still, they already look like pros!Even the photos in Pavkevska's book betrays the lack of strength and training in these young dancers.Further, the training of dancers breaking the line of their upper body forward at the hips, so their is a slight sitting back in the lower body, will stunt these young children as they grow.

Could a dancer become a finished dancer using the generalist techniques outlined in this book?Only if they then leave to go -retrain- with another teacher.I'm sure she has students who have gone on to professionals, and others who could have done, but like many talented students chose other paths that they thrive in.But, though well organized, and she does have good points about discipline etc., it exemplifies the "ballet light" that has been pervasive for years, and has been run asunder by the Russian invasion by dancers who are so much more superior in their training that few Americans stand a chance.

Where Americans thrive is in our ability to switch dance and choreographic genre.If only Pavkevska stated this in her Preface or first chapter.Sadly, I have not found it yet.She needs to be specific that this is more than just a rehashing of Nicholas Legat's Cechetti influenced dated methodologies.

P. S. Rosemond

best one yet
I have been living with ballet teachers and students for years now (my family) and I am a martial art teacher myself so this is a subject I learned and practiced myself. The writer is an exellent teacher and writer. The progression is precise and explained and something to look up to in todays teachers. She takes the body from the initial stages and builds it from the core with great care and inteligence and does so well with good exercises and lesson plans which hold a treasure of hints and pointers to good form, movement and tone.

A wonderful buy for myself and I reccomend it to everyone who may benefit from the Russian ballet.

parents, ease up!
I'm giving it three stars although I haven't purchased the book yet.Three seems fair enough. I'm interested to see how many parents were disappointed in it.Seems that they were expecting a picture book to teach their children "who are already taking ballet".If these children are studying from quality teachers, they should ask them for help!And how in the world could it be a bad thing for children to read and learn the words and to see how they are spelled.I suggest you take the book to your child's ballet teacher and ask him/her to physically "demonstrate" the words, for the class.

Wonderful Resource for Ballet Teachers
I am in the process of writing curriculum for the studio that I teach at, and this has been an indespensable resource for a teacher.It had easy to follow sample classes that help you to get an idea of how to teach the classical vocabulary for that level.I found some of my all time favorite combinations in this book.Fabulous resource if you want to make sure your students are keeping up the ballet world!

excellentfor teachers
this is a perfect guide for a syallabus for a dance school.
That is what I'm doing with it. I am a professional ballet dancer that has dancedwith major dance companies in the USA. I needed a good guide to teach young beginners I am teaching.This book is a perfect guide in teaching young beginners through to advance students. The stretches taught arereal perks for the students to gain the flexibility they need for the years new steps. Also the strenghtening back exercises are exactly what children need in order to do arabesques and other steps. I am also a pilates instructor and these stretches and strengthening floor exercises are perfect. I wouldn't reccommend this book to a child since it is very detailed in words but to a 12-13year old that likes to read and dance it might be just what she likes! and it will give her some good pointers.
Best of luck
T.T. ... Read more

Product Description
Prima Princessa invites budding ballerinas to explore the wonderful world of ballet! Is there any more enticing figure than the ballerina? Dressed in a fluffy tutu, wearing her pink pointe shoes, and dancing so gracefully, she's what every little girl longs to be. But what does it take to make that fantasy come true? Thanks to the charming, illustrated Prima Princessa, would-be ballerinas will enjoy a privileged peek into the dancer's world. The fairy-like Princessa ushers readers into New York City's famous School of American Ballet (SAB) in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts the finest dance academy in the U.S. and the starting point for most of the New York City Ballet's ballerinas. Through stunning photography, they'll enter SAB's classrooms and get an intimate look at how elite dancers train. The visit begins in a pre-ballet class, moves to SAB's Children's Ballet Division (11-year-olds), and finally arrived at the near-professional Advanced Ballet classes (16-year-olds). Along the way, newcomers to ballet will learn about the school's dress code; see close-up images of young students demonstrating all the basic positions; and find out what goes into performing each step. Just like a real dance class, the book opens with a barre where dancers warm up and then shifts to the center, where ballerinas can show off their balance, perform combinations, and eventually practice partnering. (There's also a glimpse at boy's class, too!) The on-the-page performance is absolutely inspiring, with every dancer in perfect, elegant form: all the photos and instructions have been checked by the teachers at SAB for accuracy. And most exciting of all is watching a girl get ready to go on stage for a dress rehearsal, applying her makeup, straightening their costumes, and making sure every hair is in place. It's the stuff of which dreams are made, and the finest children's introduction to ballet ever published! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Must Have for Beginning Dancers
This book is the perfect book for any beginning dancers.It is full of pictures, descriptions, definitions, and more.It is fun to look at and fun to learn from.For more of my thoughts go to: [...].

