Anna Pavlova: Genius of the Dance [Library Binding]

Ellen Levine (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up

An inspiring, easy-to-read biography follows the great ballerina from her childhood in Russia to a life of travel and adventure around the world as she shared her talent and passion for dance.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9?This well-written biography will appeal to many readers, especially those interested in dance and history. Levine chronicles Pavlova's childhood, training, and artistic achievements, and includes many autobiographical accounts from her diary as well as quotes from her contemporaries. With its snippets of dialogue and interpretations of the subject's thoughts and feelings, the book reads like a novel. It also paints a vivid picture of the life of a dancer in the Soviet Union during the late 1800s and early 1900s. A selection of well-reproduced black-and-white photographs appears in the center of the book, and a helpful glossary of ballet terms is appended. Another winner from the author of If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island (Scholastic, 1993).?Robin Works Davis, Hurst Public Library, TX
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-7. This joyfully adulatory biography of the great Russian ballerina celebrates Pavlova's life and art. Levine also gets across some sense of the revolutionary times in which the world-renowned dancer lived. Though there's no documentation of individual facts and quotes, an annotated bibliography shows that Levine has drawn on Pavlova's own scraps of memoir as well as on numerous accounts about her. Dance lovers will enjoy the talk about particular ballets--their choreography, technique, style, and what went on behind the scenes of a performance--and every kid who dreams of stardom, whether in athletics, the arts, or whatever, will appreciate Pavlova's lifelong insistence that rigorous training is as necessary as talent. Just as compelling are her words about the limitations of technique: "Until you feel," she said, over and over, "you will never be an artist, only a good machine." Hazel Rochman

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Library Binding: 132 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Trade; First Printing edition (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590443046
• ISBN-13: 978-0590443043
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ellen Levine has always been drawn to stories of people who struggled for justice, and of ordinary people who did extraordinary things. She was fascinated by Henry "Box" Brown, whose escape is recounted in The Underground Railroad by William Still, first published in 1872. Ms. Levine was awed by Henry's ingenious idea and moved by his incredible courage. Among the author's award-winning books are Freedom's Children, winner of the Jane Addams Peace Award and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; and Darkness Over Denmark, a Jame Addams Peace Award Honor Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. She lives in New York City and Salem, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I thought it was ok, November 30, 1998

By 

os mutantes [e-mail] (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anna Pavlova: Genius of the Dance (Library Binding)

This book was not that great. I exspected alot more pictures about her life and things like that. I do not think that the book did her justice. This young woman acomplished so many things in a short time.