Dance!
Author: Elisha Cooper
List Price: $16.89
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ISBN: 0060294191
Publisher: Greenwillow (01 August, 2001)
Sales Rank: 564,129
Average Customer Rating: 4.83 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
It's Time to DANCE.....
Join author, Elisha Cooper, as he pays tribute to the marvelous world of dance. This is a unique book about the process, not the performance. Arrive at the studio and warm up with the troupe, stretching and working at the barre. Meet the choreographer and watch as he demonstrates steps and teaches the new dance, bending bodies and correcting positions "as if he were molding clay." Then practice, practice, practice. "The dancers rehearse until their arms and legs remember the steps." There are costumes to fit, tickets to sell, programs to print, and advertisements to write. Lights, music, and scenery need to be coordinated with the dance and dancers, and even flowers need to be bought to give to the dancers after the performance. So much to do in only four short weeks... Mr Cooper's lyrical text is filled with imagery, magic, and passion as it creatively mimics its subject and dances across the pages. His simple pencil and watercolor artwork dazzles, complementing the prose beautifully, and captivates with grace, energy, and motion. Perfect for youngsters 8-12, or as a read aloud for younger children, Dance is an evocative and exciting experience that builds with each page turn. "Opening night. A crowd forms outside the theater, bustling for tickets. The dancers gather backstage. They can hear the buzz of the audience finding seats, the beating of their own hearts. They hug. The choreographer tells them they are wonderful. The lights go down. The curtain goes up."
Rating: 3 out of 5
For kids curious about dance performance
Outlining what it takes to create a dance performance, from the gathering of the dancers, to the creation of the choreography, to the sewing of costumes, this book uses very visual language to convey the amount of work it takes to produce a show. With phrases such as, "Their feet squeak on the floor, and it sounds as if they are scrubbing it clean," the reader can almost hear the dancers crossing the room. What the words convey, though, the illustrations do not. Although the pictures of the dancers are very fluid and expressive, they are also very small and somewhat abstract. Side comments are painted in tiny lettering next to some of the pictures that are difficult, if not impossible, to read. Worse, as the tension leading up to opening night grows with each turn of the page, the disappointment one feels when the book ends before the curtain is raised is crushing. This book is written for the child who has been to the theater and is curious about the ins-and-outs of production, but will leave the average reader feeling frustrated. Ages 4-6
Rating: 5 out of 5
Fantasitc book!
"Dance" by Elisha Cooper is a triumph. The illustrations have a wonderful grace and style sure to delight children of all ages. I treasure my copy.
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