Books: The Ballet Companion

[Mrs. Stahlbaum]

I haven't had time to do more than flip through the pages (my daughter gets to read it first), but The Ballet Companion by Eliza Gaynor Mindon looks like a valuable book for dancers and their parents. Lots of useful information presented with plenty of photographs of popular dancers. Many of the subjects covered in the book are discussed on this site and I noticed a few familiar Ballet Talk names in the credits.

 

Find out more about on Amazon (use the link at the top of this page).

[Guest dancerlover]

I just bought this book off the net-really hope that its a great book as the price that we pay for boooks are really HIGH

[Guest dancerlover]

I got my book today

 

I ordered 2 books 1) Finding Balance 2) The ballet companion

 

Well #1 was expensive and not so much of a worths read if you were to compare with #2 visually. Well I am just glimpsing through and will share a review shortly...boy darn broke this month as books are costly when shipped to Asia..this is like 1/10 of my pay cheque

[Guest kristindancer27]

I have that book! It is very informative and interesting... its perfect for if you're beginning ballet or just really enthusiastic about knowing more. All topics, such as proper turn-out, nutrition, pointe, ballet history, some of the best ballets, etc are all in it. Good choice!!

[Balletmom]

I recently came across this book The Ballet Companion:A Dancer's Guide To The Technique, Traditions, and Joys of Ballet written by Eliza Gaynor Minden and just published this October. The reviews sound good, but if anyone else has read the book and has an opinion, I would be glad to hear it (before I buy). Thanks!

[dancepig]

I purchased this book, and would have to say it's a good book for the young, serious or semi-serious ballet dancer. If you don't have any other books, and if you're looking for something for a dancer between the ages of 10 (a mature 10) and perhaps 15, this would be a good book. I would recommend Gretchen Warren's book for technique tips over this book if that's what you're looking for. The Gaynor Minden book is more of an overall look at ballet. It includes all of the topics from ballet history to diet to (of course) shoes - plus class curriculum and technique tips. There are some pictures, and it is a book of high quality production.

[Guest dancerlover]

After reading the book- i felt the book is allright nothing super compared to the Ballet-Fit by Joffrey....

[ballaurena]

I have this book, and it's a good reference book for basic ballet questions. The technical pictures of the dancers are lovely and the technique tips are helpful. I also enjoyed the pages with pirouette tips from Gillian Murphy and Ethan Stiefel.

My only problem with this book is that the pointe shoe section, as is expected, seems to be mostly a sale pitch for GM pointe shoes, and the page with an illustration of the anatomy of a pointe shoe depicts a GM shoe, which hardly has the standard pointe shoe anatomy!

[toedancer]

I got this book for Chrismas, and I enjoyed reading if very much. It is high quality with beautiful photos and illustrations. I especially enjoyed reading all the bits about ballet history and the sections for "the curious dancer". I wish that it had had a section on the life of a professional dancer, maybe I will have to find that in another book. I didn't really find that the pointe shoe section was an advertisement for Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, although I did notice that the dancers choosen for illustrations all wore GMs.

[Guest pink tights]

I gave this to my tween dd for christmas and she loves it! Seems to have a good section on nutrition and eating disorders. The photo's are beautiful and dd finds them very inspiring.

[little_dancer123]

This is one of my best books and my mum got it for me for my birthday! She wants to read it as well (she is a ballet teacher.) From little_dancer123 x

[msd]

In our area, we have a wonderful bookstore that sells gently used and overstock books. After admiring (and setting down, walking slowly away...) this book on the sales table at a ballet performance, I was thrilled to find a copy at the above-mentioned bookstore for $14! As a fairly clueless ballet mom, I claimed it first, and learned a lot from it. Dd also enjoyed it, although I think my learning curve was higher. Still, she said it's a good one to have on the ballet shelf. I especially liked the chronology of ballet, and the lists.

[Guest ballet_kimmi93]

Hi! My mom & dad got me this book as an early birthday present today. I love it! I think it's a really helpful book, and every dancer should have one! If you have read this book, can you please share your thoughts on it? Also, do you know of any other technique books as good or better than this one?

 

Thanks!

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello Kimmi, welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers

 

I always recommend Classical Ballet Technique, by Gretchen Ward Warren. It's a big book, with very fine photographs as well as explanations of everything in the vocabulary of ballet.

[Doubleturn]

Hi Kimmi, I'm glad you liked the book and are keen to improve your dancing. One of the reasons I bought it was because it has some very clear anatomical drawings of dancers' muscles. The book is too heavy to carry around so I've photocopied pages 226 and 227 and keep them in my class register book so they are always at hand to help when I am teaching.

 

The photos of different exercises are good too as is the advice on technique. The sections on dance history are also useful for aspiring dancers.

 

It may be some people are afraid that the book is just a tool to promote Gaynor Minden shoes, but this is not the case at all. It is an excellent book for students and also is useful as a teaching aid.