I Dreamed I Was a Ballerina

After seeing her first ballet, Sleeping Beauty, Anna Pavlova realized that she wanted to become a ballerina. Anna was born in St. Petersburg Russia. She and her mother were very poor. Becoming a ballerina would be difficult for Anna not only because of her limited resources, but also because of her physical structure. Despite these obstacles, Anna continued to practice, and she was eventually admitted to the Imperial School of Ballet. This was the opportunity that Anna needed. She continued to work hard and use her unique physical appearance to her advantage. Anna Pavlova went on to become a prima ballerina dazzling audiences worldwide.
For anyone who has ever had a dream, this book takes you back to the time when you first realized that show more passion. A time that is full of hope and endless possibilities. This book was very enjoyable. The words on the pages seemed to elegantly dance on the pages. The use of paintings by Edgar Degas added an ethereal touch to the story. The paintings join in the dance of the ballerinas and bring the story to life. show less

A beautiful book by a beautiful dancer. Anna Pavlova, a ballet icon tells the story of her first experience with ballet and how she got her start. I love this for kids because they learn of someone like Anna Pavlova and don't think she could have ever been a little kid with a dream. This book may be about Anna Pavlova's ballet experience, but it demonstrates the power of dreams and how far they can take you.

This story held a special place in my heart. It is the biography of prima ballerina Anna Pavlova (1881-1931). She was inspired to take up ballet after her mother took her to see The Sleeping Beauty for the first time. The princess inspired Anna to twirl and want to dance so beautifully on a stage. What makes this story so much more wonderful is the art that accompanies it. Anna’s biography is illustrated with the art of Edgar Degas, which is my personal favorite. They have found paintings by Degas that match the feel of Anna’s words for each page. This helps readers to feel the beauty of the dance while transporting us to a different time. This is a beautiful story that will interest children who enjoy either dance or art.

Good gracious what a magical and perfect book. A magnificent biography that is able to convey Anna Pavlova’s life and love for ballet in picture book format.

Not to be missed.

This book is the childhood memory of Anna Pavlova's first trip to the ballet, which ignited a passion for ballet that carried her through the rest of her life. Anna describes her thoughts and feelings as her mother took her to the ballet performance of Sleeping Beauty and her immediate and deep desire to one day dance the part of Sleeping Beauty.

Genre: Autobiography
Critique: This book is a good example of autobiography because it is Anna Pavlova's written words about her first experience of ballet that ignited her life long passion. The detail and feelings Pavlova includes, makes the book very engaging and personal.

What little girl doesn't dream of becoming a ballerina. The illustrations were very well and I liked how she put a little description at the bottom of the page explaining what the picture was. It was also nice how she included a little autobiography of herself at the end of the book and actually got to become a ballerina.

Anna Pavlova tells her own childhood story of first seeing ballet performed. After watching the performance of Sleeping Beauty, she fell in love with the theater and performance. The beautiful water color painting illustrated by Edgar Degas give the reader a sense that he or she is actually there with Anna.