Swan Lake

Nina Ananiashvili, in addition to having world-class ballerina skills, is a treat for the eyes ... she is beautiful. The photographs in the book are excellent and should be in any Nina admirer's collection. I was considering buying portraits from her website, but they are quite expensive. This book fills the bill.The story is told at a child-level and captures the essense of Swan Lake. However, I didn't care for the variations introduced wherein Rotbart is unharmed, and the swans can transform near the gardens by the lake, even by day.

Fans of "Nina Ballerina" (Nina Ananiashvili) will treasure this book, because the Swan Lake story is illustrated with beautiful photos of the Russian ballerina. You can see how she uses her whole body to change from the loving Odette (in white) to the cruel Odile (in black). One reservation: I wouldn't use this book to introduce children to the ballet. The bold theatrical makeup, designed to be visible from the audience, is almost overwhelming in the closeup photos. For a child, Rachel Isadora's illustrations are a better introduction to the story. Still, Ellison's book is a "must-buy" for balletomanes and Nina fans.