The Ballet Companion

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View books by Eliza Gaynor Minden.

Superb - Rated
An excellent companion for any aspiring dancer, or even some one who simply does it for a hobby.
It contains everything you need to know, from how to sew your ribbons, to even history of ballet, to exercises for your muscles and injury prevention.
a dance must have

A true dancer's companion - Rated
I read this book originaly as a refresher for barre. I'm a begining belly dancer that wanted to go back to my ballet roots to improve my current genre. I found my barre, but also found one of the best overview book on ballet for the dancer. For those getting started, this book explains quite well what your getting into if you want to be a serious dancer. I would recommend this book as essential reading for any beginner dancer. This book does a wonderful job of connecting ballet history with ballet technique. Part four, the healthy dancer, takes a look at the physical side of being a dancer.This is the only book I've found that honestly looks at ballet injuries and their prevention. This chapter alone would make this book valuable to an experienced dancer.

Interesting and a great guide for beginners - Rated
I bought this book as a present for someone who is learning ballet and I've received very positive comments about this book. I have to say that this book gives you a rough guide from A to Z of ballet for beginners, like how to select a good ballet shoes, a brief history of ballet, and various techniques from different school (RAD, Russian, etc...) My present was much appreciated for the detail it gives and I would recommend it for anyone who wants a companion for ballet.

Excellent - Rated
This book has everything you need to know about ballet, It covers history, essential ballets, class etiquette, terminology with pictures, stretches and a healthy eating section which also helps identify eating diorders and how to avoid them. This book places emphasis on finding the right teacher, having a beautiful and healthy ballet body and learning steps correctly with visualisations of how each step should feel to the dancer. This book is good for both young and old as it has a section for the adult beginner and also those children who come 'late' to ballet with good tips on pointe shoes, how they fit, how to sew ribbons and elastics etc. It also has a section on how to have the perfect ballet bun which is always helpful:)
This book literally covers everything and would be a perfect gift for anyone beginning ballet as it really is a companion that like an experienced ballet teacher can impart knowledge whenever it is requested