New Book: The Barefoot Book of Dance Stories

The Barefoot Book of Dance Stories (Barefoot Books) by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple was released in September. It's a companion book to their The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories.  I was quite obsessed with ballet and dance in my youth and these books would have been on my wish lists.  These days I still love dance of all forms and my fascination with the folklore behind so much of it doubles my interest. 

First, here's the official description from the publisher:

Say it with dance! This gorgeous collection will enchant young dancers with stories from eight cultures, including the Polka in the Czech Republic, Limbo in the West Indies and the Waltz in Germany. Book with CD editions include stories read by actress Juliet Stevenson (Truly Madly Deeply and Emma). Ages 8 and up.

This title should be a hit with dance lovers, especially since it offers introductory materials to other dance styles not usually found in children's books and ties them to stories from their respective cultures. The book essentially offers four different areas of information for readers. First, the table of contents is explanded with short introductions to the tales and the dances.  Here's the table of contents without the glosses.

1. Waltz / Germany / Twelve Dancing Princessses
2. Noh Dancing / Japan / Robe of Feathers
3. Limbo / St. Vincent, West Indies / Making the Stone Smoke
4. Flamenco / Spain / The Shepherd's Flute
5. Polka / Czech Republic / Dancing with the Birch Fairy
6. Belly Dancing / Egypt / When the Goddess Danced
7. Scottish Reels / Scotland / Tam O'Shanter
8. Malian Dance / Mali / The Little Bird Who Went Dancing

Then the tales are presented with beautiful illustrations, all retold by Yolen and Stemple.

Next there are Notes on the Dances with brief information about the dance, the usual costumes and the dance steps. There are no dancing diagrams (such as footwork patterns) just descriptions of the movement.

Finally, a bibliography is offered with a minimum of eight sources for each tale and accompanying dance. (Full disclosure: SurLaLune is listed as a resource for Twelve Dancing Princesses.)

In addition to the book, there is the CD of the tales read by Juliet Stevenson, which is a nice bonus for anyone, but especially nice for young dance lovers not quite up to the 8 and up reading level of the book.

Overall, highly recommended for dance and folklore lovers, young or old. Jane and her daughter Heidi always retell the stories beautifully, presenting them to a modern audience. The illustrations are lovely and the bonus CD provides additional ways to enjoy the content.

The Barefoot Book of Dance Stories was sent to me for review.



New Fairy Tale Related Music: Wonderland by Natalia Kills

Here's a new song--Wonderland by Natalia Kills--that is hitting the pop world (at least with Perez Hilton's endorsement), a world I don't inhabit much so I'm shocked I'm learning about it so soon.

But the lyrics reference quite a few fairy tales, just listen to the first few lines. And they aren't available to read online yet since all the lyrics I found were inaccurate.

From Natalia Kills Heads To “Wonderland” On New Track:

Natalia Kills namedrops various fairy tale princesses in her thumping new dance track, “Wonderland,” off her debut LP Perfectionist.

And be warned, it is catchy even if it's not your kind of music. Earworm alert, in other words. ("I don't believe in fairy tales, but I believe in you and me" is repeating over and over in my head after listening to only snippets of the song.) And no, it's not available to download yet either and the LP Perfectionist is still not released.  That's all I know.

 

Here's also a poor quality concert video from YouTube:

Cinderella the Super-Spy Will Return in Second Spin-off for Fables

This is the first series collection.

From CINDERELLA: Super-Spy Returns in New FABLES Spin-Off by Vanetta Rogers:

Fables fans apparently can't get enough of Cinderella, super-spy.

After the character got her own mini-series last year with Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love, the fashion-conscious spy is back in February with another story of espionage and action.

Cinderella: Fables are Forever, a spin-off from the hit Vertigo series Fables, reunites the same creative team as last time, with i, Zombie's Chris Roberson writing and Shawn McManus drawing. Chrissie Zullo is also back doing covers.

And this time, the story will be tied to what's going on in the main Fables title.

Newsarama talked with Roberson to find out more about writing Cinderella and what readers can expect from the story.

Newsarama: After your first mini-series, did you get a lot of feedback from fans? What do you think was the overall reception and why?

Chris Roberson: I got loads of feedback from fans. Fables has an incredibly devoted fanbase, and from the day that the first issue of Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love hit the stands I started hearing from them. And they didn't hesitate to let me know everything they liked, and didn't like, about the series. Thankfully, the vast majority of the feedback I got was positive, and considering how much affection the readers have for Willingham's characters and the universe they inhabit, that was really gratifying.

The article is really long and informative, so if you're a fan click through and read more about the new spin-off.  (Didn't I tell you a few weeks ago that Cinderella is the most popular fairy tale?)

Fairy-tale feast rewards Black Forest trekkers by Susie Woodhams

From Fairy-tale feast rewards Black Forest trekkers by Susie Woodhams:

“So you want to make ‘Tischlein deck dich’?’’ the clerk said.

