The White Ballets

Gr 3—6—The well-known plots of Swan Lake, Giselle, and La Bayadère are retold and portrayed in full-page illustrations. They are known as the white ballets, or "ballets blancs," because in each one the corps de ballet appears in white costumes. The tales are well told, and the author, a former ballerina, provides information on the history of the ballet. Each painting in gold leaf and oil represents a scene from one of the ballets. The richly colored illustrations are very stylized with graceful figures dressed in flowing, romantic costumes, and Kupesic elaborates on the details, symbols, and characters in her artwork. There is no real individualization of the faces but there is an alluring melancholy in their poses. For ballet enthusiasts this is a unique look at these classics.—Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA