BALLET FOR BEGINNERS

For some time, dancing teachers, parents and young dancers and balletomanes have scoured the book stores, hoping for an attractive, simply written book, with copious information about the rudiments of the dance for youngsters beginning ballet -- this is the book, at last. Not only is the bulk of attention given to the early ""vocabulary"" of the dance as the fundamental positions are diagrammed and photographed, and simple steps presented, but there is a wealth of information about the history of the ballet, synopses of ballet, ""behind the scenes"" at the creation of a ballet; candids of famous ballerinas; a list of terms and famous names in ballet; and charts with music for home practice. The photographs of dance classes -- subjects ranging from chunky, earnest little girls to the ""big kids"" -- are wonderful, and there are plenty of them. The text is geared for young people and each step is explained slowly and carefully with plenty of necessary repetition. Don't miss this for your library, dance school or home if you have a young ballerina.