Romeo & Juliet a Love Story in Dance

This book is so beautiful and I am so fortunate to have found a copy of it! Ms. Ellison has captured the true feelings of Romeo and Juliet with her pictures! From the very tips of the dancers fingers to their eyelashes you truly believe that they ARE Romeo and Juliet, from their first meeting to the scene in the tomb. By the time you finish reading you are completely swept away to a world where true love is so beautiful and so inviting, you cry. Ms. Herrera and Mr. Corella are two of my favorite dancers and they fit the part perfectly! Ms. Ellison used the natural light given to illuminate the dancers and give an extra sense of feeling to the story. To everyone who buys this book take it to your heart and believe that anything is possible.

I love this book, the whole idea of it - from the wonderful photographs to the amazing ballet dancers. I have looked at it many times and every time at a different level. First, the photos and the wonderful shots of Verona, second for the ballet dancers and then third for the writing. When books seem to be priced into the stratosphere, this little gem is a bargain and a great gift for the holidays for young and old.

Fans of American Ballet Theatre will want to know about the new book ROMEO & JULIET: The Love Story in Dance. The photographer Nancy Ellison had the inspired idea of giving us in a picture book a photo narrative of the Romeo and Juliet story in Verona where it originally took place. The Romeo and Juliet are Angel Corella and Paloma Herrera who have appreared in the Macmillan Ballet about the tragic lovers. The photos are accompanied by Shakespeare's words. I never imagined it would be possible to find in Verona a balcony like Juliet's and other places that in these marvelous photographs frame the action of the tragedy. Looking at the great Staircase of Reason in Verona's public square where so much of the struggle between the Capulets and the Montagues took place, and seeing Romeo and Juliet dancing on a terrace in a real garden bring home the tragedy. For lovers of the ballet this Christmas, particularly young lovers of the ballet, there couldn't be a better book.

I have been a ballet dancer all my life and I feel Nancy Ellison's book is a tribute to all dancers. This book truly captures and celebrates the beauty and essence of the art of ballet. I envy Paloma's talent and with this book it's not hard to see why. The photos show her graceful pirouttes and impressive turnouts. The scenery is breathtaking, but what is more captivating is the way Ms. Ellison managed to capture the dancers' attitude in the photos. With every dancer's leap, you can really feel the movement of dance. It's almost as if the dancers are about to jump off the pages. This book is stunning and delightful for all.

I was given this book as a gift and set it on the coffee table. A few days later I picked it up, in an afternoon, and was transported to another place, another time. Ellison seems to have staged the Romeo & Juliet ballet in real locations in the city of Verona and captured in still photography the beauty of the two ballet dancers' movements. The accompanying simple text and Shakespeare quotes make it the perfect gift for anyone who loves ballet or, for a child, who is just being introduced to ballet for the first time.