It’s that time of year again when I round up the latest dance books to add to your collection and 2024 did not disappoint. Whether you’re looking to share stories of famous dancers, engage younger readers with fun dance fiction, or discover non-fiction that connects movement to history and culture, there is a book for everyone. Each title is hyperlinked to Amazon.com for ease of shopping (no, I'm not an affiliate). Hopefully, you can find a book or two to incorporate into your life, lobby, and/or classroom.
Happy reading!
For Young Readers
Keep Dancing Through: A Boss Family Groove by Allison Holker Boss - A story that celebrates family and the power of dance by encouraging readers to dance to their own beat.
Soul Step by Jewell Parker Rhodes - An illustrated book that takes you on a journey of sisterhood and the history of step dance.
Cesaria Feels the Beat by Denise Rosario Adusei - An inspiring story of a girl who is deaf standing up for herself to perform at a seaside Carnival.
Brown Girls Do Ballet: Celebrating Diverse Girls Taking Center Stage by TaKiya Wallace-MnMillian - Instagram sensation TaKiya Wallace-McMillian presents her photography of young brown girl ballerinas in a beautiful children's book.
River's Dreary to Dreamy Day: A Dance-It-Out Moment and Meditation Story by Once Upon a Dance - A soothing and imaginative story that helps kids manage emotions through gentle movement and breath.
Falling into Dance by Once Upon a Dance - Another fantastic release by Once Upon a Dance, this book is a playful balance of technical ballet advice and storytelling.
The Dancing Princess by Rakib Islam - A story about two princesses who love to dance that portrays resilience and overcoming trauma.
Brave Maeve by Lydia Donev - A hardcover picture book of a younger girl who aspires to learn ballet, but is afraid to try something new.
A Dragon Who Loved to Dance by Loser Expert - A heartwarming tale of a courageous dragon who follows his passion for dance.
Martee Dares to Dance by Harry Shum Jr & Shelby Rabara - After experiencing embarrassment, young dancer Martee struggles with a decision to attend a Halloween dance.
This Is Tap: Savion Glover Finds His Funk by Selene Castrovilla - This illustrated biography introduces Savion Glover and his journey through dance in rhythmic lyrics.
Wind is Dance by Debra Kempf Shumaker - Not exactly dance-themed, the poetic text in this picture book sparks imagination and provides great improvisation prompts for your dance classroom.
Adding Cultural Diversity
Hanukkah Hippity Hop by Barbara Kimmel - A festive rhyming book that invites toddlers to dance around while learning about Hanukkah.
Kailani's Gift by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young - A picture book that celebrates Filipino culture, family, and dance. Messages of patience and perseverance.
Tala Learns to Siva by Kealani Netana - A heartwarming story about a young dancer Tala, who performs a traditional Samoan dance but freezes on stage.
Why We Dance: A Story of Hope and Healing by Deidre Havrelock - A powerful story about the heritage, joy, and power of the Jingle Dress Dance that thrives in many Indigenous and First Nations communities across North America.
Dance Fast by AR Cribbins- A book celebrating Pomo traditions, young Bizzy learns to overcome perfectionism and embrace her mistakes.
For Bilingual Readers
¡Boogie en el Bronx! (Barefoot Singalongs - Spanish Edition) by Jackie Azúa Kramer - Bilingual counting book that introduces readers to 10 dance styles in a Bronx high-rise block party.
The Dancing Nutcracker: Bilingual German-English Stories for Young German Language Learners by Pomme Bilingual - 10 short stories that lead children on a journey of German Christmas traditions.
For Dance Educators
Dance Games for Everybody by Annie Deschamps - A collection of warmups and dance games for all ages.
Dance Partnering Basics: Practical Skills and Inclusive Pedagogy by Brandon Whited - Easy ways to incorporate partnering skills in your dance classroom via progression-based techniques and exercises.
Dance Injuries: Reducing Risk and Maximizing Performance by Jeffery A. Russell - An overview of common dance injuries and insight on how to reduce risk and maximize longevity written by a team of experts in dance medicine and science.
For Adult Readers
Fiction
Coming Soon: The Paris Dancer by Nicola Rayner - A historical novel about a young woman who discovers her great-aunt's notebooks as a Jewish ballroom dancer who aspires to be a ballerina during WWII.
Pointe of Pride by Chloe Angyal - A romantic novel set in Australia between a New York Ballet corps ballerina, who desires a promotion, and a retired Paris dancer.
The Dancer: Ballet by Mohammed Tahar Souida - A romantic novel about a beautiful ballerina who secures her place in the Paris Opera Ballet.
Non-Fiction
Pilobolus: A Story of Dance and Life by Robert Pranzatelli - The dynamic history of the American dance theater company: Pilobolus.
A Hula Dancer in the Snow by Jeong Eun Park - An essay about a dancer navigating life's challenges and using the power of hula dance as a form of therapy.
For the Love of Tango by Giuliano Scarpati- Giuliano shares his account of the history, technique, and philosophy of Argentine Tango.
Dancing the Afrofuture: Hula, Hip-Hop, and the Dunham Legacy by Halifu Osumare - A Black dancer chronicles her career as a scholar writing the stories of global hip-hop and Black culture.
Balanchine and Me: Be Relevant, Not Reverent by Peter Martins - Peter Martins' insights and anecdotes of working closely with Balanchine.
Kinethic California: Dancing Funk and Disco Era Kinships by Naomie Macalalad Bragin - Interviews and ethnographies from dancers in the 1960s and 1970s on the emergence of black social and vernacular dance.
Five Ballets from Paris and St. Petersburg by Doug Fullington and Marian Smith - This is a book in which detailed historical insights were gathered from a collection of manuscripts from the ballets Giselle, Paquita, Le Corsaire, La Bayadère, and Raymonda.
Simone Forti: Improvising a Life by Ann Cooper Albright - A biography about a visionary artist in the 1960s who redefined the language of dance, Simone Forti.
Crafting the Ballet Russes: Music, Dance, Design: The Robert Owen Lehman Collection by Robinson McClellan - Robert Owen Lehman's manuscript collection and rarely seen choreographic notations provide a fresh view into the Ballets Russes troupe and its role in the revitalization of ballet in Paris.
Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby - An engaging and informative group biography of five Black ballerinas, their accomplished history, and how they changed the face of ballet.
Also adapted in this version for Young Adults.
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