The Magic of Dance

Spent a wonderful long weekend gorging on a big pile of books lent to me by my dear friend, Kwan. I especially enjoyed the Sadler's Wells books by Lorna Hill and Noel Streatfield's Gemmas.

The former is set in the world of ballet, which has always fascinated me. The latter features Streatfield's favourite subject: a family of artistic, but otherwise rather ordinary and down-to-earth children. Many of Streatfield's books about talented kids are still in print. However, Hill's ballet series is not. Neither are any of my favourite ballet novels, like Laura's Summer Ballet, or the Satin Slippers series. I wonder why this is. Does the world of ballet not provide enough action and excitement for modern children and teens?

On the contrary, I believe that, in reality, ballet schools and companies are hot beds of debauchery - all those beautiful, young, supple bodies wearing next to nothing and in such close proximity ... ;-) Look at the movies Turning Point and Centrestage. Those kids did nothing but make eyes at one another (to put it mildly).

I think the time is ripe for a new ballet book/series that will tell it like it is. Admittedly, the ones I like (the out-of-print titles) offer a pretty sanitised view of the ballet world. It's all just hard work and girls getting off on the magic of dance. Not very realistic perhaps, but I still love them. Of course, there is always some romance but no one does more than kiss chastely. A passionate pas de deux is as much action as you'll get in these books!

Comments

[Subashini]

daphne, i'll be leaving for winnipeg, canada. it's odd though... considering their history, you would think there would be tons of used copies of british school stories up for grabs, but i haven't really seen any. maybe i wasn't really on the lookout before, since i've always assumed that the books we had at home were sufficient... until i heard about AF and lorna hill and i'm like, who are these people? so now i'm obsessed with having these books, it just doesn't seem right that we don't have a *single* copy of those books lying around at home... my sisters were similarly obsessed with the enid blyton school stories, along with the chalet school stories, and the lesser known trebizon series and stuff... it's odd that we completely missed the AF books.
i did an online search for "apple bough" and "the painted garden" at the library near where i live (in canada) and they don't have it, which i find extremely frustrating. i mean, it's noel streatfeild! only one of the most essential children's lit authors ever to have lived. yet, they seem to stock up on all 5 billion of the babysitters club titles, and the animorphs series, and all that kind of stuff...
pardon the ranting. thanks for the tips - i'll continue to search online among all the indie booksellers.

[Daphne]

Subashini, It's not easy finding AF books in Malaysia, altho in the past one cld pick up the boarding school ones ocassionally. As for Apple Bough and Painted Garden, I have not seen them of late. My copies were bought many moons ago. However, they are available through private book sellers, often for very low prices. Also, why not try bookfinder.com.

It's a shame abt u leaving soon. Let me know the nexy time you're back on holiday and we'll meet up.

Where are you heading? If it's the UK or US or even Down Under, your chances of finding the books you mentioned are greater.

[Subashini]

daphne - yes, the book club sounds like a fabulous idea, especially since it seems like it would be the only way for me to get my hands on some antonia forest books... i seriously can't find them anywhere, even in the used bookstores. unfortunately, i'll only be here for another week until i have to return to uni... maybe in a year or two? ;-)

i'm also on the hunt for noel streatfeild's "apple bough" and "the painted garden," and again, it seems like these two books are the most difficult to locate.

have you guys come by any copies of antonia forest and the above-mentioned streatfeild books at any of the local bookstores? (second-hand or brand new, it doesn't matter)

[Daphne Lee]

Hi Kwan
I've read the Drina books and find them rather babyish! But wldn't mind a re-read and re-evaluation!! :-)

[kwan]

To me, Satin Slippers doesn't come close to the Laura books (they're classic! and in a class of their own). The Wells series are more traditional ballet stories so they are different as well. I just couldn't get into Satin Slippers when I borrowed them from you; didn't find the plots as absorbing nor the characters as endearing as Laura and her friends. I've yet to read the Drina books, of whcih I have one. Will lend you that when I'm done. Also two more Gemmas to pass you (completing the series.).

[Daphne]

Subashini, It is very tragic abt not having read Antonia Forest!! ;-)

If you love books, esp boarding school books and just books about large families, you MUST read AF!!!

Hey, we shld all meet and form a book club to share our faves!!

[Subashini]

i've never read the wells series, just like i've never read a single antonia forest book. tragic, i know.

[Daphne Lee]

Yah, I found mine at Chowrasta market in Penang!! I wish there'd beeen more actual ballet stuff in the books tho. The Wells series has quite a bit.

[Subashini]

ahh! the satin slippers series... i thought i was the only one who read that. i only have one book sitting in my shelf, the 3rd one. i remembered having to borrow all the rest from a cousin - wish i had bought copies for myself.
i did find copies of that particular book and the 4th one at Payless Bookstore in Amcorp Mall, though. i never understood why those books went out of print, too... i thought the quality of the writing was pretty good. the characters weren't dumb, either.