Ballet

Charlotte has never even seen ballet but lately she's been talking non-stop about it.  So today we dug out an old leotard and some ballet books that were Madeleine's.  In the kitchen, using chairs as a barre we practiced plies.  We followed the pictures in the book showing feet and hand positions.  Charlotte had me hold her leg up like the couple on one of the pages.  I think it might be time to sign up for a dance class!

My Ballet Book

Kate Castle 1998

This book covers everything about ballet- the positions, the performance, stage design, costumes, makeup, backstage, dance stars, the history of ballet, the music, etc...

 

Then we read through the stories of some of the most famous ballets:  Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Coppelia, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.  There are all sorts of tidbits about costumes and sets and ballet traditions.  The book opens with an introduction by the ballerina Darcy Bussell.

DK Read & Listen: Illustrated Book of Ballet Stories (DK Read & Listen)

Barbara Newman 1997

illustrated by Gill Tomblin