Join in the movement and magic of the ballet with this collection of seven classical stories. This was clearly written with children in mind and it includes family favourites such as The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.
The pairing of Vivian French with illustrator Lauren O’Hara was a perfect match for this project. O’Hara’s work has the rare gift of being both dreamlike and powerful – and it is refreshing to see dreamy, pale artwork that uses subtlety to evoke power. A facial expression here, a washed-out background there and the reader might be staring at a stage full of world-famous dancers working on a beautiful set. French, meanwhile, tells the stories in clear and engaging prose. None of the stories are too long – this is one of my pet peeves, when beautiful collections fall flat because the stories drag and lose the reader. The pacing of French’s prose is perfect and this makes the collection perfect for bedtime storytelling, library sessions, and use in the classroom.
Ballet is, at its core, storytelling through movement. There is also something poetic about ballet because character emotion is explored through gesture and facial expression to a depth that cannot be achieved in a fast-paced novel. The illustrations in this story bring this to life for the reader and they very much focus on movement and posture. This would make for a fascinating introduction to ballet for young readers because, too often, first experiences of ballet involve waddling around a local church feeling clumsy and too cold. Understanding the purpose of ballet is key to appreciating it as an art form.
French has rewritten the stories for the modern day and in doing so has challenged outdated ideas and ways of thinking. I am pleased that the power of stories to influence minds has been recognised and that the stories have been retold – retelling is not a new concept and stories have been updated and rewritten since the dawn of time because stories both reflect and influence human lives and human minds.
Ballet has a reputation – like opera – of being exclusive and retelling the stories challenges this perception by allowing them to be introduced to a wider audience. This collection goes the extra mile because it manages to evoke the magic of movement and storytelling which allows discussion about the purpose of ballet to be held without the need for the young readers to see a ballet in person. It would also make a beautiful Christmas gift and it would be a lovely collection to share with young readers.
- The Magic of the Ballet by Vivian French and Lauren O’Hara is available now from Walker Books. RRP. £16.99 (sent in exchange for review)
