It's often assumed that dancer's are "blessed with perfect physiques". In actual fact, it takes years of training and performing specific stretches and exercises that give them their long, trim, toned and tight figures. Now you can learn the tricks of trade and achieve a hot ballet body too!The stretches and exercises presented in this book cater to enthusiasts of all levels of experience. Even if you've never danced before, the detailed instructions, pictures and videos will provi...

Ever wish that your pointe shoes came with a user manual? Well wish no more, the Aspiring Ballerina's Guide to Feet & Pointe Shoes was designed to make your life that little bit easier.- Do you want to know how to make your feet feel and look good in any shoes? This guide covers the basics on how to prepare your pointe shoes, as well as special techniques to customize your shoes and make them look and fit their best.- Are you wondering what the most effective ways are to st...

Step in to a world of medieval knights, mischievous fairies and beautiful bayaderes within this book of tales from eleven of the worlds most favored ballets. The timeless themes of these classic ballets resonate so strongly with audiences that they are still performed to this day.These enduring ballet favorites, expressively told, will ignite your imagination! Ballet lovers of all ages will enjoy the enchanting tales and illustrations carefully compiled in this book. Next time you ...

For most dancers, at one stage in your career you will have to attend an audition; whether it is to get into a school or to get that job you've always wanted.Unlike a performance where you've had the opportunity to practice your steps many times before displaying them to an audience, the audition process can be a completely unfamiliar and nerve wracking experience, requiring you to face new challenges outside of your comfort zone.- What to wear?- What companies are ou...

Ballet: From the First Pli; to Mastery is designed as a complement to a beginning student's ballet training. The book opens with a brief description of the benefits of ballet training to young dancers, and then introduces fundamentals and precepts of the technique. Clear photographs show exactly how to execute each movement. Then an eight-year course is presented, taking the student from age 5 or 6 through the teen years, outlining exactly what is to be taught and how it is to be performed...

Ballet-inspired fitness for every woman!You don't have to be a professional ballerina to look like one! With Mary Helen Bowers' Ballet Beautiful, forget beating yourself up in the gym and suffering through starvation diets for some unattainable goal. You can achieve your ideal body and develop the strength, grace, and elegance of a dancer by following Mary Helen's proven program-one that's got everyone from celebrities to busy moms to executives raving!Ballet Beautiful

Ballet, glamour, romance – and tragedy. Prima Donna is an enchanting, exciting story from Karen Swan, bestselling author of The Last Summer and Christmas by Candlelight.Breaking the rules was what she liked best. That was her sport. Renegade, rebel, bad girl. Getting away with it.Pia Soto is the sexy and glamorous prima ballerina, the Brazilian bombshell who's shaking up the ballet world with her outrageous behaviour. She...

Peter Wright has been a dancer, choreographer, teacher, producer and director in the theatre as well as in television for over 70 years.In Wrights & Wrongs, Peter offers his often surprising views of today's dance world, lessons learned – and yet to learn – from a lifetime's experience of ballet, commercial theatre and television.Peter started his career in wartime, with the Kurt Jooss company. He has worked with such greats as Pina Bausch, Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf N...

This beautifully produced new book by Royal Ballet dancer Andrej Uspenski is a collection of exclusive photographs which shines the spotlight on ballet, the most beautiful of art forms. These exquisite photographs feature some of the finest dancers on stage today, bringing the reader into the magical world of ballet. As a Royal Ballet dancer himself, Andrej Uspenski has a unique perspective on photographic composition of dance imagery, as well as unrivalled access not only to the Royal Bal...

In this biographical novel, Gladys Malvern shares the incredible story of Anna Pavlova, one of the most revered and celebrated ballerinas of all time. Malvern presents Pavlova's life in enchanting prose, allowing the reader to experience Pavlova's inspirational first exposure to a performance of Sleeping Beauty, the origination of her defining dance The Dying Swan, her illustrious rise to fame as a prima ballerina, and her extensive world tours.You don't have to b...

Throughout the centuries, ballet has had a rich and ever-evolving role in the humanities. Renowned choreographers, composers, and performers have contributed to this unique art form, staging enduring works of beauty. Significant productions by major companies embrace innovations and adaptations, enabling ballet to thrive and delight audiences all over the globe.In The Encyclopedia of World Ballet,Mary Ellen Snodgrass surveys the emergence of ballet from ancient Asian models to the ...

Carlos Acosta, the Cuban dancer considered to be one of the world's greatest performers, fearlessly depicts his journey from adolescent troublemaker to international superstar in his captivating memoir, No Way Home.Carlos was just another kid from the slums of Havana; the youngest son of a truck driver and a housewife, he ditched school with his friends and dreamed of becoming Cuba's best soccer player. Exasperated by his son's delinquent behavior, Carlos'...