Customer Reviews

To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel

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How should your average adult shopper determine the difference between a graphic novel that is good and a graphic novel that is bad? It's simple. If a graphic novel is bad then it will be poorly illustrated, shamefully written, and just dull all over. If a graphic novel is good it can convert the unconvertible. I work with a woman who is a self-proclaimed woman "too old" for graphic novels. She never dug them. Never much cared for them. And then "To Dance" fell into her lap and BANG! Instant fan. This should come as no very great surprise. We're dealing with the Siegel duo. Mark Siegel the illustrator may at this point in time be best known for "Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operattea" which he penned with aplomb. He's the editorial director of First Second (the company that gave the world that go-buy-it-right-now book "American Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang) and a talented artist in his own right. And Ms. Siena Cherson Siegel attended the School of America Ballet where she studied "preprofessionally" (as the book's author blurb says) for twelve years. So what couple is better suited to depict the rigor and wonder of how a child becomes a ballerina, I ask you? This is a biography like you've never seen it before.

Siena begins her story this way: "Big, empty spaces always made me dance". She yearned to move. First growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico and then later when her family moved to Boston. For Siena, dance was in her heart and mind. She flew to New York in 1977 to get a taste of dance rigor at the American Ballet Theater and discovered that she wanted to be a ballerina more than anything. A year later she auditioned for the School of American Ballet (founded by George Balanchine) and got in. As her home life grew unpleasant, Siena's time with the ballet became even more precious to her. The book tracks what it's really like to be both a kid and a professional ballerina. And though she quit at the age of 18 and followed other pursuits, she still dances today. "Dancing fills a space in me".

I must say that if the Siegels had put their heads together and said, "Let's find a way to stymie library catalogers everywhere" they couldn't have done better than to create a graphic novel biography. Where the heck do you put it in the collection? It'll never attract its key audience in the biography section, but won't it also get lost in the fantasy/manga shuffle if you stick it in with the other graphic novels? What's a librarian to do? If I ruled the world I'd create a whole new section of gn bios and then insist that everyone from Toni Morrison to Ray Bradbury create one (art by others, of course). Ms. Siegel's memoir, however, is particularly well-written. I loved the little details of Siena's life that she was able to work into the story. It's a mere slip of a book, but there's an abundance of great details here. I was particularly fond of young Siena's fears that if her relatives had huge boobs then maybe she herself would get huge boobs. The next panel is of little Sienna lying in bed as an image of a big boobed self dances through her head. Less blatent was the book that started it all. In the story Siena receives the book "A Very Young Dancer" and is enchanted by it. As a kid, I too had a copy of that book, and I can attest to how entrancing it was. For a kid growing up in the Midwest, the idea of a kid like myself getting to live in New York to dance professionally was a wild magnificent dream. Now kids today can relive that dream, only now with Siegel's book as their guide.

And then there's Mark's art. I thought it was pretty nice and all for the first few pages, but then I came to an image he drew of two hands crossed against a pure black background that blew me away. I am a great admirer of hands and Mark knows how to draw them. Heck, he knows how to draw ballerinas period! Their poses, positions, and gestures are captured here so well that Mr. Siegel must have studied ballerinas and their moves for hours on end. Then there's the layout of the book itself. Instead of strict panels of corresponding shape and size, Siegel expands and contracts his spaces according to the story's plot. When Siena and her friends put on silk kimonos and explore the New York State Theater on their own, they stand in the vast auditorium like three small colorful specks, dwarfed by magnificence. I also liked how Siegel chose to give his book chapters of a sort. The book is broken up under headings with names like "Refuge" and "Dying Swan". As for the color scheme, Siegel uses watercolors here in variegated colors and shades. Quick eyes will also note that the first image of this book (that of Siena leaping across yellow sand as a child) is mirrored by the last image of this book (that of Siena leaping across yellow sand grown and WITH a child). Mark even makes his own headless cameo in the upper left hand corner of this last picture.

