Books: Ballet Books for Young Adults?

[RainDancer]

I've read On Pointe by lauri ann grover. Are there any other good young adult books on ballet? I'm leaving in two days and I'll be gone for 2 weeks on vacation, so I'm trying to find as many good books as possible. Please respond if you know of any good teen/young adult ballet novels. Thanks!

[beck_hen]

There is Elizabeth Bernard's Satin Slippers series, published in the '80s, but which can be found online, I think. The first book To Be A Dancer was my favorite. A very old-fashioned series (the UK in the '50s) that I found and loved, the Sadler's Wells series by Lorna Hill, began with Veronica at the Wells. I think the descriptions of life in ballet school still resonate, although a lot of other plot threads come into play (family, horseback riding, even mountain climbing). Again, you'd have to go online for these.

[vagansmom]

This one's an oldie but it's interesting and light and was given to me by a fellow moderator. I really enjoyed it, as much for its quaintness as for the story line: A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotsen. You can read an amazon review of it here

 

It takes place in pre-WW1, in South America. Light engaging read about a ballet dancer who joins a ballet company as a dancer in the corps. The company travels on tour to South America and that's where most of the story takes place.

 

The Amazon review says it's found readily at the library.

[gavotteindmajor]

"Girl in Motion"

 

I've only read a Kindle sample of it. It's about a girl who is attends SBNY.

[ebany]

Girl in Motion is a good book by Miriam Wenger-Landis (formerly of SAB and Miami City Ballet) I liked it and so did my 13yo DD, although I originally thought it might be a bit old for her. It definitely does not overglamourise the life of the serious ballet student, and I liked that about it - the hard work, pain, judgement of others, competition are all factors in this story. There is a good Q&A with Miriam Wenger-Landis when you look this one up on Amazon - I recommend it.