Author: Michelle Meadows Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (BYR) ISBN: 1250242231 Category : Juvenile Nonfiction Languages : en Pages : 32
Book Description
A lyrical picture book biography of Janet Collins, the first African American principal dancer at the Metropolitan Opera House. Janet Collins wanted to be a ballerina in the 1930s and 40s, a time when racial segregation was widespread in the United States. Janet pursued dance with a passion, despite being rejected from discriminatory dance schools. When she was accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as a teenager on the condition that she paint her skin white for performances, Janet refused. She continued to go after her dreams, never compromising her values along the way. From her early childhood lessons to the height of her success as the first African American prima ballerina in the Metropolitan Opera, Brave Ballerina is the story of a remarkable pioneer as told by Michelle Meadows, with fantastic illustrations from Ebony Glenn.
Author: Robin Farley Publisher: HarperCollins ISBN: 0062101641 Category : Juvenile Fiction Languages : en Pages : 35
Book Description
Mia the kitten who loves ballet is back in another sweet I Can Read story perfect for fans of Tallulah books and aspiring ballerinas everywhere. When Mia grows up, she wants to be just like her big sister, Ava! Ava is a ballerina in a real show, and Mia's class is taking a trip to visit her. Mia and her friends watch Ava dance in the ballet, and then Ava shows them how to do some new moves. Mia tries to dance her best so that Ava will watch, but Ava is too busy helping Mia's friends to notice. How can Mia show her big sister what a great ballerina she is? Mia and the Big Sister Ballet is Mia's fourth My First I Can Read book, perfect for shared reading with a child.
Author: Misty Copeland Publisher: Simon and Schuster ISBN: 1476737983 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 288
Book Description
Profiles the life and career of the professional ballerina, covering from when she began dance classes at age thirteen in an after-school community center through becoming the only African American soloist dancing with the American Ballet Theatre.
Author: Lise Friedman Publisher: Penguin ISBN: 1101652535 Category : Juvenile Nonfiction Languages : en Pages : 56
Book Description
The perfect holiday gift for every young ballet lover. Go backstage at the ballet with real-life thirteen-year-old dancer Fiona. Dozens of gorgeous, full-color photographs welcome readers into Fiona's world, as she goes from auditions, to rehearsals, to opening night playing Clara, the lead child's role in Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker. Experience the nerves, the hard work, and ultimately the thrill of performing on the big stage with a professional company. This is a beautiful holiday gift that young dancers will cherish all year round.
Author: Gavin Larsen Publisher: University Press of Florida ISBN: 081306595X Category : Performing Arts Languages : en Pages : 268
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.
Author: Leda Schubert Publisher: little bee books ISBN: 9781499805925 Category : Juvenile Nonfiction Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
This beautiful picture book tells the little-known story of Raven Wilkinson, the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company and an inspiration to Misty Copeland. When she was only five years old, her parents took her to see the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Raven perched on her crushed velvet seat, heard the tympani, and cried with delight even before the curtain lifted. From that moment on, her passion for dance only grew stronger. No black ballerina had ever danced with a major touring troupe before. Raven would be the first. Raven Wilkinson was born on February 2, 1935, in New York City. From the time she was a little girl, all she wanted to do was dance. On Raven's ninth birthday, her uncle gifted her with ballet lessons, and she completely fell in love with dance. While she was a student at Columbia University, Raven auditioned for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and was finally accepted on her third try, even after being told she couldn't dance with them because of her skin color. When she started touring with her troupe in the United States in 1955, Raven encountered much racism in the South, but the applause, alongside the opportunity to dance, made all the hardship worth it. Several years later she would dance for royalty with the Dutch National Ballet and regularly performed with the New York City Opera until she was fifty. This beautiful picture book tells the uplifting story of the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company and how she became a huge inspiration for Misty Copeland. Theodore Taylor III's unique, heavy line style of illustration brings a deeper level of fluidity and life to the work, and Misty Copeland's beautifully written foreword will delight ballet and dance fans of all ages.
Author: Michaela DePrince Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers ISBN: 0385755112 Category : Juvenile Nonfiction Languages : en Pages : 258
Book Description
"The memoir of Michaela DePrince, who lived the first few years of her live in war-torn Sierra Leone until being adopted by an American Family. Now seventeen, she is one of the premiere ballerinas in the United States"--
Author: Darci Kistler Publisher: ibooks ISBN: 1596875305 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 117
Book Description
FAIRY TALES CAN COME TRUE From the time she was eight, Darci Kistler knew she wanted to be a ballerina. At thirteen she was on her own in New York City, attending one of the most famous ballet schools in the world. At seventeen she became the youngest principal ballertina in the history of the New York City Ballet. How did Darci make her dream come true? In her own words, she tells about her amazing career, from her first pink tutu to her starring role in The Nutcracker ballet. Here is the fairy tale story of what it's really like to become a ballerina. A Byron Preiss Visual Publications, Inc. Book Illustrated with photographs
Author: Charlotte Nebres Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers ISBN: 0593374924 Category : Juvenile Fiction Languages : en Pages : 40
Book Description
A reimagined and modern take on the holiday favorite, this picture book weaves together the classic Christmas tale of The Nutcracker and the true-life story of 12-year-old ballerina Charlotte Nebres, the first Black girl to play Marie in the New York City Ballet’s production. The only thing Charlotte loves as much as ballet is Christmas. So, when she gets the opportunity to play Marie in the New York City Ballet's The Nutcracker, she leaps at the chance. Dancing takes practice-hours of adjusting her arms and perfecting her jumps. With the help of her Trinidadian and Filipino families, encouragement from her sister, and a view of her mom and dad in the audience, Charlotte finds the strength to never give up. In this spectacular debut full of fluid, dynamic illustrations, Charlotte provides youngsters with a multicultural tale of family, dance, and holiday cheer.
Author: Michelle Meadows
Author: Robin Farley
Author: Sue McMillan
Author: Misty Copeland
Author: Lise Friedman
Author: Gavin Larsen
Author: Leda Schubert
Author: Michaela DePrince
Author: Darci Kistler
Author: Charlotte Nebres