Born into a family of successful playwrights and producers, Agnes de Mille was determined to be an actress. Then one day she witnessed the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, and her life was altered forever. Hypnotized by Pavlova’s beauty, in that moment de Mille dedicated herself to dance. Her memoir records with lighthearted humor and wisdom not only the difficulties she faced—the resistance of her parents, the sacrifices of her training—but also the frontier atmosphere of early Hollywood and New York and London during the Depression. “This is the story of an American dancer,” writes de Mille, “a spoiled egocentric wealthy girl, who learned with difficulty to become a worker, to set and meet standards, to brace a Victorian sensibility to contemporary roughhousing, and who, with happy good fortune, participated by the side of great colleagues in a renaissance of the most ancient and magical of all the arts.” Read more

The Sunday Times bestseller!'Downton with dance, perfect!' Santa MontefiorePrepare to be swept off your feet by the romantic and irresistible debut novel from Anton Du BekeLondon, 1936.Inside the spectacular Grand Ballroom of the exclusive Buckingham Hotel the rich and powerful, politicians, film stars, even royalty, rub shoulders with Raymond de Guise and his troupe of talented dancers from all around the world, who must enchant them, captivate them, and sweep away their cares. Accustomed to waltzing with the highest of society, Raymond knows a secret from his past could threaten all he holds dear.Nancy Nettleton, new chambermaid at the Buckingham, finds hotel life a struggle after leaving her small hometown. She dreams of joining the dancers on the ballroom floor as she watches, unseen, from behind plush curtains and hidden doorways. She soon discovers everyone at the Buckingham - guests and staff alike - has something to hide . . .The storm clouds of war are gathering, and beneath the glitz and glamour of the ballroom lurks an irresistible world of scandal and secrets.Let's dance . . . Read more

At age eighteen, Grover Dale fled a dirty shack and an abusive childhood to catch a bus to NYC, his pocket filled with just $130 cash and hard-won survival instincts. The cash lasted a week. The survival instincts, a lifetime.After landing a breakout role as Snowboy in Broadway’s original production of West Side Story, the rest, as they say, is history.Now, through poignant and riveting vignettes, this living dance legend takes us behind the scenes of seven decades of entertainment history, providing intimate insights into industry movers and shakers like Jerome Robbins, Noël Coward, and Gene Kelly—all while sharing his own inspiring life lessons.Spiced with personal drama that includes clandestine relationships with celebs of both genders, and tidbits about well-known stars of the stage and screen, Dale celebrates the ups and downs of his illustrious career in a delightful dance through the Golden Eras of Broadway, Hollywood, and beyond. Read more

