Yara loves ballet. She has loved it since she can remember but has never been to a ballet school, she is completely self-taught. When her parents settle in a new area, they enrol her at the community dance school run by Miss Diamond, Shimmer and Shine. There, she meets a group of children with varying abilities and strengths, plus one girl, Indu, who will be attending Yara’s new school with her.
When the dance school is threatened with closure by the haughty landlord, Dame Audrey Clougston-Willmott, Yara, Indu, Dante, Charlie, Momoka and Igor, the Ballet Besties, must all work together to find a way to change her mind and keep their school open. They decide to put on a performance of Sleeping Beauty, with Yara dancing the lead role of Aurora. At the same time, Yara is slipping behind at school because she doesn’t realise the importance of study, even if she does become a dancer. Her parents threaten to stop her from attending the dance school when Miss Diamond and the Ballet Besties need her most.
Can Yara bring her grades up enough to be allowed to dance again and can the Besties save the school?
On the surface, this book appears to be purely about ballet. There is even a glossary of ballet terms and ballet basics at the end. (Plus a recipe for a delicious Mattentaart – yum) However, it is actually a tale of belonging, friendship, community and teamwork. It touches on the importance of studies alongside a chosen sport or hobby and indirectly stresses the importance of a back up plan. It discusses the impact of injury and also anxiety and stage fright. When the Besties work together, leaning on the ingenuity of each other, there is no stopping them. The backdrop of the exquisite ballet terms and moves are a beautiful bonus and we recommend this for dance fans age 7-9.
When the dance school is threatened with closure by the haughty landlord, Dame Audrey Clougston-Willmott, Yara, Indu, Dante, Charlie, Momoka and Igor, the Ballet Besties, must all work together to find a way to change her mind and keep their school open. They decide to put on a performance of Sleeping Beauty, with Yara dancing the lead role of Aurora. At the same time, Yara is slipping behind at school because she doesn’t realise the importance of study, even if she does become a dancer. Her parents threaten to stop her from attending the dance school when Miss Diamond and the Ballet Besties need her most.
Can Yara bring her grades up enough to be allowed to dance again and can the Besties save the school?
On the surface, this book appears to be purely about ballet. There is even a glossary of ballet terms and ballet basics at the end. (Plus a recipe for a delicious Mattentaart – yum) However, it is actually a tale of belonging, friendship, community and teamwork. It touches on the importance of studies alongside a chosen sport or hobby and indirectly stresses the importance of a back up plan. It discusses the impact of injury and also anxiety and stage fright. When the Besties work together, leaning on the ingenuity of each other, there is no stopping them. The backdrop of the exquisite ballet terms and moves are a beautiful bonus and we recommend this for dance fans age 7-9.