“Uh, I was talking about the hike and lunch. The one that starts at your hotel and happens only on Tuesdays,’’ I replied uncertainly in English.

To quell my confusion, the clerk explained that “Tischlein deck dich,’’ which translates to “Little table, cover yourself,’’ is the title of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale known in English as “The Wishing Table.’’ In it, a young man receives a simple table, which produces a feast on command.

Only in this case, after snaking three hours through the forest backdrop of many Grimm tales, hikers stumble upon a feast at 3,200 feet. The idea is to reward participants with a three-course, sit-down lunch as they take in views of the Rench Valley and verdant highlands – and on a clear day, even Strasbourg’s cathedral 30 miles northwest in France. Refreshed, they then complete their 8-mile journey down to the five-star hotel.

For 45 euros, or $62.55, could this be my dream hike?

That's just the beginning of the two page article, a lovely description of Woodmans' trip and hike to the Black Forest.  Enjoy!

Theatre: Snow White and the Seven Designers

File this one under Strange and Unexpected and for a good cause:

Snow White and the Seven Designers:

Snow White’s wicked stepmother is in a complete strop. Not only has her magic mirror told her that Snow White is fairest of them all, but the chairs, the wallpaper and the cushions are apparently more beautiful too! Even killing Snow White will not make her the fairest in the land. She will have to do something far worse…..turn the world minimalist!

Join Snow White’s seven designers - Dapper, Snappy, Snazzy, Natty, Classy, Dizzy and Taupey – as they help save the beautiful Snow White and lead the fight against London’s biggest threat - criminally style-less interiors!

Starring leading figures from the world of interior design and with costumes designed by the most illustrious fashion designers in the world, this pantomime promises a fun, fabulous and outrageously glamorous night out.

All proceeds from money raised will go to Dementia UK; a national charity committed to supporting families affected by dementia. 


Age 12 +

How Many Fairy Tale Films Will We Get?

From Snow White and the Competing Movies by Scott Collura:

The fairy tale revival in Hollywood continues, and perhaps not surprisingly it's now leading to flame wars over some of the most popular characters.

Vulture reports that Snow White, the fairest one of them all, is getting the folks at Universal Pictures and "the studio's linchpin financier," Ryan Kavanaugh's Relativity Media, all in a tizzy over their competing takes on the classic character.

Relativity has offered the job of directing its version of Snow White, The Brothers Grimm: Snow White, to Tarsem Singh (The Cell). The outfit is currently co-financing three out of every four Universal films through 2011, though last year Kavanaugh picked up Melisa Wallack's Snow White script and announce his plan for Relativity to make their own 3D version of the fairy tale without the studio.

Last month, Universal acquired a screenplay called Snow White and the Huntsman. Alice in Wonderland producer Joe Roth and director Rupert Sanders are attached to that film, and a battle royale is now on to see who blinks first.

***

Oh, and by the way, Disney also has a version of the tale in the works called Snow White and the Seven which re-imagines the dwarves as Shaolin fighting monks.

Read a more detailed article about the Snow Whites and the studio stuff here at Relativity Offers The Brothers Grimm: Snow White to Cell Director Tarsem Singh by Claude Brodesser-Akner.

I knew there were three Snow Whites possibly developing, but I keep losing track. My mental list of fairy tales with possible movies in the next few years:

Tangled/Rapunzel (Disney and a definite)
Beauty and the Beast (Beastly in March and a definite)
Little Red Riding Hood (definite starring Amanda Seyfried)
Cinderella
Snow White
Sleeping Beauty
Jack the Giant Killer
Hansel and Gretel
Puss in Boots (eventually from the makers of Shrek, maybe)

How about that folks?

Fairy Tales on Television Someday Soon?

From Exclusive: 'Lost' boys developing top secret project by Michael Ausiello:

In what is sure to be one of the hottest properties of the rapidly approaching pilot season, former Lost executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz are developing a fairy-tale-themed drama series. Oh, and they’re getting a little help from—stop me if you’ve heard of this guy—Damon Freakin’ Lindelof!

Here’s what I know right this second…

Kitsis and Horowitz are getting ready to pitch the project to ABC Studios, where the two currently have an overall deal.

And from Are The Lost Producers Telling Fables? by Josh Wigler:

Little is known about the project right now, but what are the odds that it’s an adaptation of Bill Willingham’s Fables?

It’s not just empty conjecture — well, okay, maybe it’s half-empty — as ABC picked up the rights to a Fables television series in late 2008. Six Degrees creators and executive producers Stu Zicherman and Raven Metzner were attached to the series, but with little movement made in almost two full years, perhaps ABC has offloaded Fables onto Kitsis and Horowitz. The Lost duo’s resume is solid, responsible for some of the show’s best episodes as well as the screenplay for the upcoming TRON: Legacy. With Lindelof contributing, their vision of Fables could be rock solid.