New book. First published April 2025.Summer Ball Weddings & Waltzing is the fifth book in the Scottish Highlands & Island Romance series. It can be read as a standalone novel or enjoyed as part of the series.1. Scottish Island Knitting Bee2. Scottish Island Fairytale Castle3. Vintage Dress Shop on the Island4. Fairytale Christmas on the Island5. Summer Ball Weddings & WaltzingStory:Three couples are getting married at the magnificent fairytale castle on the Scottish island. Finlay, the laird–to–be, and his two brothers, Innis and Ean, are marrying Merrilees, Skye and Ailsa. Everyone on the island is looking forward to the happy event that includes a summer ball.The three couples plan to sail off on Finlay’s yacht for a three–week honeymoon trip around the islands off the west coast of Scotland, leaving the running of the castle’s hotel facilities in the hands of their handsome cousin, Roag, an expert chef and owner of a successful restaurant in Glasgow on the mainland. Roag is known as a magnet for trouble.Fyona, an expert in patisserie, is also arriving to help with the catering, and ice the wedding cake. But sparks of attraction start to ignite between Roag and Fyona, even though neither is looking for romance.With weddings, waltzing, ballroom dancing and cakes galore in the mix, is it a recipe for romance on the beautiful Scottish island this summer?New releases by De-ann Black:Quilt Shop by the Seaside, Embroidery Bee, Crafting Bee, Scottish Highlands New Year Ball, Ballroom Dancing Christmas Romance, Christmas Ballroom Dancing, Autumn Romance, Knitting & Starlight, Knitting Bee, The Sweetest Waltz, Sweet Music, Love & Lyrics, Scottish Island Knitting Bee, Christmas Weddings, Fairytale Christmas on the Island, Vintage Dress Shop on the Island, Scottish Island Fairytale Castle, Scottish Loch Summer Romance, Sewing & Mending Cottage, Knitting Shop by the Sea, and Knitting Cottage.Romance books by De-ann Black:Quilt Shop by the SeasideEmbroidery BeeScottish Loch Romance series:1. Sewing & Mending Cottage2. Scottish Loch Summer Romance3. Sweet Music4. Knitting Bee5. Autumn Romance6. Christmas Ballroom Dancing7. Scottish Highlands New Year Ball8. Crafting BeeMusic, Dance & Romance series:1. The Sweetest Waltz2. Knitting & Starlight3. Ballroom Dancing Christmas RomanceSnow Bells Haven series:1. Snow Bells Christmas2. Snow Bells Wedding3. Love & LyricsQuilting Bee & Tea Shop series:1. The Quilting Bee2. The Tea Shop by the Sea3. Embroidery Cottage4. Knitting Shop by the Sea5. Christmas WeddingsThe Cure for Love Romance series:1. The Cure for Love2. The Cure for Love at ChristmasScottish Chateau, Colouring & Crafts series:1. Christmas Cake Chateau2. Colouring Book CottageSewing, Crafts & Quilting series:1. The Sewing Bee2. The Sewing Shop3. Knitting Cottage (Scottish Highland romance)4. Scottish Highlands Christmas WeddingAbout the Author:De-ann Black is a bestselling author, scriptwriter and former newspaper journalist. She has over 100 books published. Romance, thrillers, various fiction & non-fiction books.De-ann is also a professional artist, illustrator and designer. Embroidery patterns, fabric design, dressmaking, sewing, knitting and fashion are part of her work.Additionally, De-ann has always been interested in fitness, and was a fitness and bodybuilding champion, 100 metre runner and mountaineer. As a former N.A.B.B.A. Miss Scotland, she had a weekly fitness show on the radio that ran for over three years. De-ann trained in Shukokai karate, boxing, kickboxing, Dayan Qigong & Jiu Jitsu. She is currently based in Scotland.Her embroidery pattern books & colouring books are available in paperback on Amazon. Read more

Mabel Elsworth Todd is considered the founder of what has come to be known as 'Ideokinesis', a form of somatic education that became popular in the 1930s amongst dancers and health professionals. Todd's ideas involved using anatomically based, creative visual imagery and consciously relaxed volition to create and refine neuromuscular coordination. Lulu Sweigard, who coined the term Ideokinesis, and Barbara Clark furthered Todd's work. Todd's work was published in her book The Thinking Body (1937), which is now considered by modern dance schools to be a classic study of physiology and the psychology of movement. Her work influenced many somatic awareness professionals of her day, and is often cited along with The Feldenkrais method for its focus on the subtle influence of unconscious intention and attention. Read more

The follow-up to Kristin Casey’s widely acclaimed memoir Rock Monster: My Life with Joe WalshCasey Dancer is the true story of a thirty-nine-year-old part-time stripper, full-time real estate agent, and struggling writer navigating the chaos of love and ambition. Fresh from a tumultuous breakup and newly sober, Kristin finds herself struggling to re-enter the dating scene. When she falls for Lalo, a charming but troubled ex-coke dealer, their steamy affair leads to deep emotional conflict, testing her boundaries and stirring memories of past relationships. Through the highs of passion, the lows of financial strain, and the harsh realities of erotic labor, Kristin fights to reclaim her sense of self. Bold, raw, and unapologetically honest, Casey Dancer is a story of resilience, vulnerability, and self-discovery. Read more