Thanks for a wonderful book!Should be required for every beginning dance class.

Book Review - Prima Princess Ballet for Beginners
While my girls are not ballet dancers (at least not yet), they did love the Prima Princess DVD that I reviewed before, so I thought that this book would be a great addition to the growing dance collection that the Divadomwas collecting. In reading the book to my girls I was impressed with the number of of great resources within the book. As mentioned above the book is a treasure trove of images and easy to understand information on EVERYTHING ballet.

I would easily say that this book would be a great gift and resource for any aspiring ballet dancer!

Wonderful introduction to ballet
This is a beautifully put-together introduction to ballet, with a layout and content that will appeal to a fairly wide age range. My daughter, who is three loves it, though she doesn't understand much of the more in-depth explanations. She just jumps up and starts trying to do what she sees in the pictures. For older children, the dancers from the School of American Ballet are inspiring models. The photography is great.

Prima Princessa's Ballet for Beginners is WONDERFUL!
My daughter and I have had so much fun with this wonderful ballet book!She is currently in a creative movement class (she's 4) and of course dreams of being a ballerina!She loves looking at the pictures and practicing the positions.Prima Princessa takes you through the magical journey of becoming a ballerina.You learn about beginning and advanced ballet classes, all of the basic positions, leaps, turns and poses, and then how these are choreographed into dance.The photographs are lovely and the descriptions are very thorough and easy to understand.It's the sort of book she will love for years to come! ... Read more

Product Description
In this stunning new collection of reviews and essays, dance critic Marcia B. Siegel grapples with the floating identity of ballet, as well as particular ballets, and with the expanding environment of spectacle in which ballet competes for an audience. Drawn from a wide variety of published sources, these writings concentrate on canonical works of ballet and how the performances of these works have been changing in significant ways. Siegel writes with a keen awareness of the history and mythology that surround particular works, while remaining attentive to the new ways in which a work is interpreted and re-presented by contemporary choreographers and dancers. Through her readable and provocative writings, Siegel offers critical insight into performances of the past twenty-five years to give us a new understanding of ballet in performance. The volume includes over one hundred pieces on a variety of ballet topics, from specific dances and dancers to companies and choreographers, ranging from Swan Lake and The Nutcracker to Nijinsky, Balanchine, Tharp, and Morris to the Bolshoi, the Joffrey, the Miami City Ballet, the Boston Ballet, to name just a few. ... Read more

Product Description
Gerard Uferas spent a year with the Paris Opera Ballet family, and his photographs lead readers into the private world of the Opera Garnier, Paris’s landmark opera house. He took his camera backstage, into the wings, the practice halls named after the great figures in the history of ballet, and the ornate neo-Baroque foyer where the dancers gather to warm up before each performance. His images retrace the constant work, sometimes trying, often exhilarating, that fills the days at the ballet, revealing the concentration that precedes a dancer’s entrance on to the stage, the poise and gestures, the moments of exertion and of rest. Uferas reveals the secrets of a usually cloistered world, documenting the toil, the dedication, and the months of preparation that culminate in moments of breathtaking beauty on the stage. By capturing forever the ephemeral art of the dance, the photographer has created an enduring homage to the otherwise fleeting professional lives of the dancers. The result is an art that transcends both dance and photography; a unique partnership with its own exquisite choreography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The pictures didn't really jump off the page...
I'd seen a documentary about the Paris Opera Ballet dancers, and I eagerly anticipated flipping through this book.I was expecting more photographs of the dancers actually dancing, as opposed to shots of people talking, etc.To be fair, this was touted as a "behind the scenes" look, not a compilation of performance photographs.But what enthralls me about these dancers is the amazing things they do; I'm not as riveted by them just standing still.I ended up returning the book, unfortunately.It was also oversized, so (even though it's meant to be more of a coffee-table book) it didn't fit on my bookshelf.Others may like the broader selection of pictures, but I was really hoping for more beautiful shots of dancers in motion. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

