The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories

by Jane Yolen, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, Rebecca Guay (Illustrator)

Let yourself be drawn into the magical world of the dance with this sumptuous anthology. Love, laughter, betrayal, adventure and tragedy intertwine to create stories that will reach deep into the heart and dreams of the reader. The story of "The Sleeping Beauty" will whisk you away to the thorny castle where Princess Aurora awaits her prince; the comedy and confusion of "Coppélia" will delight you, and the magical adventures of Clara in "The Nutcracker" will entrance you.

Featuring a brief history of classical ballet, as well as historical details of each dance, composition, choreography and early performances, this book will captivate anyone with a love of this awe-inspiring art.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Short Stories, Fiction, Art

96 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Jane Yolen was a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who wrote more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lived in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Nhi Nguyễn]

Là một người yêu thích tìm hiểu về các bộ môn nghệ thuật cổ điển phương Tây, đặc biệt là ballet (nhiều khi cũng ước ao múa được như người ta lắm :D), nên khi thấy cuốn sách này là mình phải mua ngay không chần chừ ^^ Về hình thức thì thôi khỏi nói, nhìn cái bìa là đã phát ham, đẹp muốn rụng tim luôn <3 <3 <3 Tranh vẽ minh họa các phân cảnh trong vở ballet thì khá lộng lẫy và duyên dáng. Phần tóm tắt nội dung cốt truyện của các vở cũng được trình bày rất chỉn chu và đẹp mắt.

Nhưng điều mình yêu thích nhất sau khi đọc xong cuốn sách những tưởng chỉ dành cho trẻ em này, đó là những hiểu biết mới mẻ và những thông tin hấp dẫn, thú vị được cuốn sách hé lộ về các vở ballet nổi tiếng của thế giới. Ví dụ như vở “Hồ Thiên Nga” trứ danh (nhắc đến ballet cổ điển không thể không nhắc đến tác phẩm thuộc hàng tuyệt tác này) do nhà soạn nhạc vĩ đại người Nga Tchaikovsky biên soạn phần nhạc, thực sự khi mới ra mắt đã bị các nhà phê bình chê thậm tệ, do phần nhạc trước khi diễn đã bị diễn viên thay đổi, chắp vá theo ý cô ấy, thay thế bằng vũ đạo, thành ra phần âm nhạc tuyệt tác của Tchaikovsky đã không được giữ trọn vẹn, còn cả phần trình diễn thì bị biến thành một mớ hầm bà lằng hổ lốn. Tchaikovsky nuối hận vào trong, tiếp tục soạn nhạc cho hai vở ballet cũng nổi tiếng không kém là “Người đẹp ngủ trong rừng” và “Kẹp Hạt Dẻ” (ôi vở này cũng nổi tiếng cỡ “Hồ Thiên Nga” đó ^^), và đạt được thành công vang dội (quân tử trả thù mười năm chưa muộn mà :D). Phải vài năm sau, khi Marius Pepita dựng lại vũ đạo cho vở ballet “Hồ Thiên Nga”, nó mới thành công rực rỡ. Cho nên cái gì mà ban đầu mấy bạn làm bị chê tơi tả, thì mấy bạn cũng đừng buồn nha, hãy lấy tấm gương của Tchaikosvky với vở “Hồ Thiên Nga” này mà học hỏi :D

À mình còn biết thêm tên tuổi của nữ nghệ sĩ múa ballet nổi tiếng thế giới Anna Pavlova, biết thêm 2 vở ballet nữa là “Coppélia: Cô Gái Mắt Sứ” và “Daphnis và Chloe”. Rồi còn cả nguồn gốc của bộ môn ballet, với vở diễn ballet thực thụ đầu tiên mang tên “Le Ballet Comique de la Reine” (“Vở ballet hài của Hoàng hậu”), được sáng tác theo yêu cầu của Hoàng hậu Catherine de Medici (NXB Kim Đồng ghi sai chính tả chữ “hoàng hậu” trong tiếng Pháp rồi, ghi là “Raine” thay vì là “Reine”). Bà là Hoàng hậu của triều đình Pháp, vợ vua Pháp Henry II, nhưng bà là người gốc Ý (cái họ Medici nói lên tất cả :D), thành ra chắc có lẽ thế mà cuốn sách đã ghi nhận ballet có nguồn gốc từ triều đình Ý chăng? :))