New book. First published March 2025.New series. Quilt Shop is the first book in a new romance series set in a small fictional town by the seaside in the beautiful Kingdom of Fife, on the east coast of Scotland.Story:Eisla, an expert quilter, leaves Edinburgh and goes back home to Fife, to start afresh. She sells her quilts online from her website, but takes on the lease of a pretty converted cottage by the seaside, to continue her online business and live in the cosy accommodation. The front of the cottage has been made into a small shop, but Eisla plans to use it as a studio for herself to design and create her quilts.She ran away from the city in Fife a few years ago, broken–hearted, when her ex–boyfriend dumped her for her now ex–friend. Now, she’s back living in a quaint town where no one knows her. To make new friends. And work on her quilting.Eisla isn’t looking for romance. But when she meets Caerd, the handsome owner of the local castellated mansion hotel specialising in holiday accommodation for honeymoon couples and wedding parties — and learns ceilidh dancing, nothing goes according to plan.Will Eisla run away again, or piece together a patchwork of hope for a new life in the Kingdom of Fife, and find romance beside the seaside?New releases by De-ann Black:Embroidery Bee, Crafting Bee, Scottish Highlands New Year Ball, Ballroom Dancing Christmas Romance, Christmas Ballroom Dancing, Autumn Romance, Knitting & Starlight, Knitting Bee, The Sweetest Waltz, Sweet Music, Love & Lyrics, Scottish Island Knitting Bee, Christmas Weddings, Fairytale Christmas on the Island, Vintage Dress Shop on the Island, Scottish Island Fairytale Castle, Scottish Loch Summer Romance, Sewing & Mending Cottage, Knitting Shop by the Sea, and Knitting Cottage.Romance books by De-ann Black:Embroidery BeeScottish Loch Romance series:1. Sewing & Mending Cottage2. Scottish Loch Summer Romance3. Sweet Music4. Knitting Bee5. Autumn Romance6. Christmas Ballroom Dancing7. Scottish Highlands New Year Ball8. Crafting BeeMusic, Dance & Romance series:1. The Sweetest Waltz2. Knitting & Starlight3. Ballroom Dancing Christmas RomanceScottish Highlands & Island Romance series:1. Scottish Island Knitting Bee2. Scottish Island Fairytale Castle3. Vintage Dress Shop on the Island4. Fairytale Christmas on the IslandSnow Bells Haven series:1. Snow Bells Christmas2. Snow Bells Wedding3. Love & LyricsQuilting Bee & Tea Shop series:1. The Quilting Bee2. The Tea Shop by the Sea3. Embroidery Cottage4. Knitting Shop by the Sea5. Christmas WeddingsThe Cure for Love Romance series:1. The Cure for Love2. The Cure for Love at ChristmasScottish Chateau, Colouring & Crafts series:1. Christmas Cake Chateau2. Colouring Book CottageSewing, Crafts & Quilting series:1. The Sewing Bee2. The Sewing Shop3. Knitting Cottage (Scottish Highland romance)4. Scottish Highlands Christmas WeddingAbout the Author:De-ann Black is a bestselling author, scriptwriter and former newspaper journalist. She has over 100 books published. Romance, thrillers, various fiction & non-fiction books.De-ann is also a professional artist, illustrator and designer. Embroidery patterns, fabric design, dressmaking, sewing, knitting and fashion are part of her work.Additionally, De-ann has always been interested in fitness, and was a fitness and bodybuilding champion, 100 metre runner and mountaineer. As a former N.A.B.B.A. Miss Scotland, she had a weekly fitness show on the radio that ran for over three years. De-ann trained in Shukokai karate, boxing, kickboxing, Dayan Qigong & Jiu Jitsu. She is currently based in Scotland.Her embroidery pattern books & colouring books are available in paperback on Amazon. Read more

