EPLPicks- Books - So You Think You Can (Ballet) Dance
Annotation:While Sophie Flack's novel Bunheads has nothing to do with the Amy Sherman Palladino TV show of the same name, it is a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the ballet world written by a dancer at the New York City Ballet.
Annotation:Ballet has always provided an escape for Harriet, but now she's willing to escape for ballet. Rather than getting married and living the life that her family has planned for her, Harriet runs away and joins a ballet company that's set to tour South America.
Annotation:Kate Crane danced at the professional ballet company first; her younger sister Gwen danced best. But now Gwen has retreated back to their family home, leaving Kate to deal with an empty apartment, the loss to the company, and her own questions about her role in Gwen's breakdown.
Annotation:It's difficult for many people to imagine a time before ballet. Discover the evolution of the art from its original stages to its life today. If you are a lover of dance (or a fan of non-fiction), this might be just the book for you.
Annotation:Nina Revskaya was once a dancer in the Bolshoi Ballet. Now she is auctioning off the jewelry that she took with her when she and her busband moved to the states.
Annotation:Georgia is most comfortable when she's dancing; that's when she truly comes alive. Dancing at the Royal Ballet Academy - Canada's most prestigious seems like a dream come true, but will it be the experience that she hopes it will be?
Annotation:While most of the other books on this list look at female dancers, Dancer by Colum McCann looks at a male dancer - a fictionalized portrait of Rudolph Nureyev.
Annotation:Edward Degas. His name brings to mind a series of paintings featuring ballet dancers. Who were these dancers? Alexandrie is thrown into the world of the Opera Ballet as her family's last hope for wealth and fame. That's where she meets Degas, the artist who immortalizes dancers on canvas. Weaving art and dance with politics and sex, Dancing for Degas paints a picture of Parisian life in the 1800s.
Annotation:Canadian dancer Karen Kain was invited to join the National Ballet of Canada in 1969; she retired from professional dancing in 1997. Jump into her stories about her life onstage in her autobiograpy Karen Kain: Movement Never Lies.
Annotation:For Natalie, dance provides an escape from her life. She doesn't have to think about her parent's broken marriage, her father's new family (and her mother's new girlfriend). She doesn't have to fight her attraction to her best friend's brother. All she has to do is dance. When her teacher encourages her to explore new kinds of dancing and movement, Natalie just might be able to find her step after all.
Annotation:Sixteen-year-old Sara decides to leave her small Vermont town to become part of a New Jersey ballet company, but it's not going to be easy. She has to face a demanding class schedule, constant scrutiny, and a confusing relationship with the lead male dancer/budding choreographer. The book is written as a verse novel, echoing the fluid movements of a dance.
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When Black Swan was released in theatres in 2010, it brought ballet to a whole new audience. So far in 2012 there have been two TV shows based around ballet: Bunheads (on ABC Family/ABC Spark) and Breaking Pointe (on the CW). If you prefer imagining dance in your head (or reading it on the page), here are some ballet-themed books to help your enjoyment. CL/MNA
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