Washoe County Library System

Text and photographs present the activities at a ballet studio where young children warm up, practice the five basic positions, exercise at the barre, and watch teenage ballet dancers perform.

A story that follows the everyday life of two girls, one a professional ballerina, the other a student, both of whom love ballet.

Catty Jane was born to dance. When she's old enough, she enrolls at Mrs. Herron's Dance Academy where she learns that ballet takes a lot of practice. On her way home from class, the kitten meets Froggy, who shows her his vaulting and somersaulting moves. It doesn't look anything like ballet and Catty Jane tells him so. The two pals sit in angry silence until friends come along and suggest a dance party. Catty Jane wants nothing to do with that kind...

"Misty Copeland is one of the most famous dancers in the world. But before she was dancing for millions of fans, Misty was just a young girl who loved ballet, even though she didn't look like the typical ballerina. Learn how she made it all the way to the top in this exciting level 3 biography!"--

A lyrical picture book biography of Janet Collins, the first African American principal dancer at the Metropolitan Opera House. Janet Collins wanted to be a ballerina in the 1930s and 40s, a time when racial segregation was widespread in the United States. Janet pursued dance with a passion, despite being rejected from discriminatory dance schools. When she was accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as a teenager on the condition that she paint...

Pirouette across the stage and get to know Misty Copeland—the first African-American woman to become a principal ballerina with the American Ballet Theater—in this fascinating, nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a new series of biographies about people “you should meet.” Misty Copeland had always dreamed of becoming a dancer, but she had many obstacles to overcome before she could reach her dream. Although she was always...

"This beautiful picture book tells the little-known story of Raven Wilkinson, the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company and an inspiration to Misty Copeland. When she was only five years old, her parents took her to see the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Raven perched on her crushed velvet seat, heard the tympani, and cried with delight even before the curtain lifted. From that moment on, her passion for dance...

When Angelina wants to audition for the Mousnikov Ballet, she tries to learn to dance in toe shoes before she's ready.