The celebrated ballerina and role model, Misty Copeland, shares the secrets of how to reshape your body and achieve a lean, strong physique and glowing health. Misty Copeland believes "There has been a shift in recent years in which women no longer desire the bare bones of a runway model. Standards have changed: what women do want is a long, toned, powerful body with excellent posture." In other words, the body of a ballerina. In her first health and fitness book, Misty will show women how to find the motivation to get healthier and stronger, and how to reshape their bodies to be lean and flexible, with step-by-step advice, meal plans, workout routines, and words of inspiration. Celebrating the importance of healthy fats and a fitness regimen based on ballet exercises, Misty shares her own time-tested exercises and an eating plan focusing on healthy fats, both of which keep her in top shape. Tips for motivation and words of encouragement as well as tips on how to keep going even when you may want to give up. An inspiring section on the importance of finding mentors, and eventually being one, plus excerpts from Misty's personal journal, round out this important book on grace and strength. Read more

As an actor, awareness of your movement is the key to transformation. By making deliberate physical choices, you can fully and articulately embody different ways of being: you can become someone or something else. Laban's Efforts give you a way of identifying and making these choices. Working with them helps the actor to create wholly present and physically ambitious performances. This book outlines Ewan's practical process, which allows the actor to understand their own movement and that of others by exploring one key part of Laban's work: the 'Efforts of Action Drive'. This complete, stage-by-stage, working process has been developed through more than thirty years of work with actors in the studio. Clear instructions for practical exercises are woven throughout the book, as well as exciting ways to apply the work in rehearsal, performance and on set. This allows the actor to learn and apply Laban's Efforts for themselves. Full video and audio resources allow the reader to experience the practical work in action. Read more

In June 2005 Jock Soto, at forty years old, gave his farewell performance as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. The program, an event of unprecedented ambition, showcased pieces from five legendary choreographers, and it capped one of the most storied careers in ballet history—an ascent that be­gan when Soto was just three years old. After retiring, Soto was determined to embrace a new future, but he found himself obsessed with questions about his past—where had he come from, and where had he been?Every Step You Take weaves together the diverse strands of Soto’s life: being the half-breed offspring of a Puerto Rican–Navajo couple, the gay son of a fiercely macho man, a naive teenager from the desert running in the sophisticated art world of New York, and a driven artist by day and hard-core party animal by night. Soto recalls his professional relationships with such icons as George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Darci Kistler, Lourdes Lopez, and many others. He shares his love of food throughout the book with recipes to mark the pivotal moments in his story. And he describes the newest chapter in his life: teaching at the renowned School of American Ballet.Intimate and moving, Every Step You Take shows the honest and inspiring evolution of a remarkable man, a brilliant artist, and a living legend. Read more

Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Fences and The Piano LessonWinner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best PlayIt is the spring of 1948. In the still cool evenings of Pittsburgh's Hill district, familiar sounds fill the air. A rooster crows. Screen doors slam. The laughter of friends gathered for a backyard card game rises just above the wail of a mother who has lost her son. And there's the sound of the blues, played and sung by young men and women with little more than a guitar in their hands and a dream in their hearts.August Wilson's Seven Guitars is the sixth chapter in his continuing theatrical saga that explores the hope, heartbreak, and heritage of the African-American experience in the twentieth century. The story follows a small group of friends who gather following the untimely death of Floyd "Schoolboy" Barton, a local blues guitarist on the edge of stardom. Together, they reminisce about his short life and discover the unspoken passions and undying spirit that live within each of them. Read more

Two dance moms. One crazy dance world. A humorous and helpful guidebook for parents of dancers, written by two dance moms who have not only “been there,” but “are there!” Lott and Martin talked to dance moms across the country, dance professors, a psychologist, and instructors, to bring the stage lights directly on the difficulties and joys of raising a dancer and helping them be successful. Is it anything like reality TV? —the role of a dance mom —the healthy dancer —the leap from dancer to team or company dancer —time and financial investment —improving communication —dance manners —camps, conventions and competitions —dance statistics —dealing with mistakes —how to make dance fun for moms Dance moms with dancers of all ages and stages will find useful information to help on the journey from dance class to stage star. Read more