2006 seems to be the year for male artists to pen children's book odes to their wives. Matteo Pericoli did it with "The True Story of Stellina" (also in watercolors). Now Siegel does the same with "To Dance". Of course Siena Siegel wrote the book herself, so it's not as if she didn't have any input or anything. There are so few graphic novels to compare this title to that I have a hard time conveying how nice it is to you. I'll just say this: Kids (girl kids, some might say) like ballerinas. The book shows ballerinas in spades, has a great eclectic format, some great writing, and beautiful art. If you think you can do better for your kids, go ahead. Be my guest. Just remember "To Dance" when you find yourself seriously stumped gift-wise. It's a gem.

Bluebonnet award winner, Mark Siegel has teamed with his wife Siena Cherson Siegel and created an exquisite and tender graphic novel that honors dancers everywhere.

Siena began her dance journey in San Juan, Puerto Rico when she was diagnosed with flat feet. She started dance classes and fell in love with the art form. The story follows her family as they move to Boston where she sees the Bolshoi Ballet perform for the first time. She dreams of ballets.

At the age of 11 she auditions and wins a spot in the School of American Ballet and begins to work in earnest. She sees George Balanchine and Baryshnikov, Suzanne Farrell, and Gelsey Kirkland in the halls. Being fitted for her first toe shoes, winning a spot in her first performance and partnering class are all milestones in her life at SAB. Family life is difficult as her parents' marriage fails. As a teenager there are boyfriends and schoolwork and worry about the shape of her body.

Plots of ballets are seamlessly woven into the story as we see the excitement and glamor of performance balanced with the hard work of practice and the heartbreak of not being chosen to perform. Her memoir also allows the reader an inside look at the grief and sorrow that overwhelmed the company when Balanchine died.

Mark Siegel draws the story with detail and love. To depict a story like this in graphic novel form allows the reader to move through the years with Siena. The reader notes the change of color of her leotard as the years pass, each color representing a higher level at SAB. Her painful injuries and aching toes from hours of dancing are communicated without words.

One scene where young Siena is reading the book A Very Young Dancer by flashlight is typical of the care and detail the Siegels have included. I think every school library has that book as it is a favorite with young dancers. Like the girl on the cover, Siena will wear the green leotard.

Siegel opens the story with little Siena dancing on a beach. He ends it on a beach too and it brought tears to my eyes. This is sophisticated storytelling at its very best.

Words to describe this book: Brilliant, fascinating, informative, original, beautiful, a must have for all ballet students, dancers, and fans of ballet

TO DANCE: A BALLERINA'S GRAPHIC NOVEL provides a blend of history, drama, and autobiography in telling of young Siena's dream to dance, which began when she was six. Ages 8-14 are the intended readers - but younger ages will find this equally accessible in its full color graphic novel format as it tells of a young dancer's evolution.

To Dance is about a girl whose name is Sienna. She lives with her mom, dad, and her
Brother.When Siena was about 6 or 7 years old she went to dance classes.

As Siena grew older she went to ballet classes.Ballet was Siena's favorite thing to do
out of other things.

Siena's parents had lots of problems being together.Siena always got annoyed when she
heard her parents fight,so she will go to her ballet classes and that will keep her busy.

I think To Dance is a very interesting book because it has good details ,the artwork is
great.Funny in some parts too,sometimes sad.

The author's name is Siena Cherson Siegel.The artwork is by Mark Siegel. This book
is a graphic nobel.I would like to recommend this book to whoever likes graphic nobels
and ballet.To Dance is the best book I've ever read.

I hope you like it if you ever read it.

While other people have already said wonderful things about To Dance, it's also a great book for what it is not. It's NOT another Very Young Dancer.

I was the right age for A Very Young Dancer, but discouraged and saddened me, because she was always the Best--it seemed as though if you were not the lead, your work did not count at all. [This may be a modern attitude; when Michelle Kwan came in second at The Worlds--I think--the headlines screamed Michelle Kwan Loses!]

In To Dance, Siena is a good dancer, a great dancer, even, and spends years as a Pierette, eventually leaving dance because of injuries. She never becomes a prima ballerina, instead going to college and ultimately making a career out of the business of dance. Which is what is wonderful about this book. It shows how dance can run in your veins even though you're not Kirkland.