But let’s assume that Kitsis and Horowitz are penning a show that has nothing to do with Fables. If that’s the case, can we also assume that the Fables series is dead, at least on ABC? Does the network really have room on its table for two different fairy tale themed dramas?

So fairy tales aren't just coming to the big screen apparently and not just the little screen at SyFy channel either. Perhaps. Remember, none of this is real until it appears on your screen. Right now it is rumors and conjectures...

Lancaster designer's fairy tale bridal gown for Litfest

From Lancaster designer's fairy tale bridal gown for Litfest:

A Lancaster bridal wear designer has come up with a fairy tale dress - literally.

Jennifer Pritchard-Couchman's strapless gown is made entirely from pages of Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales.

It's all part of the city's Litfest literature festival which starts on Friday 15 October.

"Andy from Litfest approached me and asked if I could make a dress out of books and I said 'yeh of course I can'," says Jennifer.

'Lots of folding'

"Then about three weeks ago I was off on holiday with my husband... and I thought 'how am I going to make a dress out of a book?' so we did a lot of scribbling on the train and worked it out."

Also, "It will be worn on Saturday by writer Claire Massey (of the Fairy Tale Cupboard, of course), who will be reading a fairy tale she has written specially for the literature festival."

This all happened today and I hope it was a great success.  I'm not envious this time since I've been enjoying an orgy of fairy tale discussions at the American Folklore Society Annual Meeting.  I'll blog more about that next week after my brain has settled.

Kate Forsyth and Rapunzel at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles

Fairytale Reflections (5) Kate Forsyth was posted at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles today.  Forsyth is an Australian author.  Her personal fairy tale is Rapunzel which I know is also a favorite of readers here.  Her story about a horrible childhood incident and the results inform her love for the tale, so don't miss reading what she has to share.

And she also throws in this little tidbit:

I have been fascinated by the Rapunzel tale ever since I was a child myself, and I am now working on a novel called Bitter Greens which retells the fairytale as a historical novel set in Venice and northern Italy in the 17th century and France in the 18th century.

Now does that excite anyone as much as me? It'll be on my watchlist and will hopefully get picked up quickly in the states, too.

    

Article: Happy 200th, Snow White!

 

From Happy 200th, Snow White! Fairy tales do one thing. But they can do it in several different ways. by Stefany Anne Golberg:

In 1810, the Grimm Brothers first wrote down the story of Snow White, as told to them by some anonymous German folks. I’ve read this story countless times since discovering it in my adolescence. Even so, it’s the Disney version, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, that is the definitive Snow White story for me, though I hadn’t seen it since I was a child. The look of Snow White — her blue-and-red capped sleeves, her cherry-colored Clara Bow lips — and the seven dwarfs with their funny names, are all from Disney’s telling. This Snow White is so palpable for me, and for most Americans, that one might believe Snow White an American invention.

How is it that fairy tales can be so far removed in content from our daily experience, and yet have so much power over it? We sing fairy tale songs and our sleep is dappled with fairy tale leitmotifs. We tell fairy tales to our children. Why? To improve them? To delight them? To terrorize them? To learn the consequences of good and evil? As those who have read them can confirm, the stories recorded by the Brothers Grimm (Snow White included) are horrifying and grisly. They are not at all what we mean today by “child-friendly.” Do you remember how, in the original Cinderella, the stepsisters tried to force the glass slipper to fit them by slicing off parts of their feet?

The article is much longer and mostly discusses Disney and Grimms since those are the most familiar versions of the tale to casual fairy tale readers.  The tale is much older than 200 years, of course.  And there are many versions to the tale, 41 of which are in my Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World where you can read much more about the tale.

Thanks Christine for the link!

Event in NYC: Readings from My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me

Symphony Space in NYC is having a special event Wed. Oct. 27^th at 7pm.:

Gregory Maguire, the author of Wicked, introduces stories by contemporary writers from the new collection, My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me, edited by Kate Bernheimer. Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under), Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens) and Sonia Manzano (Sesame Street) perform stories by Joyce Carol Oates, Kim Addonizio, Ilya Kaminsky, and Jonathon Keats. These varied modern spins on classic fairy tales are set in a loft in Manhattan, a futuristic alternate universe, and enchanted, haunting worlds out of time.

You can read a little more about it here.

Previewing Sabuda's Beauty and the Beast

Beauty & the Beast: A Pop-up Book of the Classic Fairy Tale by Robert Sabuda will be released a week from today. He currently has a sneak peek of the elements for the dinner scene available on his website.

I captured a close up of the Beast from that page.  I am always fascinated by how illustrators portray the Beast and Sabuda's is certainly a new one.  What do you think?

Have I mentioned how excited I am about this book?  J'adore Sabuda's clever works and I am waiting to see what little surprises he has in store for us. I'm curious to see how he handles the transformation scene at the end, too.

My biggest excitement is knowing just how much I would have cherished the book as a child.  I have a large pop-up collection that is the favorite shelf of children visiting my house.  I also imagine this one will be gifted a few times...