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • “A fascinating read about a true genius and his unrelenting thirst for beauty in art and in life.”—MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV Winner of the Plutarch Award for Best Biography and the Marfield Prize for Arts Writing • Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award, the Kirkus Prize, and the Baillie Gifford Prize • A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the CenturyBased on a decade of unprecedented research, the first major biography of George Balanchine, a broad-canvas portrait set against the backdrop of the tumultuous century that shaped the man The New York Times called “the Shakespeare of dancing”—from the bestselling author of Apollo’s AngelsNew York Times Editors’ Choice • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, NPR, Oprah DailyArguably the greatest choreographer who ever lived, George Balanchine was one of the cultural titans of the twentieth century—The New York Times called him “the Shakespeare of dancing.” His radical approach to choreography—and life—reinvented the art of ballet and made him a legend. Written with enormous style and artistry, and based on more than one hundred interviews and research in archives across Russia, Europe, and the Americas, Mr. B carries us through Balanchine’s tumultuous and high-pitched life story and into the making of his extraordinary dances.Balanchine’s life intersected with some of the biggest historical events of his century. Born in Russia under the last czar, Balanchine experienced the upheavals of World War I, the Russian Revolution, exile, World War II, and the Cold War. A co-founder of the New York City Ballet, he pressed ballet in America to the forefront of modernism and made it a popular art. None of this was easy, and we see his loneliness and failures, his five marriages—all to dancers—and many loves. We follow his bouts of ill health and spiritual crises, and learn of his profound musical skills and sensibility and his immense determination to make some of the most glorious, strange, and beautiful dances ever to grace the modern stage.With full access to Balanchine’s papers and many of his dancers, Jennifer Homans, the dance critic for The New Yorker and a former dancer herself, has spent more than a decade researching Balanchine’s life and times to write a vast history of the twentieth century through the lens of one of its greatest artists: the definitive biography of the man his dancers called Mr. B. Read more

A bestselling and prizewinning memoir by African American ballerina Misty Copeland, Life in Motion is the vividly told story of her journey to the world-class American Ballet Theatre—and delves into the harrowing family conflicts that nearly drove her away from ballet as a thirteen-year-old prodigy.Determination meets dance in this New York Times bestselling memoir by the history-making ballerina Misty Copeland, recounting the story of her journey to become the first African-American principal ballerina at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. When she first placed her hands on the barre at an after-school community center, no one expected the undersized, underprivileged, and anxious thirteen-year-old to become one of America’s most groundbreaking dancers . A true prodigy, she was attempting in months roles that take most dancers years to master. But when Misty became caught between the control and comfort she found in the world of ballet and the harsh realities of her own life, she had to choose to embrace both her identity and her dreams, and find the courage to be one of a kind. With an insider’s passion, Misty opens a window into the life of an artist who lives life center stage, from behind the scenes at her first classes to her triumphant roles in some of the world’s most iconic ballets. A sensational memoir as “sensitive” and “clear-eyed” (The Washington Post) as her dancing, Life in Motion is a story of passion, identity and grace for anyone who has dared to dream of a different life. Read more

Five Ballets from Paris and St. Petersburg offers fascinating new looks at five classic story ballets: Giselle (1841), Paquita (1846), Le Corsaire (1856), La Bayadère (1877), and Raymonda (1898), drawing on a treasure trove of manuscripts that offer explicit written information about how many nineteenth-century ballets were performed in their earliest incarnations. Bursting with details forgotten for more than a century, these manuscripts bring the ballets to life by disclosing steps, floor patterns, and mime conversations as well as valuable insight into how the music helped create the drama.Generously enriched with more than 50 images and more than 350 musical examples, the book also includes, in appendices, English translations of seven French and Russian librettos. Emerging from the plenteous new findings in this book is a fresh portrait of a living, breathing art form with strong audience appeal. Simply put, Five Ballets fills huge gaps in dance history, inviting both general readers and specialists to rethink the usual narratives about nineteenth-century ballet, its music, characters, and choreographies, its depictions of Others and Elsewhere, and the careers of its major choreographers. It also offers a rich resource to practitioners seeking to learn how the makers of these five classic ballets found such great success. Read more