Nói chung là sách đẹp, giấy láng o (giấy couché mà lị), minh họa bắt mắt. Bạn nào yêu thích tìm hiểu về các vở ballet nổi tiếng thế giới thì mại dzô nha :D

[Abigail]

Co-authors Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple, who are also mother and daughter, tell the stories of seven classic ballets in this lovely anthology from Barefoot Books. Beginning with a very basic history of ballet as a dance form, they go on to tell both the history and story of Coppélia (Delibes), Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky), Cinderella (Prokofiev), The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky), Shim Chung (Pickard), The Sleeping Beauty (Tchaikovsky) and Daphnis and Chloe (Ravel). The narratives are accompanied by the artwork of illustrator Rebecca Guay, and a bibliography and list of websites is included at the rear...

Although I have long been an admirer of the prolific Jane Yolen, whose books I have been reading for many years, I initially tracked down The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories because I was looking for more of artist Rebecca Guay's illustrations, after enjoying her work in Muti's Necklace: The Oldest Story in the World and Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic . I was not disappointed on that score, finding the visuals here breathtakingly beautiful, and I only wish Guay had illustrated more books in this vein. The text was also appealing, and I found the stories very well written, and quite engaging. I appreciated the little histories of each ballet - how and when they were composed and first performed - that were included before the stories themselves. I was familiar with six of the seven ballets already, and was pleased to learn about Shim Chung, based upon a Korean fairy-tale, and blending western and eastern artistic traditions. I'm not sure why it is, but the reprint done of this book in 2009 did not include this story/ballet, so I'd recommend seeking out the original 2004 edition. Recommended to young ballet lovers, to anyone seeking an anthology containing the stories of famous ballets, and to fans of Rebecca Guay.

[Set]

My favorite ballet stories are in this book, great selection of classical ballet. I'm not a big fan of the Balanchine style but I am a lover of classical story ballet. I think that if these Balanchine choreographers were to make a ballet with a timeless story, music, and costume, the Balanchine style would be more tolerable and the sharp and crisp dance style might be more graceful and appealing. But honestly, Balanchine style usually looks like ballet on crack. Contemporary ballet and Neo-classical ballet is not ballet to me. I'm glad that the author only included classical story ballet.
I understand that Carmen and Othello (two different classical ballets) were not included because they are not original ballet stories but I do wish that Giselle (original classical story ballet) had been included. After all, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are not original ballets and they were included; you can read about them in almost anything. The stories are beautifully told and the author was true to the stories. I was surprised that Swan Lake's ending was not changed from the original and I'm very happy about that; sometimes it's just better when the villain wins and the story is a tragedy. I remember those good ol' days when I was part of the Nutcracker with my twin sister as flowers and tin soldiers in the Jackie Gleason Theater; my older was a rat and later came to be Claire. Coppélia, Daphnis and Cloe are included in these classical ballet stories.

[Melody Schwarting]

Lovely book design and great writing from Yolen and Stemple of the classic stories. A few weird choices, such as Shim Chung, which was written for the daughter of Reverend Sun Myung Moon, and the introduction to that story includes Julia Moon's marriage to her fiancé...after he died. Kind of a strange choice for a children's storybook, but it's not like ballet plots are happy-clappy either! I love Rebecca Guay's art, which is sometimes realistic and sometimes more fantastical. I wish there were more illustrations, but I do love a good page border, and each ballet has a unique one. The detail is great, as when the authors mention a performance of Cinderella where the Prince lost his shoe, too!

Ballet stories included:
Coppélia
Swan Lake
Cinderella
The Nutcracker
Shim Chung
The Sleeping Beauty
Daphnis and Chloë

[Lady Entropy]

Even thought this is a children's book, I couldn't resist the gorgeous artwork (that earns it at the very least two stars) by Rebecca Guay. The stories are a good, simple introduction to the tales of several popular ballets, but, honestly, I got it for the art alone. Recommended for any Guay fans, or young girls who love the ballet.

[Dominika]

Beautiful illustrations (though not enough of them!) The text was a bit long winded, but my five year old sat rapt through them all and then we enjoyed watching video clips from the ballets afterwards.

