Books in the Dancing Shapes series

Join Konora as she reflects on growing up with The Nutcracker. Readers act out the story and explore shapes and positions, while getting an insider's glimpse into one dancer's journey and funny things that happened along the way.

Movement. Creativity. Gratitude. Persistence. Wisdom. "A visually stunning and interactive" pandemic creation from an award-winning dance teacher and her ballerina daughter, both immersed in the ballet world until coronavirus.  Dancing Shapes provides an inside gorgeous glimpse into one ballerina''s journey. Konora, whose career has been sidelined by COVID-19, leads readers through warm-up steps, a basic ballet technique lesson, and an exploration of movement and form. With more than fifty poses to contemplate or re-create, aspiring young dancers:   learn basic ballet technique and vocabulary   develop an eye for detail            explore movement concepts   increase body awareness                  strengthen spatial perception and balance   celebrate gratitude, the value of practice, and making healthy choicesWhat Moms and Dads Said:Gorgeous! Inspirational! Dancing girls alllllll over my backyard!!! ...while looking at the cover with all those poses said, "I can do that one. I can''t do that one. I can do that one. I can''t do that one..." Then she started trying them. The pictures alone inspired her... As soon as we read something like, "Can you try..." she would hop right up and try it. She thinks the book is just right for her age [9], not too young or old feeling. [This 11-year old] thought it was easy to follow and liked all the interesting shape pictures, she liked that there were "challenges" to try. Tags: ballet photography, photos, ballet, ballerina, ballet dance, dancer, aspiring, young, dance, books for kids, picture books, juvenile, kidlit, children''s book, dancing reference, home-school, elementary, preschool, school-aged, reader, Konora, physical education, body awareness, studying ballet, terminology, terms, classical dance, exercise, exercise at home, fitness, lesson, creative movement, pointed toes, first position, pli├⌐, relev├⌐, arabesque, ballet positions, details, imagination, shapes, poses, tutu, leotard, ballet vocabulary, ballet technique, steps, strong, beautiful, strong girls, strong women, gratitude, discipline, practice, healthy choices, curtsy, bow, fancy French