Ballet-inspired fitness for every woman! You don't have to be a professional ballerina to look like one! With Mary Helen Bowers' Ballet Beautiful, forget beating yourself up in the gym and suffering through starvation diets for some unattainable goal. You can achieve your ideal body and develop the strength, grace, and elegance of a dancer by following Mary Helen's proven program-one that's got everyone from celebrities to busy moms to executives raving!Ballet Beautiful is a fitness method that blends the artistry and athleticism of ballet with an easy, accessible eating plan that works for every body - and absolutely no dance experience is required. Created by professional ballerina Mary Helen Bowers, this transformative approach to fitness and health will reshape your body and your mind!Ballet Beautiful's three-fold approach is not an extreme workout nor is it a radical diet for an overnight fix; it's a roadmap to achieving and maintaining your ideal health, shape and size-all with the elegance and strength of a ballerina. Part One of the book introduces the program's empowering mindset, the key to supporting and guiding you through lasting change. Part Two, the Ballet Beautiful Method, consists of challenging, effective, and fun workouts that sculpt and tone sleek ballet muscles and build beautiful posture. Whether you have a full hour or only 15 minutes, you can tailor the program to your own schedule and needs. Part Three shares the Ballet Beautiful Lifestyle, a healthy, balanced approach to nutrition. With meal plans, shopping tips and quick but delicious daily recipes that will satisfy and nourish your entire body, it's a stress-free, diet-free plan that will help keep you feeling as strong and healthy as you look. Read more

Although the stars of Russian ballet Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina possessed a national manner of dancing, there was no truly Russian school of dancing until the 1930s. The development of this school was largely due to Mme. Vaganova (1879–1951), not only a great dancer but also the teacher of Galina Ulanova and many others and an unsurpassed theoretician.The principles of Vaganova's system are presented in this well-known book. Mme. Vaganova's aim of creating a personal approach to the Russian dance was based on the critical assimilation of the experience of her contemporaries. Her ability to choose the best of what had been accomplished in the various ballet traditions (French, Italian, and Russian) and combine these into a unified teaching practice in itself amounted to a new school of dance. She firmly believed that the teaching process should be a planned exercise, ever changing with innovations in the dance. She sought from her pupils emotional expressiveness, strictness of form, a resolute, energetic manner of performance, and the understanding of the underlying coordination of movements.Her book discusses all basic principles of ballet, grouping movements by fundamental types. Chapters cover battements, rotary movements of the legs, the arms, poses of the classical dance, connecting and auxiliary movements, jumps, beats, point work, and turns as well as material for a sample lesson. Diagrams show clearly the exact foot, leg, arm, and body positions for the proper execution of many steps and movements. The result is a fundamental theory of dance that offers dancers, teachers, and ballet lovers information often difficult to locate in other books. 118 illustrations. Read more

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'This is a terrific and very entertaining book considering Wayne once told me that he had never read past page seven of any book.' David HockneyWayne Sleep has danced with ballet legends Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, partied with Freddie Mercury and performed with Princess Diana, becoming her close friend. Behind the glitz and glamour, Wayne has always felt like an outsider. Sleep reveals the difficulties for a working-class, gay man in handling the prejudices of his generation and living through the Aids epidemic. Wayne was also the shortest principal dancer in the Royal Ballet - he had to spin twice as fast and jump twice as high to succeed. In this moving - but also laugh-out-loud and gossip filled - memoir, Wayne Sleep shows how he danced his way to success, fulfilment and love, and how he overcame obstacles and prejudice along the way. Read more

This early work on dancing is a fascinating read for any dance enthusiast. Extensively illustrated with 72 diagrams and photographs to complement comprehensive step-by-step guides to a variety of dance steps. Contents Include: The Quickstep, The Waltz, The Foxtrot, The Tango, Popular Dances, Old Time Dances, Ballroom Novelty Dances and Games, and The Practical Side of Teaching. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. Read more