Gloria's Promise: A Ballet Dancer's First Step

by Robin Preiss Glasser, Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman

From the New York Times bestselling illustrator and former ballet soloist Robin Preiss Glasser comes a story about a young ballet dancer whose boundless determination makes her dream of dancing with the American Ballet Theatre come true.

Gloria has a very big dream: to be admitted to the summer program at the American Ballet Theatre. The day of the audition arrives, and Gloria couldn't be more excited! She can't wait to dance and show the world what she can do. In the ABT studios, she gets a peek into a glorious room filled with pointe shoes, ballet dancers getting fitted for tutus, and an awe-inspiring company rehearsal. She can barely believe her eyes!

During the audition, Gloria is determined to make an impression by pushing herself to be her best. But when she falls in front of the teacher, she wonders if her determination will be enough.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

40 pages, Library Binding

First published March 21, 2023

About the author

Robin Preiss Glasser has illustrated such bestsellers as Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest! by Judith Viorst, Daddy’s Girl by Garrison Keillor, and the Fancy Nancy picture books. She lives in Southern California with her family, puppy, and tiara collection. You can visit her online at www.fancynancyworld.com.

Reviews

[Jared White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The combination of the text and illustration perfectly conveys Gloria's love and dedication to ballet. You can tell it's a joy to her but she realizes and it's stated at APT that it also requires a lot of hard work. If you have a little ballet lover in your life then this would be a great one to share.

One of the things I love about the (original) Fancy Nancy books is the illustrations and the illustrations contained in this book are just as good or better. Glasser perfectly captures Gloria's enthusiasm, joy, and dedication for ballet, from endpapers at the beginning showing how she dances and practices throughout her day to the glimpse inside her room (which is filled with ballet posters). Glasser's familiarity with ballet is liberally scattered in the details on each page, how Gloria and the other dancers stand and the poses caught as they move.

Given the length of the text, I don't think I would try to use this book in a storytime for any children younger than kindergarten, but I think it could work great in an elementary storytime. Though the kids may miss some of the details contained in a few of the pictures, it's a fairly large book and most of the illustrations would work well with a crowd.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I hate "Fancy Nancy" both for literary and personal reasons. I wasn't wild about Grand Jeté and Me: A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids.

But Robin Preiss Glasser didn't write those, she just illustrated them. And this book was created by her with Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman, who did several books I loved and is Glasser's sister!

And both were dancers--Glasser was a soloist with the Pennsylvania Ballet!

Anyway, to sum it up this is not only a lovely ballet book--the art really captures what ballet movement is like--it has a wonderful real NYC feel to it.

As a NYer in exile and as someone who has danced (badly) for decades, how could I NOT love it?

"Brava!" to the Preiss sisters!!

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers know that the main character loves ballet as soon as they open this book – the front endpapers show thumbnails of a young girl dancing exuberantly in whatever clothes she’s wearing, even pajamas. And then on the first page, we meet Gloria, who is getting ready to head out into a winter storm – it turns out that she going for an audition for the summer intensive class at New York’s American Ballet Theatre. Excited and nervous, Gloria leaves her mother and gets ready. On her way to Studio 5, Gloria gets lost and notices a room filled with pointe shoes, another where a costume fitting is taking place, and even happens by a room where the ballet company’s rehearsal is taking place. Finally Gloria finds the studio for her audition. She finds herself transported as she feels “…her body come alive as she danced.” But, then, Gloria falls – in the room full of people, including the head of the school, the pianist and fifteen other auditioning children. Does she give up? She does not! And at the end of the story, Gloria gets good news.

