Dancing

Fletcher, Christine.  Ten Cents a Dance

In 1940s Chicago, 15-year-old Ruby hopes to escape poverty by becoming a taxi dancer in a nightclub, but the work has unforeseen dangers and hiding the truth from her family and friends becomes increasingly difficult. 

 

Hewett, Lorri. Dancer

Sixteen-year-old Stephanie struggles to perfect her ballet dancing as her classes are complicated by the introduction of a new male  dancer.  

 

Meyer, Carolyn.   Marie, Dancing

A fictionalized autobiography of Marie Van Goethem, the impoverished student from the Paris Opéra ballet school who became the model for Edgar Degas's famous sculpture, "The Little Dancer." 

 

Moss, Alexandra.   Ellie's Chance to Dance

After moving from Chicago to Oxford, England, 10-year-old Ellie worries about making new friends at school and caring for her mother who has multiple sclerosis, while also preparing to audition for the resident dancers training program at London's Royal Ballet School. 

 

When twelve-year-old Tony, a talented artist, begins sketching the dancers at the Kitty Kat Club where his mother is an exotic dancer, it sparks the attention of social services. 

 

Shaw, Tucker.   Confessions of a Backup Dancer

Kelly Kimball spent a summer as a backup dancer for Darcy Barnes, the biggest pop star in the world. Kelly's got the real story on Darcy, her life, her family, and her entourage -- and she's spilling it here for the first time.

 

Winston, Sherri.  Kayla Chronicles

Desperate to get the real scoop on the high school dance team, Kayla Dean transforms herself from mild-mannered journalist to hot-trotting dance diva in order to fit in with the girls, but living in such a crazy life becomes a story in itself as she tries to maintain a balance between the two while remaining true to her real self. 

 

 

Teachout, Terry.  All in the Dances:  A Brief Life of George Balanchine

Twenty years after his death, George Balanchine still dominates the world of ballet. Not only have his works been danced by the New York City Ballet continuously since 1948, but they also have been performed by more than two dozen other companies throughout the world. In clear and elegant writing, Terry Teachout brings to life the dramatic story of George Balanchine, a Russian émigré who fell in love with American culture, married four times and kept a mistress on the side, and transformed the art of ballet forever. 

 

CUNXIN, Li.  Mao's Last Dancer

 Chosen from millions of children to serve in Mao's cultural revolution by studying at the Beijing Dance Academy, Li knew ballet would be his family's best opportunity to escape the bitter poverty in his rural China home. From one hardship to another, Li persevered, never forgetting the family he left behind. 

 

Lemmens, Mary Jo.  Jennifer Lopez

Tells the story of Jennifer Lopez's rise from her childhood in the Bronx to a successful dancer, singer, and actress.

 

Pagett, Matt.  Best Dance Moves in the World...Ever!  100 New and Classic Moves and How to Bust Them

An illustrated, step-by-step guide to one hundred new and classic dance moves features detailed instructions for the Robot, Running Man, Hustle, Funky Chicken, Moonwalk, Cabbage Patch, Smurf, and many other dances, accompanied by tips on suitable music and special advice for each dance. 

 

Guillermoprieto, Alma.  Dancing with Cuba:  A Memoir of the Revolution

Traces the period spent by the author in 1970 Cuba, a time during which she worked as a dance instructor, came to understand the idealism of the Castro-adoring locals, and formed the belief system that set the tone for her career.