To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel
A Love Letter to Dance

Scott Tingley - Oct 18, 2006

Reviewer disclaimer: I promise to get back to silly puns and lame attempts at humor in the next piece I write, but just for now I'm going a different way.

To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel is the sweet story of the writer, Siena Cherson Siegel's life as a young dancer. It is a special thing. A special opportunity that we, as readers, are given – the opportunity to see into what it is to love a thing deeply. I see a love of music and dance already in my two year old daughter and this book has made me sit and stare at her with wonder over what life and years will bring my little girl

The story is a simple, but rich one. It is the journey of the writer as she falls in love with dance - with moving, as a young girl and what she does and feels as she follows that love through the years. I say “follows,” and not “chases,” for I never go the feeling that she was chasing anything. She longed for dancing, but I felt as though she was following an unavoidable path, not desperately chasing success.

Siena Cherson Siegel's husband, Mark Siegel, brings this touching story to life. His brilliant paints and beautiful line work compliment the story perfectly. He lovingly brings to life her words - illustrating the story of her life in such a way that it becomes like a gift to her. Her life in paintings. This is not a story that could be told solely using prose; film maybe, but not prose.

This is a book for girls. To be specific, this is a book for girls that love to dance. Not necessarily for good dancers or trained dancers , but for any girl with the love and longing for dance. It is not necessary that the girl ever be able to physically dance under her own power as long as there is a feeling of joy in her body and a gracefulness of spirit.

Atheneum, 64 pp., $17.95 (hardcover) from Richard Jackson/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, and $9.99 (softcover) from Aladdin Paperbacks , - all ages.

Order from your local book store or online.

Any questions or comments, contact me at comicsintheclassroom @ gmail.com