This ballet-centric story will delight young dancers of all genders and races. Glasser’s energetic, action-filled ink, watercolor and gouache artwork channels so much love for the world of ballet that it’s hard not to be moved. And it turns out that Glasser’s first career, before becoming the illustrator of Jane O’Connor beloved Fancy Nancy books, was as a ballerina herself. The author and illustrator are sisters, and the text and art perfectly complement each other. The back endpapers show thumbnails of Gloria in a leotard demonstrating ballet positions. This is a great story for aspiring dancers, as it shows determination and learning to always get up and try again.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of an aspiring ballerina uses the word "promise" to represent personal talent and a commitment to work hard. The illustrations are colorful and full of interesting details, and the story shows a girl's love for ballet, challenging audition, growth through making mistakes, and joy over pursuing her dreams. The illustrations are racially diverse and picture multiple male dancers in addition to women and girls.

The story will mainly appeal to aspiring dancers and their families, and doesn't have much reach beyond that, but parents and educators can also use this as a way to introduce children to the art of ballet and the importance of a growth mindset.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser collaborates with her sister Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and The American Ballet Theatre to present this story of a ballet focused young dancer as she tries out for a dance school. While the audition doesn't go as plan, Gloria does learn the value of keeping a positive attitude and not letting one failure bring you down.

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief summary: Gloria wants to be in the summer program at the American Ballet Theatre School. She auditions for the opportunity to be in the class, but it does not go as well as she planned.

Comments: A story of persistence towards perfecting an artistic talent. This is an inspirational children's book for young readers.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

[James Zaksek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reminded of the first time I stepped into a ballet class. I had no clue what I was doing and I definitely didn't feel like I belonged. After a couple sessions, I was comfortable with everything going on around me. I love ballet as a result and have pursued it throughout my adult life now as a hobby. This book reminded me a lot of what I first went through with ballet. Top notch.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The emphasis on both working hard and really *going* for something here is great. It does work out for Gloria (she falls in the audition but gets into the summer intensive).

The illustrations are great. They really convey New York, and I *loved* the Easter eggs of the photos and posters on Gloria's wall.

[Binxie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharing memories of her audition for the summer intensive program at ABT, Glasser's artwork will be familiar to Fancy Nancy readers. Weitzman and Glasser team up to produce a sweet story of one girls experience. For fans of ballet, this one works.

[Jessie Regunberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and a great lesson

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

love the pictures

[Sam W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute watercolor illustrated book about a little girl's audition to attend an intensive ballet summer school.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need to recommend this book to my friends who are ballet teachers....and also have girls who do ballet. It is a great read about perseverance, dedication, and the beauty of ballet.

[Lisa Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gloria's excitement & anticipation is palpable. Such a sweet story of reaching for your dreams

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no clue the illustrator of the Fancy Nancy books was a professional ballet dancer. Fantastic!

[Zazie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great! I loved everything about this book. I'd recommend it to any child at this point.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The endpapers of this picture book show all the hard work that goes into ballet in the front section while the back endpapers show off the payoff as a dancer performs. Inside, readers will be engaged in the aspirations of Gloria, the book's protagonist, who struggles through a wintery day in New York City to try out for the summer program run by the American Ballet Theatre School. The story is cyclical since it begins with Gloria being anxious and annoyed by everything as she prepares mentally for her audition and concludes with her feeling as though all is right with her world as the summer program begins. There is no more snow, the sun is shining, and her bright future beckons her. In between, right before her audition, she wanders through the building to see members of the professional company rehearsing. And despite all her practice, training, and enthusiasm, her tryout is marred by her fall while skipping. Naturally, Gloria is devastated, but she picks herself up and throws herself into the dance again, possibly showing that she has what it takes to be a dancer and isn't going to let one fall or one mistake stop her. The ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations capture perfectly Gloria's mood during the long wait for news after her audition as well as before and after she visited the ABT, and her mother's face and body language also reveal her concern for and pride in her daughter. Clearly, the artist knows something about dance, judging by the carefully drawn illustrations featuring various poses. Naturally, would-be ballerinas will love this book written by a ballet insider, but there's also a strong message of resilience and persistence threaded through the text that will be helpful for anyone. Life, after all, is full of risks and falls, and what matters is not how many times someone falls but how many times that person gets back up.