Ballerina: A Step-by-Step Guide to Ballet

by Jane Hackett

Find everything your child needs to know to improve their ballet in this book and DVD from Director of the English National Ballet School, Jane Hackett. From first position to en pointe, the book shows detailed step-by-step photographs of how young ballerinas can improve on each position whatever their age or stage; making it enjoyable and easy to perfect their style. Discover the best things to wear to class, how to combine positions and even how to choreograph a ballet. Watch the DVD together and see the ballet steps and individual dances in motion, then have fun helping your child practise as they watch.

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens

80 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2007

Reviews

[Joenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the better juvenile non fiction books on ballet. This one actually used real dancers! The books used dancers from the Royal Opera Ballet and there is a definite difference in the quality. Great pictures, text, explanations of steps, and showing actual floor patterns of dances.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love all the photos and step-by-step instructions.

Miss 4 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Jessica López-Barkl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a section a day with my daughter Zia, as I review ballet, in preparation to teach it to her, when she's old enough. The joy of being a working artist/professor is the fact that I don't make enough money to pay for lessons for her, but...I can review my own skills and get her far enough along, in the hopes that when and if she surpasses my skills, I'll be able to afford lessons by that time. She might not even like ballet, so...there's that, as well. I would have loved to be a dancer, but my family couldn't afford it, and by the time there was some supplemental income for me to take lessons; I was already in 8th grade, and my turn out was set to almost nothing. I also don't have much of an arch. I hope that if she does like it, she will be young enough to develop the strength in her hips and feet, which will allow her the choice. If not, it's good discipline and it's a foundation for so many movement forms.

The book is an easy, albeit incomplete guide to ballet. It gives a student some language to begin his/her journey. It's also a good primer. There is a DVD to follow along, and with day-to-day practice, I should be ready to give Zia the nascent skills she can use. It's also a lovely review for me, when I teach the dance sections of my musical theater class.