It's refreshing that the author and illustrator show much of her individual personality, not JUST her dedication to her art. Beautifully written, beautifully illustrated.

This is a beautiful, emotionally honest book that my 9 year-old dancer LOVES! Actually, so do I. ;) Being a graphic novel, it is a very easy read, but is easily enjoyed over and over again. I highly recommend this book to any girl (8 or older) who loves ballet.

Husband/wife team Siena Cherson Siegel and Mark Siegel collaborate to produce a graphic memoir of Siena's ballet training from ages 6 to 18. Simple but effective color drawings illustrate the hard work and sacrifices required in this honest, kid-friendly memoir geared towards older children. The story of her experiences is a fine model for young girls who wish to follow--or rather, dance--in her footsteps. Recommended for Ages 9-14.

I really loved this story; I always wanted to be a dancer and never did it so this as a fun read. This story is unique because it is written in the form of a graphic novel. I could see children being more interested in this book because it's not in the traditional format. I really like the pictures too; they show so much emotion and beauty. Since it is a memoir, the book shows a true account of the ballerina in the story. We see her love to dance, her parents' divorce, her acceptance into a wonderful school and how her life evolves as she gets older. I think that there aren't many books that portray ballet in a way to engage younger children, and I think this really would interest the younger demographic.

To Dance tells the familiar story of a young girl, in this case Siena when she was a child, who wants to grow up to be a ballerina. She starts ballet lessons, shows a real talent, and makes it to New York City where she trains in a feeder school for a big ballet company, in this case New York City Ballet's School of American Ballet, where she is discovered. Mark Siegel's illustrations allow the reader to share in Siena's wonder and sometimes confusion with this whole new world in which she finds herself. He is also a kind of translator for the "uninitiated" in ballet lore and jargon, providing illustrations and examples of being en pointe and or dancing a pas de deux to name a few. For this reason, the format of the graphic novel works very well here. It elevates the reading level beyond that of a picture book without wordy explanations that detract from the story. Those who are more familiar with ballet will find the illustrations amusing and beautiful with gorgeous renditions of the varying levels of ballet classes and some "cameo appearances" of the big names of the New York City Ballet in the 1970's to early 1980's.

This basic story has been told many times. Two examples that jump out from my reading history are Ballerina Dreams, an easy reader by New York City Ballet's Diana White and Gelsey Kirkland's only-for-grown-ups memoir, Dancing on My Grave. The big difference between these books and To Dance, aside from format, is that even those well-versed in the recent and current ballet world will not recognize the name Siena Cherson Siegel; she is not a ballerina. As chronicled in this graphic novel, Siegel dances in a few performances with the New York City Ballet in pre-professional roles, but then goes on to attend college at Brown and dance for her own enjoyment rather than dance professionally. The ending to this story is very rarely told, though much more common. To Dance emphasizes how dance can mold one's life while at the same time, showing how Siena takes the time to be a "normal" kid as well as positively showing her choice not to dance professionally. By sharing her story in To Dance, Siegel is affirming anyone who wants to use anything that they are talented at or simply enjoy as a hobby, an enjoyment, rather than a career choice. For this reason, along with the beauty of the illustrations and Siegel's writing, I highly recommend this book.


Book source: Birthday present, years ago, from Nanna. :)

I first brought this book home from our local Library mainly because it was a Graphic novel and I liked the artwork. i also thought the story of Dance would be of interest to my 7-year old daughter, Maria. I thought my daughter had merely browsed through the pages, and after a few weeks, I returned it back to the Library. I was surprised to learn though that Maria actually liked the book, and wanted to read it again. She said she liked the story and the manner in which it was told. I had planned on going back to the Library to loan it out again, but someone else was already borrowing it. By chance, I came across the book's listing on Amazon and liked the price being offered. I ordered the book for Maria, and was pleased to find that it arrived fairly quickly. The book arrived brand new and was a great surprise for my daughter. She was very happy with the book, and I am too. A very wonderful story of how dance and the Arts can affect all our lives.