Books & Magazines
Dance Book: Codename: Dancer
Amanda Brice, Author
Thanks so much for having me here today! I’m very excited to speak with dancers about my new YA book, Codename: Dancer.
I’ve been dancing pretty much my entire life. My mom enrolled me in a ballet/tap combo class at age 3 because she noticed I would jump around and spin whenever the Coke commercial came on. From that point on, I was hooked!
As a preteen and teen, I was in my dance studio’s company, and was dancing around 30 hours per week. Then in college, in addition to double majoring in Political Science and French, I studied flamenco, ballet, and ballroom. My junior year I auditioned for the ballroom dance team, and spent the next two years competing against other schools up and down the East Coast. It was a lot of fun!
I decided to write Codename: Dancer because it was the type of book I would have loved growing up. There were tons of fiction books about dancers for little girls, but not much for teens. There still isn’t, really, except for books about the ballets and choreographers. In other words, non-fiction.
So I decided to do something about that. I’ve always loved mystery novels, so why not write a mystery series about a group of dance students at a performing arts boarding school? And thus, Codename: Dancer was born.
Of course, I’ve never solved a mystery, nor did I go to a boarding school, so I still had a lot to learn. But I’d started reading Nancy Drew books in elementary school, and always used to win at Clue, so how hard could it be?
It actually ended up being a lot more difficult than I expected, but readers tell me they don’t figure out whodunit until right at the end, so hopefully I met my mark!
I hope you’ll enjoy my book. Here’s a little bit about it:
“Aspiring ballerina Dani Spevak is thrilled when hit TV show Teen Celebrity Dance Off comes to the campus of her performing arts boarding school. She trades the barre for the ballroom and gets set to cha-cha-cha to stardom with Hollywood wonderboy Nick Galliano.
At first their partnership is awkward, because Dani is in awe of her longtime teen idol crush. But soon their chemistry is heating up the dance floor and the attraction moves into real life.
Her excitement is short-lived, because someone wants her off the show. Bombs, poisoning, arson… Will Dani’s 15 minutes of fame be over before she reaches age 15? Dani and her friends are suddenly at the center of some serious sabotage. And if she doesn’t find out who is behind it, her next pirouette could be her last.
It’s like Nancy Drew in toe shoes in this light-hearted tween mystery, a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® Award for Best Young Adult Romance.”
You can learn more at www.amandabrice.net.
Would you like to win a copy of the e-book? If so, just leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite dance book or dance movie is. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Dance Book Giveaway!
Pass the word! Daphne Kalotay has generously offered to give away a copy of her book, Russian Winter to a lucky 4dancers reader!
To enter the drawing for this giveaway, simply comment below and I will pick a name out of a hat (yes, literally!) for the copy. Take a minute and enter–it costs you nothing…
This book would make the perfect summer reading for the beach, a trip, or simply to accompany you out in the yard as you unwind after a long day…or, if you aren’t a big reader, give it away to a dancer you know who is!
Dance Book: Russian Winter
Today I’d like to share an interview with Daphne Kalotay, a writer who has authored a book that has ballet as a backdrop for the story…
1. Could you tell readers a bit about who you are and what you do?
I’m a dance-lover rather than a dancer; and I’m a writer with two books of fiction published, the first one a short story collection, the second one a novel.
2. What is your latest book called and what is it about?
It’s called RUSSIAN WINTER and centers on a Bolshoi ballerina during the last years of Stalin’s rule. The book goes back and forth between modern-day Boston, where the dancer has been living in the decades since her defection, and post-World War II Moscow, where we witness her life as a young dancer rising in the ranks of the Bolshoi and her friendships with other artists striving to fulfill their dreams while living in a totalitarian state.
3. Why did you decide ballet would play a part in your book?
From the moment I pictured this elderly Russian woman in Boston, I thought of her as a ballerina, maybe because the idea of exploring that world and learning about life in a ballet company was exciting to me. Then, in my research, I began to understand just how important the ballet was to the Soviet regime, which relied on the beauty and glamour of the theatre as a counter to the bleakness of daily life. I’m fascinated by how well that government understood the need for the arts in society and tried to foster—well, manipulate—ballet, opera, music, literature, if in an ultimately stifling manner. What I most wanted to show in my novel, though, was how art is this humanizing force that really can save us.
Only later did it strike me how appropriate ballet in particular was to the book, since I was writing about life in authoritarian state, and ballet can be seen as authoritarian, with its precise rules and strict discipline. Think of the corps de ballet, the self-abnegation and conformity ballet often requires. So it was a good parallel to what I was trying to say about Soviet life.
4. How did you make sure your information about dance was accurate?
1Free Dance E-Book: Ballet Crash
Today I’m passing along some good information for all you dance lovers out there–
Henrik, the dynamic writer behind the Tights and Tiaras blog, is giving away copies of his new e-book Dance Crash for free! I’ve read it–and it’s a fun resource for both dancers and non-dancers alike. All you have to do is sign up for the Tights and Tiaras newsletter–which is also great!
Take a quick minute and start your week off right with something fun to read in your down time!
