Ballet News Reviews | Ballet Spectacular
Ballet Spectacular. Quite a title to live up to, and the good news is that this book is a delight. Beautifully put together without overloading young readers, this book acts as a guide to all things ballet. Its glossy production is perfect for the lavish photography as you begin with a bite-sized history of ballet, on through creating a ballet and ending up with a few of our most famous ballets.
Questions, questions
How do you learn ballet ? What are the basic ballet positions ? What can you expect if you go to watch the ballet ? Which are the brand new ballets ? What about the music for the ballet, or the costumes ? What exactly is a tutu and what is the correct position for dancing on pointe ? What is life in a ballet company like ? Or a ballet school ? What does a dancer do all day ?
All these questions are more are covered in Ballet Spectacular, each in a neat and easy to read format that encourages you to want to find out more.
Royal Ballet dancers Yasmine Naghdi and Marcelino Sambé explain what their days are like in the Company, and although this is a book based around The Royal Ballet, other famous ballet companies and dancers are here too.
Royal Ballet Principal Lauren Cuthbertson talks about recovering from injury and says, “dealing with minor strains and injury is part of the daily working life of a dancer but when you have a serious illness or injury, it’s very hard emotionally and physically because you feel that everything you’ve worked for so hard disappears.” At The Royal Ballet there is a crack team of specialists on hand to help prevent injury – from sports scientists, soft tissue therapists to a psychologist and nutritionalist, and you can discover what each person does.
Natalia Dwyer, a student at The Royal Ballet School, gives her take on daily life at a vocational ballet school, and the most exciting things she’s done so far. This section covers school uniforms, finding a class and auditioning as well.
There is emphasis on behind-the-scenes life in the theatre – how a dancer moves up the ranks and spotlights on Sylvie Guillem, Irek Mukhamedov, Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope.
The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty – if these are your favourites then you’ll be pleased as these famous ballets and more are covered along with a synopsis of the story and some ballet facts – and more beautiful photography.
Ballet Spectacular gives a light-hearted look at the art form and the design is beautiful. As a children’s guide to ballet it fits the bill perfectly and there’s something for everyone; young dancer or ballet newbie.
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