Best of Degas

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Degas
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American Ballet Theatre:
A 25-Year Retrospective





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Step-By-Step Ballet Class





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BALLET

... the most beautiful art

Romeo and Juliet ballet at Paris Opera Garnier
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Mikhail Baryshnikov: Dance Genius

Click here to go to Amazon One of the greatest dancers of the 20th century, Baryshnikov is revealed as a complex, somewhat solitary, and restless spirit whose personal life has been as complicated and volatile as his professional life. Glassman covers his subject's childhood, his emergence as a star in Leningrad's Kirov Ballet Company, his defection to the West, and his dazzling career with the American Ballet Theatre as well as other creative endeavors. Some of the behind-the-scenes jealousies, rivalries, and politics that occur in famous companies are exposed. The author also touches on Baryshnikov's often-tumultuous personal relationships. For those readers with some knowledge about well-known ballets, the information on how critics reviewed them or how Baryshnikov chose to interpret them provides unique insights into the world of dance.

The eternal art



Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet

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This book has served as an excellent resource for me in my ballet classes. I am a ballet teacher, even though it's not my strength. With this book, I was able to ensure I was instructing my girls accurately. This is a great dictionary of ballet terms. This a must-have to carry in your dance bag.





The Great History of the Russian Ballet:
Its Art and Choreography


Click here to go to Amazon Although the techniques of classical ballet were invented by French and Italian masters two hundred years ago, the Russian Ballet refined these techiques, thus enhancing its already superb performances. In 1738, the first professional school of dance opened in St. Petersburg. During the 18th century, the Russian Ballet became known for its tragic and its comic ballets. The Russian Ballet reached is apogee during the 19th century. The second half of the 19th century was marked by the collaboration of Petipa, the French choreographer, withe the Russian composer Tchaikovsky. In the early 20th century, Diaghilev delighted audiences in the West by presenting his Ballets Russes with supremely talented choreographers, dancers, compers, and set deisgners.



Staging 'the Nutcracker'


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Staging the Nutcracker is an extraordinary record of artist Mihail Chemiakin's commission from the legendary Kirov Ballet for a new staging of The Nutcracker ballet. His innovative new costumes, exquisite sketches, paintings, watercolors and maquettes reveal a powerful imagination at work. Fanciful and dainty characters from previous productions have been transformed into lively creatures, drawing you into Chemiakin's world of visual surprises where the ordinary unravels into the extraordinary. The simplest objects- the grandfather's shoe, or the Christmas tree, bees and candies, hats and coats- takeon odd shapes and sizes, like out of control cartoon characters. Essays from leading figures in the world of Russian Ballet world explore the challenges Chemiakin faced working on one of the most important Commissions in the world of Ballet. Whether you are an avid fan of the Nutcracker ballet, a student of theater and costume design, or an art lover, Staging the Nutcracker is a richly illustrated record and treasured heirloom that will delight and inspire for years to come.

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Swan Lake

A Beautiful Introduction to Ballet

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My four-year-old daughter discovered this book at the library and has fallen in love with it. Even her older friends (7 and 9) enjoy reading it and acting out the story. Rachel Isadora has written a simple yet poignant story of the ballet Swan Lake which children from four to eight can understand and enjoy. Her beautiful impressionistic illustrations captivate children and adults alike and truly make both the story and the ballet come to life before your eyes. I highly recommend this book to all little girls, especially those interested in ballet.

Coppelia

Click here to go to Amazon The timeless tale of romance, suspicion, magic, and revenge is freshly retold, focusing on the feelings and actions of the characters: Dr. Coppelius as he comes to terms with his artistic gifts and broken dreams; Swanilda as she mischievously attempts to find the ``daughter'' of Dr. Coppelius; and Franz as he falls foolishly in love with a doll, but repents and wins Swanilda. The textured paintingsoil painting lavished across nubby tweeds, lace, brocades, and other fabrichighlight the events of this unforgettable story, sure to send balletomanes off in search of the nearest production of the ballet.



Ballet Class for Beginners

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David Howard's Ballet Class for Beginners is an excellent learning and teaching tool especially designed by America's foremost ballet master to introduce the beginning dance student to the technique and vocabulary of classical ballet with the emphasis on posture, placement, and movement potential. Featuring Allison Potter with music by Whit Kellog. Ballet is free clip art pictures come alive.

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