Sunday, 5 February 2012

The Everyday Dancer


It’s been a while since I have been on this blog.  Christmas and family matters put a hold on things for a while, as well as the fact that there has been no dance to go and see.  So I thought as I get back to the blog in 2012 I would start with a book review.

I got given for Christmas “The Everyday Dancer” by Deborah Bull.  It is a very easy read (you could easily finish it on a snowy, cold winter Sunday), nicely illustrated and I think goes a long way to do what it aims to do which is give a picture of the life in the day of a dancer.  Bull structures the book around the daily schedule, weaving in descriptions of classes and rehearsals as well as some anecdotes from her own experience, from being a rat in “The Nutcracker” to her final performances as a principal with The Royal Ballet. 

I have to say that I enjoyed the book, read in little bits on my boring bus journey to work.  It give a good picture of what goes on behind the scenes (I particularly liked her comments about different costume types and wigs).  However, I do wonder who the book is aimed at?  I guess any teenage girl who dreams of being a dancer would lap it up, and I know I would have loved it if I had read it when I was 13.  As I say, I enjoyed it now too, so maybe it is aimed at anyone who has an interest in and likes dance, though don’t expect to learn anything new if you watch a lot and read a lot about dance.

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