Ballet Bunnies

Full Text Review(s)
"In this useful ballet primer, two very young students, a girl and a boy bunny, demonstrate basic technique in scenes that follow the traditional format of a ballet class, from warm-ups to the barre to the "hop, skip, twirl, and wiggle" fun of centerwork. Goodman takes an admirably restrained approach, posing most of her characters head-on and dressing them in no-frills dancewear (no impractical tulle skirts!) to better show leg placement. Additional pluses include the portrayal of more advanced positions by an obviously older student, and Goodman’s plainspoken interpretations of major ballet steps (for a grand jeté, dancers should "pretend to leap over a big puddle"). It’s odd, however, that no pronunciation guides are included for the French terms, and considering Goodman’s obvious interest in realism, it’s also odd that she chose bunnies as her dancers—their rabbit heads look incongruous atop distinctly human torsos and legs. Nonetheless, this will go a long way toward helping prepare children accustomed to the more freeform atmosphere of predance classes for a more structured ballet experience."