[Booktearainyday]

Ho sempre invidiato una mia amica perché aveva questo libro perché ha delle illustrazioni pazzesche

[Bethany]

A lovely little book of Ballet stories. It's a collection of about seven of the more famous Ballets and their version of popular fairy tales. Which was interesting. Technically I've only seen the Nutcracker ballet. But I'm familiar with all most of the stories featured in this book, and three were brand new to me. After reading these I'm interested in actually maybe seeing these ballets performed. Especially the Korean one, Shim Chung.
Also I enjoyed the introductions to each story, the history behind each performance was fun to learn about. I chuckled a the part when Prince Charming also lost his shoe in Cinderella.
Overall it's a perfect book for children who are interested in Ballets.
Recommended: Sure
Buy/Borrow? Either or

[Chóe]

Cuốn sách mỏng dành cho trẻ em này hay quá. Cuốn sách chỉ trình bày đôi chút về ba lê thôi. 2 trang về lược sử ba lê cổ điển. 6 trang giới thiệu sơ qua về hoàn cảnh ra đời của 6 vở ba lê.
Phần chính là nội dung 6 vở ba lê và minh hoạ đẹp:
- Coppélia: Cô gái mắt sứ, dựa trên truyện của E.T.A. Hoffman
Soạn nhạc: Léo Delibes
- Hồ thiên nga: dựa trên truyện cổ dân gian châu Âu
Soạn nhạc: P.I. Tchaikovsky
- Lọ lem:
Soạn nhạc: Sergei Prokofiev
- Kẹp hạt dẻ: dựa trên truyện của E.T.A. Hoffman
Soạn nhạc: P.I. Tchaikovsky
- Người đẹp ngủ trong rừng:
Soạn nhạc: P.I. Tchaikovsky
- Daphnis bà Chloe: truyện cổ Hi Lạp khoảng thế kỷ 2 hoặc 3
Soạn nhạc: Maurice Ravel

Đọc xong cuốn sách nhỏ này thấy cần phải đi xem hết mấy vở ba lê này và phải đọc E.T.A. Hoffman mới được.

[Andrew]

I love Jane Yolen, BUT....she put too much verbiage into each of the storylines of the ballets, though she does provide backstories before the 5 or so page print versions (with less pictures) of the ballets' plot (with dialogue...not common in ballet), including mentioning famous dancers, composers, tidbits. The 'limited' illustrations are beautifully done...mentions the most recognizable ballets in history: Coppelia, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Nutcracker, Shin Chung (one of the most iconic ballets internationally to meld Ballet with Asian dance, cool), Sleeping Beauty and Daphnis and Chloe...

[Tessa]

This book is absolutely beautiful. Both the stories and illustrations are charming and they complement each other well. This would be a great read-aloud book.

It would also pair well with Footnotes: Dancing the World's Best-Loved Ballets.

[Emma Lam]

Wonderful book with so many ballet stories! The words are beautiful and they captured the spirit of ballet stories well with vivid pictures. My daughter has returned to the book regularly.

[Verena]

It has gorgeous beautiful pictures with ballet.
But the retelling is not so interesting.
For a child book, too tragic.

[Như Cát]

beautiful, as expected.

[Sally]

We read through Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty as part of our study on Tchaikovsky. Thoroughly enjoyed the retellings and illustrations.

[PottWab Regional Library]

A

[Betsy]

If you have a ballerina in your house, this is worth checking out! Even if you don't, this book is a terrific introduction to some of the classical ballets in story form. Introductory notes, nice illustrations, and wonderfully written stories will make this a fun read for ballet devotees. Reading level is upper elementary; stories are fairly long/few pictures, making this a better read aloud to K+ than preschool.

[Rebecca]

I knew going in that the combination of Jane Yolen and Rebecca Guay was going to be marvelous, but you can really see their love for, and experience with, ballet in every page. Each story is prefaced with a story about the ballet, and Guay's illustrations capture beautiful moments in each ballet.

Well worth it for anyone who has ever loved ballet.

[Tori]

Who doesn't love Jane Yolen? These are the classic fairy tales retold in a ballet style- beautiful art and story, as always! Find this and other Barefoot Books on my website.

[Megan]

I LOVED this!

[Rivkah]

The Illistations are wonderful, and the writer does a great job of summing up the plot lines of some of the most loved ballets

[Ɠяαcє O'Ɓяιєη➵]

I read this book when I was 8 or 9 and it was really good.

[Jennie]

Beautiful pictures and well-told stories a good length. Would get from library again to read the rest. Angelou chose and enjoyed for a while.