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Dance Me a Story: Twelve Tales from the Classic Ballets
“A beautiful guide. . . . The richly detailed watercolor illustrations . . . evoke the mood and atmosphere of each ballet.”― Prima Ballerina Jane Rosenberg’s delightful retellings for children of the greatest ballets―whether the tales are read as introductions to a ballet or to relive a production already seen, art and text combine to give a clear understanding of plot, scene, and character. Young children in particular will enjoy reading the stories―or having them read―both as lovely fairy tales and to help them share in the magic of a real dramatic performance.
Here are the romantic arabesques of Giselle and the classical attitudes of The Sleeping Beauty . Sets, costumes, and lighting are re-created to give the true flavor of authentic productions and to approximate, as fully as possible, the experience of attending the ballet oneself. Illustrated in full-color throughout
Here are the romantic arabesques of Giselle and the classical attitudes of The Sleeping Beauty . Sets, costumes, and lighting are re-created to give the true flavor of authentic productions and to approximate, as fully as possible, the experience of attending the ballet oneself. Illustrated in full-color throughout
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 27, 2023
This is a handy compendium of story summaries for twelve ballets, each of which is divided into separate acts. From Cinderella to La Sylphide, the narratives are helpful for acquainting your children (and yourself!) with storylines that may be unfamiliar, and they provide a great foundation for watching stage performances of the ballets. Each story has two full-color plates and some small black-and-white illustrations.
*Note on content: There are some story elements and illustrations which could be unsuitable for very young or sensitive children. Many of these retellings may be more appropriate for upper elementary ages.
Below I've listed brief notes and impressions of the stories/ballets included in this book, as well as my personal star ratings for the individual narratives. While there may be better retellings out there in picture-book format of any given ballet, I did find this book very convenient and (mostly) enjoyable (it does make me want to look for pretty picture books, though!).
1. Cinderella |⭐⭐⭐⭐|
There were numerous story elements that I had not encountered before, such as the dancing constellations and four-seasons fairies; the ballet differs somewhat from storybook/movie versions. The comic antics of the stepsisters were enjoyable, and after reading this, watching an online performance of the ballet had me cracking up because the dancers who played the stepsisters were so good at it. (As a side note, my two-year old fell in love with ballet from seeing this performance.)
2. Coppélia |⭐⭐⭐|
A somewhat eerie story, this features a sort of sorcerer/artisan who creates life-size mechanical dolls. Also featured is a quarreling couple, the man of which is rather fickle and faithless. There is a happy ending. The performance I viewed was very bright, lively, and full of color; it did not feel eerie at all, though the story rendition did. The ballet itself I would give four or five stars. (My two-year old now regularly asks me to play this performance because she enjoys it so much and likes to dance along with the ballerinas.)
3. Don Quixote |⭐⭐⭐|
Loosely based on the novel, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza become side characters of sorts, as this features the story of two young lovers.
*Note: Has a man faking suicide and some eerie elements. The performance I viewed included some suggestive scenes which were not in the storytelling of this book.
4. La Fille Mal Gardée |⭐⭐⭐|
A comedy which involves a would-be forced marriage and a funny almost-bridegroom clutching an umbrella.
*Note: Lots of hugging and kissing between two young people, and a man hiding in a girl's bedroom.
5. Firebird |⭐⭐⭐⭐|
A young man befriends the Firebird, who helps him defeat a ghastly, immortal foe and win the hand of a captive princess.
*Note: Living skeleton, monsters, harem girls.
6. Giselle |⭐⭐⭐|
A story of thwarted love, this features a jealous suitor, a faithless lover, and Giselle, a girl caught between them. She genuinely loves the duplicitous lover, and forgiveness is a theme of the tale.
*Note: man in disguise courts girl while secretly being engaged to someone else. Girl dies of broken heart when it is revealed. Ghostly apparitions rise from graves and kill a man by making him dance until he collapses in death. Music is described as demonic. Ghosts are cruel and attempt to kill the next man the same way. Girl's ghost saves him.
7. The Nutcracker |⭐⭐⭐⭐|
A Christmas classic, this is a fantastical tale.
*Note: Drosselmeyer could be a bit scary for young or sensitive children (particularly the illustration of him atop the clock). The mouse king has seven heads and is run through with a sword.
8. Petrouchka |⭐|
Sinister and dark, this is about a charlatan and his puppets. One puppet in particular finds himself very humanlike, especially in emotional suffering. Very sad and disturbing ending.
*Note: beatings and abuse, scary charlatan (pictured), two amorous puppets are in a suggestive situation on a couch, death by scimitar, ghost of puppet, dead puppet draped over stage.
