The Magic of the Ballet: Seven Classic Stories
In this collection of stories, author Vivian French retells seven classic ballet stories: from the renowned Nutcracker and Swan Lake to perhaps lesser-known Coppélia, each retelling weaves an immersive tale from the many re-interpretations each ballet has known, while also trying to remain as close as possible to their originals. The ballets are all also accompanied by introductory pages explaining their origins and featuring anecdotes about the composers, choreographers or dancers who made them famous.
Each story is beautifully complemented by Lauren O’Hara’s illustrations. With a true fairy-tale look to them, the plum sugar fairies of the Nutcracker, Giselle’s dancing ghosts and the thirteen princesses of the Firebird are brought to life with romantic pastel shades on one page and ethereal dark tones on the next, making the reading experience truly magical. The stories are told in turn through full-page illustrations, vignettes and corner borders which give rhythm to the ballets. The Magic of the Ballet is as beautiful as it is engrossing, and would make an ideal gift for any fairy-tale and ballet amateur.