A great story, compellng told and a damn good "read"
You may be skeptical about this book, fearing it will be a scissor-and-paste affair of yellowing clippings, stale press-book biographies, ballet synopses and tiresome chronologies or, worse, a saccharine hagiography by a devoted son praising St. Lucia.

All such notions are dispelled a few pages in. It's a great story compellingly told and a damn good "read."

Ewing has avoided many pitfalls in its construction and telling and spent many years in research. It's an honest and evenhanded an account of his twin and inseparable subjects - Lucia Chase and American Ballet Theatre - and it's vividly and exuberantly written.

There have been some picture histories of ABT, and a number of autobiographies by dancers have touched ABT's story but often only as it affected them.

Ewing gives us the whole story, as seen through the 40-year involvement of Miss Chase as dreamer, dancer, benefactor and driving force behind the often imperiled troupe's rise to one of the world's top dance companies.

We are very fortunate to have such an important story told so well by someone who was there through it all, if only in knee pants during ABT's earliest years.

Yet one achievement of the book is how Ewing has reconsidered his youthful impressions from a detached, adult point of view. As a former manager of a major dance company, Ewing is a doubly qualified critic of his mother's limitations.

These include her lapses in running the business side of the company, for which she had no feel, and perpetually having to rescue ABT from extinction with her personal fortune.

And he is to be commended for the delicate way he has intertwined his family history without unduly imposing on the narrative.

Ewing's portraits of choreographers Tudor, Robbins, de Mille and others as well as ABT's great dancers are quite skillfully done and with a great eye for detail.

The book brings many great moments to life. The accounts of the opening nights of "Pillar of Fire," "Fancy Free," "Fall River Legend, "Harbinger" and other major ballets share the excitement and triumph.

Moreover, Ewing has imbued his writing with the warm sense of "family" the ABT company shared in its golden if often imperiled years and which seems to have gone as others took over and ballet turned into a business.

Finally, "Bravura!" renders a three-dimensional, unvarnished picture of Lucia Chase and captures the passion for dance she and the company instilled in millions when ballet was foreign and unknown in America ... and for which she willingly sacrificed so much.

"Bravura!" earns a standing ovation from lovers of ballet and theater.

Bravo Bravura !
Up front, I'm an insider.The author is my cousin, the subject my aunt.
I was only a distant and very junior spectator to some of the events recounted in the book.
One reason for writing this review is that I, like hundreds of the members of American Ballet Theatre (ABT) during the forty years described, was the beneficiary of Lucia Chase's extraordinary kindness and generosity.This is a way of publicly expressing my thanks to her.
But Lucia Chase was many things besides being kind and generous.She was passionate and determined, often to the point of hair-tearing obstinacy.
The book is a must read for anyone interested in American ballet.
For today's balletomanes accustomed to having five important companies in New York and dozens elsewhere across the country, the book describes the painful process of arriving there.ABT was the pioneer.Its birth and survival were a saga.When it was launched in the 1940's, the U.S. was a wasteland in terms of ballet, the only offerings being sporadic visits by foreign companies.
The hard grit business of creating a ballet public in the U.S. meant years of gruelling bus tours between modest hotels, low salaries, inadequate theatres and perpetual financial insecurity.Only ABT did this.
The book is beautifully crafted and perfectly edited.It reads like a thriller.

A wonderful book!
Bravo to "Bravura!" This book, page by page, is a transfixing history of Lucia Chase and The American Ballet Theatre. Detailed, but nuanced, Alex Ewing presents an honest story that for dancers and dance lovers everywhere is both familiar and surprising. Beautifully written, Alex Ewing has an eye of an historian and a heart of a dancer.

A terrific read!
A must-read for lovers of dance.The story of an amazing woman, and how she ran America's greatest ballet company through thick and thin for nearly 40 years. ... Read more