9. Romeo and Juliet |⭐⭐⭐⭐| Follows the Shakespearean storyline very closely. Standard swordfights, stabbings, poison, death. Retains its tragic ending.
10. The Sleeping Beauty |⭐⭐⭐⭐|
Similar to the fairy tale. Joyful ending. Nothing negative to note.
11. Swan Lake |⭐⭐⭐⭐|
True love and faithfulness are themes.
*Note: mentions that a girl dances seductively. Swan princess leaps off cliff and dies. Prince follows. Von Rotbart dies.
12. La Sylphide |⭐⭐⭐|
Tragic story set in Scotland.
*Note: three witches and their brew. Man leaves his bride at the altar to run away with a fairy sprite. Ends up killing the sprite accidentally.
*Note on content: There are some story elements and illustrations which could be unsuitable for very young or sensitive children. Many of these retellings may be more appropriate for upper elementary ages.
Below I've listed brief notes and impressions of the stories/ballets included in this book, as well as my personal star ratings for the individual narratives. While there may be better retellings out there in picture-book format of any given ballet, I did find this book very convenient and (mostly) enjoyable (it does make me want to look for pretty picture books, though!).
1. Cinderella |⭐⭐⭐⭐|
There were numerous story elements that I had not encountered before, such as the dancing constellations and four-seasons fairies; the ballet differs somewhat from storybook/movie versions. The comic antics of the stepsisters were enjoyable, and after reading this, watching an online performance of the ballet had me cracking up because the dancers who played the stepsisters were so good at it. (As a side note, my two-year old fell in love with ballet from seeing this performance.)
2. Coppélia |⭐⭐⭐|
A somewhat eerie story, this features a sort of sorcerer/artisan who creates life-size mechanical dolls. Also featured is a quarreling couple, the man of which is rather fickle and faithless. There is a happy ending. The performance I viewed was very bright, lively, and full of color; it did not feel eerie at all, though the story rendition did. The ballet itself I would give four or five stars. (My two-year old now regularly asks me to play this performance because she enjoys it so much and likes to dance along with the ballerinas.)
3. Don Quixote |⭐⭐⭐|
Loosely based on the novel, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza become side characters of sorts, as this features the story of two young lovers.
*Note: Has a man faking suicide and some eerie elements. The performance I viewed included some suggestive scenes which were not in the storytelling of this book.
4. La Fille Mal Gardée |⭐⭐⭐|
A comedy which involves a would-be forced marriage and a funny almost-bridegroom clutching an umbrella.
*Note: Lots of hugging and kissing between two young people, and a man hiding in a girl's bedroom.
5. Firebird |⭐⭐⭐⭐|
A young man befriends the Firebird, who helps him defeat a ghastly, immortal foe and win the hand of a captive princess.
*Note: Living skeleton, monsters, harem girls.
6. Giselle |⭐⭐⭐|
A story of thwarted love, this features a jealous suitor, a faithless lover, and Giselle, a girl caught between them. She genuinely loves the duplicitous lover, and forgiveness is a theme of the tale.
*Note: man in disguise courts girl while secretly being engaged to someone else. Girl dies of broken heart when it is revealed. Ghostly apparitions rise from graves and kill a man by making him dance until he collapses in death. Music is described as demonic. Ghosts are cruel and attempt to kill the next man the same way. Girl's ghost saves him.
7. The Nutcracker |⭐⭐⭐⭐|
A Christmas classic, this is a fantastical tale.
*Note: Drosselmeyer could be a bit scary for young or sensitive children (particularly the illustration of him atop the clock). The mouse king has seven heads and is run through with a sword.
8. Petrouchka |⭐|
Sinister and dark, this is about a charlatan and his puppets. One puppet in particular finds himself very humanlike, especially in emotional suffering. Very sad and disturbing ending.
*Note: beatings and abuse, scary charlatan (pictured), two amorous puppets are in a suggestive situation on a couch, death by scimitar, ghost of puppet, dead puppet draped over stage.
9. Romeo and Juliet |⭐⭐⭐⭐| Follows the Shakespearean storyline very closely. Standard swordfights, stabbings, poison, death. Retains its tragic ending.
10. The Sleeping Beauty |⭐⭐⭐⭐|
Similar to the fairy tale. Joyful ending. Nothing negative to note.
11. Swan Lake |⭐⭐⭐⭐|
True love and faithfulness are themes.
*Note: mentions that a girl dances seductively. Swan princess leaps off cliff and dies. Prince follows. Von Rotbart dies.
12. La Sylphide |⭐⭐⭐|
Tragic story set in Scotland.
*Note: three witches and their brew. Man leaves his bride at the altar to run away with a fairy sprite. Ends up killing the sprite accidentally.
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