Dance Stance: Beginning Ballet for Young Dancers with Ballerina Konora (Ballet Inspiration and Choreography Concepts for Young Dancers) Paperback – May 5, 2022

Adorable book for young dancers 11 to 13.

Cute story for tiny dancers in your life

As a long time ballet teacher, I really appreciated this introductory ballet book for young students. It's a good primer, covering good anatomical imagery (hence the title, "Dance Stance",) and practical advice for those just starting out on the dance path. Charming with cute, whimsical illustrations, it makes a great read for both students and their parents. Bravo "Once Upon a Dance"!

This dance book is not suitable for 4 and 5 year olds

Bought this for my four year old granddaughter, who started taking ballet and tap. This is a Christmas gift. She’s going to love it.

Dance is more than just the beautiful shapes that appear across a stage while set to accompanying music; in order for dancers to truly shine, the basics must first be mastered and perfected. Ballet requires very careful body awareness in order to be properly presented, and this new book by the mother/daughter Once Upon a Dance team does an excellent job connecting readers to their bodies in easily digestible ways. Written as a non-fiction book, it first includes a table of contents and a message from Ballerina Konora before the bulk of the information is presented. Each section focuses on one element of the foundational “dance stance,” and they all build upon one another as the book continues. From posture to turnout to relevé, young dancers will learn where their bodies must be in space in order to perform the featured moves correctly while avoiding injury. Though a great deal of information is included in this book, it is straightforward and invites readers to come and go as they need. This supportive and encouraging design is a hallmark of the Once Upon a Dance canon, and readers of all ages will appreciate this kind approach. Illustrations in the style of Molly Idle complement the text beautifully, incorporating lots of peach, pink, and purple into each image. Even readers who are not quite ready for the depth of the text will nonetheless be able to connect with it thanks to these stunning visuals. This inspiring and informational book is a valuable addition to any dancer’s library and it is a complement to healthy posture practice for readers of all ages, as well.I received a copy of this book from the author and I chose to leave this review.

Dance Stance is the first novel in a new series by Once Upon A Dance called Ballet Inspiration and Choreography Concepts for Young Dancers. It teaches children all there is to know about ballet posture. Mind you, the book does not aim to replace the need for in-person training, but it is a great additional resource.The book mixes humour and real ballerinas' anecdotes with clear instructions. I was sold before I had even opened it, if I'm honest. The cover has such beautiful and soothing colours that it immediately drew my attention. The illustrations all throughout the book are simply magical. I also really appreciated the diversity of the characters, and have found myself considering the concept of "stillness" in dance several times since reading it. So it's clear even adults can learn something from this book! Icing on the cake? All proceeds are donated to charity!In conclusion, Dance Stance is a funny, inspiring, and motivational book for children interested in ballet!

This book is about posture hense, Dance Stance Being a nurse I liked what the aithor says on page 43 and I find it true in caring for the elderly. The author states, "Good posture is good for you in dance and in life. It strengthens your core and prevents injury." The author goes on to say good posture prevents falls, prevents back injuries, and improves your breathing and helps us get more oxygen. In the pandemic of COVID this is important.As always I love the illustrations in these books. I will gift this to my great niece who is having a birthday next month. She has heen collecting the series of books and enjoys them.