- Hardcover: 40 pages
- Publisher: Tundra Books (Oct 11 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0887769233
- ISBN-13: 978-0887769238
- Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 2.5 x 22.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 522 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#137,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #59 in Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Performing Arts > Dance
- #61 in Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Performing Arts > Fiction
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
Possibly the best-loved of all ballets are “Giselle,” “La Bayadère,” and “Swan Lake.” Known as the White Ballets, they each tell stories of ethereal maidens costumed in floating white, who seem to be lovely creatures suspended somewhere between heaven and earth.
It is every ballerina’s dream to dance “Giselle.” Despite being frail, the simple peasant girl, Giselle, can’t give up dancing. She is afraid that if she dies before she weds, she will become a Wili, a spirit maiden who haunts the forests seeking revenge on young men. Though she can’t change her own fate, she finds a way to save the one she loves.
Nikiya is a beautiful temple dancer, a bayadère. She fights tradition when she falls in love with the warrior Solor. Solor has already been promised to a well-born girl, but he risks everything for Nikiya.
“Swan Lake” is also about recognizing true love and risking everything for it. Prince Siegfried meets Odile by the shores of a mysterious lake and he vows to marry her. But Odile is under a curse: she must spend every day in the form of a swan and is only human for a few hours during the night. If they are to spend eternity together, Siegfried has to find a way to lift the curse.
Rajka Kupesic, herself a dancer, has retold the stories and set them against her breathtaking art to create a book to cherish. Notes about the ballets are included.
It is every ballerina’s dream to dance “Giselle.” Despite being frail, the simple peasant girl, Giselle, can’t give up dancing. She is afraid that if she dies before she weds, she will become a Wili, a spirit maiden who haunts the forests seeking revenge on young men. Though she can’t change her own fate, she finds a way to save the one she loves.
Nikiya is a beautiful temple dancer, a bayadère. She fights tradition when she falls in love with the warrior Solor. Solor has already been promised to a well-born girl, but he risks everything for Nikiya.
“Swan Lake” is also about recognizing true love and risking everything for it. Prince Siegfried meets Odile by the shores of a mysterious lake and he vows to marry her. But Odile is under a curse: she must spend every day in the form of a swan and is only human for a few hours during the night. If they are to spend eternity together, Siegfried has to find a way to lift the curse.
Rajka Kupesic, herself a dancer, has retold the stories and set them against her breathtaking art to create a book to cherish. Notes about the ballets are included.
About the Author
Rajka Kupesic was classically trained as a ballerina and danced in Europe. As a painter, she is known for her unique handling of detail, color, and mood, which infuses the familiar with an extraordinary quality. Her paintings have been shown in numerous galleries worldwide. Her first book Claire’s Gift, was awarded the Mr. Christie’s Book Award for Best Children’s Book. She lives in Toronto with her husband. They have two sons.
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gorgeous Retelling of three "Ballet Blanc",
By
This review is from: The White Ballets (Hardcover)
Reason for Reading: First I must say I am not a fan of the ballet, the dance or the music. However, I do appreciate the stories they tell and I enjoy reading retellings of the stories either in picture book format or more involved novelized retellings. The stories are much like fairy tales, incorporating many elements of fantasy.This is a beautiful book. One worth owning and adding to a collection of fairy tales or similar retellings. Aesthetically the book is gorgeously illustrated with full page paintings and each story also has one two-page spread illustration. While the dustjacket has a nice picture it is included inside the book and I am more inclined to find the picture boards more attractive. They are delicately designed with a white on white pattern, gold lettering and a smaller version of another picture found inside the book. The endpages again are beautiful, also using a white on white as well as white on silver pattern design. This is just the type of book you want to hold and browse through and appreciate. Content-wise, the book starts with a brief essay by the author (a former ballerina) on why she choose to retell these "ballet blanc" stories and what that means. Then we have the three stories wonderfully retold in language any age can enjoy. After each story is an "About" spread where the author tells a brief history of the ballet then goes on to interpret each of the paintings she has included for each story. Her paintings do not necessarily illustrate the events of the story but more so illustrate the ballet scene and feeling one would see on stage at such a particular point in each piece. These sections would not hold the interest of a young child but are a treasure trove for the older reader. The combination of stories, background and interpretive information along with the gorgeous artwork make this book truly suitable for any age. Highly recommended for anyone who would appreciate the material.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Retelling of Three Ballets,
By Nicola Manning - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The White Ballets (Hardcover)
Reason for Reading: First I must say I am not a fan of the ballet, the dance or the music. However, I do appreciate the stories they tell and I enjoy reading retellings of the stories either in picture book format or more involved novelized retellings. The stories are much like fairy tales, incorporating many elements of fantasy.This is a beautiful book. One worth owning and adding to a collection of fairy tales or similar retellings. Aesthetically the book is gorgeously illustrated with full page paintings and each story also has one two-page spread illustration. While the dustjacket has a nice picture it is included inside the book and I am more inclined to find the picture boards more attractive. They are delicately designed with a white on white pattern, gold lettering and a smaller version of another picture found inside the book. The endpages again are beautiful, also using a white on white as well as white on silver pattern design. This is just the type of book you want to hold and browse through and appreciate. Content-wise, the book starts with a brief essay by the author (a former ballerina) on why she choose to retell these "ballet blanc" stories and what that means. Then we have the three stories wonderfully retold in language any age can enjoy. After each story is an "About" spread where the author tells a brief history of the ballet then goes on to interpret each of the paintings she has included for each story. Her paintings do not necessarily illustrate the events of the story but more so illustrate the ballet scene and feeling one would see on stage at such a particular point in each piece. These sections would not hold the interest of a young child but are a treasure trove for the older reader. The combination of stories, background and interpretive information along with the gorgeous artwork make this book truly suitable for any age. Highly recommended for anyone who would appreciate the material. |
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