2Dance Gifts For The Holidays
Yes, it is that time of year once again. Whether you are a student who wants to pick up something special for your dance teacher, or a dancer buying a gift for a friend, it can be hard to find just the right thing. Here are some suggestions to help get you started:
ABT has autographed shoes for sale on their site. These would make a great gift for a dancer or balletomane. Both men’s and women’s shoes are available.
NYCB has calendars, bags, books and CDs for sale through their online store.
HD Wear is a cutting-edge t-shirt company that offers fresh new designs. Started by the creator or Ballet for Men and his girlfriend, you are sure to find something fun here.
The Joffrey has some nice items in their store, such as Nutcracker ornaments, Joffrey note cards and even a Joffrey water bottle.
My advertisers also have some products you may want to check out for dancers and dance teachers. Balletband is a great stretching aid, Up, Down & All Around is a smart choice for those who are just getting started with little ones, Dance Teacher Press has some great tools for teachers and Behind Barres offers some top-notch ballet class music.
I also have four Enesco Ballerina Statues for sale. Please send me an e-mail at info (at) catherineltully.com if you’d like to see the others not listed on the site.
If you know of a good gift for someone involved in dance–feel free to share it here!
0Dance Book Giveaway
Today I’d like to introduce a blog that I recently discovered – Picture Books & Pirouettes. Author Kerry Aradhya is a children’s poet, dancer and aspiring picture book author and she has done a lovely job on this site where you will find numerous reviews of books for children. I’d never seen many of these–it was very interesting…
This week, Picture Books & Pirouettes is hosting a review and giveaway of The Barefoot Book of Dance Stories (a new collection of dance folktales from around the world). Later in the week, Kerry will also be blogging about the companion book, The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories, and posting an interview with co-authors Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple. You are invited to join in the fun!
Dance Teacher Press Featured In Dance Teacher Mag
Today is just a quick post–I wanted to let 4dancers readers know that one of our advertisers (Dance Teacher Press) has been featured in the October issue of Dance Teacher magazine for The Ballet Combination Book – a planning tool for ballet classes that includes everything from combinations to music suggestions.
There is information for both those who teach young dancers and those who have intermediate-level classes. This site is a great resource for teachers–if you haven’t checked it out yet–drop by and take a peek. You might find something you can use!
10 Questions With…Miriam Landis
Today we have an unusual interview–with writer/former dancer, Miriam Landis. She is the author of a book about ballet…but I don’t want to give everything away so…read on!
1. How did you wind up in dance?
My mom noticed early on that I was walking around the kitchen on my tippy-toes, so she put me in dance classes before I was even three. As I grew up I enjoyed ballet more and more and discovered I was good at it. When I was thirteen I started going away for six weeks to ballet summer programs in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and eventually New York. When I was sixteen, I attended the summer program at the School of American Ballet and they invited me to return for the full school year. I moved away from my family in Salt Lake City and lived in a dorm at Lincoln Center to attend SAB for my last two years of high school. After the annual workshop performances at the end of my senior year, Edward Villella invited me to join the Miami City Ballet.
Miriam Landis
2. What was your career like?
It was a whirlwind. I joined Miami City Ballet when I was eighteen and started dancing soloist and principal roles within a year. My first big part was the Flower Festival in Genzano pas de deux. I worked hard and the big parts came quickly. I danced leading roles Scotch Girl in Scotch Symphony, the ballerina doll in The Steadfast Tin Soldier, and even Liberty Bell in Stars and Stripes. By the time I was twenty-two I felt like I had accomplished what I wanted in ballet and was ready for a change of direction. Ballet was such a core part of my identity that it was difficult to move on. It’s still a huge part of who I am today and I’ve been able to apply the discipline and other skills in many other aspects of my life. I also made lifelong friends who I’ll feel connected with forever. I was fortunate to have the experience of dancing with such a prestigious company and felt so close to the people I trained and performed with every day for four years. My whole world revolved around dance during that time in my life.
3. What have you done since you retired from dance?
I branched out my interests when I left. I traveled through Europe and did two different study abroad programs in France. In fact, much of the book was written while I was living in France at a time in my life when i could reflect in a meaningful way. I completed all of the pre-med courses in college but eventually decided I didn’t want to become a doctor. l found it hard to go from working with bodies in perfect form to bodies with disease without becoming emotionally overcome. I switched my major to English instead and pursued a career in publishing. I started writing “Girl in Motion” during my junior year of college. After I graduated from Stanford I moved back to New York and worked as an assistant editor at a major publishing house in New York. Three years later I had a great opportunity to move to Seattle and work at Amazon in book merchandising. I’ve been in Seattle for three years and met my husband here.
4. Why did you decide to write the novel, “Girl In Motion”?
There were two reasons. One was that I read a lot of ballet books as I grew up and never found one that fully reflected what my experience was like. I felt a real need to share what I learned with younger ballet students. Second, the writing was also for myself. I was trying to come to terms with leaving the ballet world, and writing was a good way to process my experience.
5. What audience is the novel aimed at?
It’s for ballet students and their parents, and anyone who is interested in ballet.
