I DREAMED I WAS A BALLERINA

A lovely conceit, sure to appeal to youngsters who dream of dancing. Using the words of the famous ballerina Anna Pavlova, the text tells the story, in the first person, of her first visit to the theater to see the ballet, a birthday gift from her mother. She was utterly dazzled by seeing Sleeping Beauty danced to the music of Tchaikovsky. “As soon as the orchestra began to play, I became very grave and attentive, eagerly listening, moved for the first time in my life by the call of Beauty.” She vowed to dance upon the stage at that very theater, and indeed she did. Pavlova’s words are matched to a number of Degas’s paintings of dancers, musicians, and figure studies. Author’s notes offer background on Pavlova, who died in 1931, and a brief paragraph on Degas, who died in 1917. They most likely never met, though Degas might have seen her perform in Paris. No matter, the spirit that moved them both is apparent in this charming coupling. (picture notes, source notes) (Picture book. 4-10)