Written By: Patricia Lee Gauch
Illustrated By: Satomi Ichikawa
On a cold, winter day, Tanya visits the ballet with her mother and sister. When she spies an old woman with tutus, Tanya learns that you can be anything, if you truly believe it in your heart.
Through her use of vivid verbs and adjectives, Patricia Lee Gauch shows us complete transformations in Tanya, the old woman, and Dr. Coppelius.
Discussion/Project Ideas:
1. Each style of dance has its own vocabulary. Choose a style and learn at least five new words. Try to write directions for performing at least two of the moves and see if you can find a partner to correctly perform them solely on your directions.
2. If you were going to perform onstage, what type of performance would it be? Ballet? Play? Musical? Improvisation? Why?
3. Create a resume and apply for a specific role in the performance type of your choice. (See above for examples.) Include skills, experience, knowledge of position for which you are applying and any important background knowledge about your life that would be helpful. Don’t forget all your writing skills – they can cost you a job!