6. How did you draw on your personal experience with dance in terms of your writing?
I wrote about the emotions I felt and the struggles I watched my friends go through. The feelings remain vivid in my mind ten years later. It was easier to examine how we became professionals through the lives of fictional characters because so many of the themes are universal to every young dancer.
7. What was the experience of writing a novel like?
It was so challenging. There was too much I wanted to say and didn’t know how to express in words. Dancing is all about saying things without words, and writing is completely the opposite. I wrote so many drafts of “Girl in Motion.” At certain times it was in third person, had different titles, and focused on different characters. I tried so many different ways of expressing the story.
8. Do you have any advice for people who might be thinking about writing a dance novel?
The publishing industry is difficult and a unique business world, which makes getting published through traditional routes a real challenge, especially if you don’t already have a persuasive way to market the book. Publishers want to see that. I’d say to worry about that later though, and first try to write the book. I always felt the challenge was to refrain from overdramatizing ballet the way you often see it in done in films. It wasn’t easy to make the dancers seem like real characters that normal people can relate to, and that’s really important in a novel. Most people don’t go through the specific intense competition involved in a dancer’s life, and dancers’ experiences aren’t universal. Fiction needs to have more universal themes.
9. Can you share a favorite memory from when you were dancing?
One of my favorite memories was my very first performance with Miami City Ballet. We were dancing Western Symphony at the Olympics in Atlanta. I remember standing in the wings and watching all the dancers creating the ballet together, and there was just this incredible feeling of teamwork and love for what we were doing. I could see every person pushing themselves, concentrating, and striving for something larger than we could have done alone. The energy was just incredible.
I was so excited to be a part of it.
10. Where can people purchase your book?
Human Kinetics Book
The easiest place to find “Girl in Motion” is on Amazon.com.
You can also join the “Girl in Motion” Facebook page.
I’d love to know what people think of “Girl in Motion,” so don’t hesitate to post a review on Amazon or make comments on the Facebook page.
I hope people enjoy the book!
BIO: Miriam Wenger-Landis was a student at the School of American Ballet and a professional ballerina with the Miami City Ballet. She graduated from Stanford University and lives in Seattle.
Review: The Dancer’s Way, By Linda Hamilton, PhD and New York City Ballet
by Catherine L. Tully
Once in a while a dance book comes out that is so on-target you want everyone to read it. The Dancer’s Way is such a book.
Written by Linda Hamilton, PhD and New York City Ballet, this book addresses the dancers of today and provides guidance for them by sharing information about tools that are used in the NYCB wellness program.
Some of the subjects that are covered in this book include things such as good work habits, cross-training, eating right, weight control strategies and stress management. These are broken down into sections and grouped under the heading “Five Keys To Peak Performance”.
There is no doubt that the considerable information here is the best available in the business. Dr. Hamilton is the wellness consultant at New York City Ballet, as well as a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science. She has written a column for Dance Magazine for many years, and is also a consultant for the Ailey School and Career Transition for Dancers. She was also a dancer at NYCB.
Peter Martins himself wrote the introduction for this book–an appropriate selection, given the fact that he was Ballet Master in Chief of NYCB when the wellness program began and has worked with it ever since. In the introduction, Dr. Hamilton mentions the fact that in only three years this approach has slashed disability at NYCB by 46 percent. To me–that is truly an amazing number.
The fact is, the information contained in these pages is used every day by some of the best dancers in the world. That’s a big-time endorsement, in and of itself. But one of the best things about the information in this book is that it can apply to everyone from the casual dancer to the serious company member. Those who are interested in learning how to protect their bodies and enrich their health while being physically fit will appreciate this comprehensive approach to wellness. There is something here for people of all levels.
In addition to the information mentioned above, other gems that this book shares with the reader include:
+ Information on getting an orthopedic screening. This type of exam can help identify orthopedic issues that may arise, depending on the individual’s body. It was developed by Dr. William Hamilton.
+ A list of books, DVDs and Web sites. Resources for everything from eating disorders to dance medicine education and referrals.
+ A food diary worksheet.
+ A dance medicine glossary.
This is a book that belongs in the library of every dancer and on the shelves at every studio. If you are interested in purchasing The Dancer’s Way, you can get it at Amazon.com.
For more information on Dr. Linda Hamilton, including other books she has authored, wellness tips and more, visit her Website.
Antony Tudor
When I think of Antony Tudor, his ballet, The Leaves are Fading immediately springs to mind. Tudor had an enormous impact on the ballet world when I was growing up, and is still well-known throughout the dance world for his choreography. I always felt that Tudor’s work was informed by our collective human psyche. It impacts you.
One of the most famous quotes about Tudor’s work comes from none other than Mikhail Baryshnikov who said, “We do Tudor’s ballets because we must. Tudor’s work is our conscience.”
For more information on Tudor, and a list of all the ballets he choreographed, visit The Antony Tudor Ballet Trust.
Those interested in reading about him in more detail may want to pick up the book, Undimmed Lustre: The Life of Antony Tudor for a closer look at his life–and his art.
