Kids Dance

You can see the joy on these kids faces. And the text seems to get to the heart of what dance is all about.

In images and words, photographer Jim Varriale has captured the essence of dance -- the irresistable urge to move to music with every inch of one's being -- in Kids Dance: The Students of Ballet Tech. His photographs capture Eliot Feld's scholarship students' infectious passion; their unselfconscious delight in dance as a means of personal expression; and their willingness to embrace the discipline and study that makes "jumping for joy" on stage a very real possibility. Attractively designed, the book is very well written. Varriale's text is both simply stated and engaging, offering just enough explanation and detail to complement the magical photographs they accompany. In repose and on the move, these NYC public school children invite the reader to share their hard work and dreams. This is a new kind of "ballet" book, a collectible for all dance lovers, regardless of age. I cannot recommend it too highly.