Amy Nathan

KIRKUS Review:
"In this companion to Meet the Musicians (2006), Nathan offers a chatty and informative look at 16 dancers, their childhoods, their training and their professional lives. Sidebars offer quick tips on taking class, summer activities, typical days and performance pointers. There's also an entertaining "Sugar Plum Sightings," revealing where each performed The Nutcracker and in what roles. The range of dance styles, from classical ballet to modern dance to Broadway, gives this a wide appeal, as does the pleasing diversity of the 16 men and women. Readers drawn to dancing won't necessarily pore over the black-and-white photographs, but they will find value in reading about the winning combination of childhood and adult determination, hard work, perseverance, family support and help from teachers. Brief bios at the beginning of each chapter provide appealing personal tidbits. Recommended for those interested in the lives of dancers or a career in dance."

"MEET THE DANCERS is a perfectly wonderful book for anyone who wants to understand why pursuing a career in dance is so demanding and rewarding. Amy Nathan shows the varied career opportunities that exist for dancers, and the myriad of paths to get there. I would have been thrilled and grateful for a guide like this!"
--Amanda McKerrow, Former Principal Dancer, American Ballet Theatre

"Engaging and inspiring—dance lovers of all ages will enjoy meeting
these extraordinary individuals whose stories reveal the remarkable
world of dance and dance training. What a good idea for a dance book!"
--Eliza Gaynor Minden, Author of The Ballet Companion

For more information:

e-mail: MeetTheDancers@AOL.com

"Anyone, whether considering a career in dance or not, will be inspired and educated by these up-close-and-personal accounts." School Library Journal

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review:
"This collective biography reveals the paths that 16 diverse dancers followed to become professionals and to join prestigious companies. Each story is unique, but there are common threads that include hard work, sacrifice, and a joy and passion to dance that overcame any obstacles encountered. Some burned out for a while. Some started late. Some faced rejection because of their body type. Ultimately, they found what worked best for them. The tone of the text is conversational, and quotes are included. The profiles begin with lists: the styles of dance studied, childhood pets and favorite books, activities then and now, etc. In sidebars, the dancers offer brief but pertinent advice about performing, taking classes and auditioning, and so on. Black-and-white photos show each dancer as a child or young adult and then as a professional. The pictures dramatically capture how talented these performers are. Anyone, whether considering a career in dance or not, will be inspired and educated by these up-close-and-personal accounts."—Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA

**Starred review**
BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS:
"Having tackled the lives of musicians in MEET THE MUSICIANS, Nathan now turns to hoofers, showcasing sixteen dancers who make their living on their feet. Each chapter discusses that dancer's childhood experience with dance and their journey to becoming a professional, and the experiences are sufficiently variable, from late bloomers to early acolytes, fearless showoffs to nervous Nellies, willowy ballerinas to compact ex-gymnasts, that all interested readers should find plenty with which to identify. Nathan has a knack for choosing genuinely original and informative aspects of the dancers' lives, and chapters are bedecked with sidebar tidbits about the dancers' (grueling) schedules during rehearsal period, things they've learned about making daily class work for them, and helpful tips on performance (the book also cleverly uses The Nutcracker as a touchstone, with sidebars documenting when each dancer participated in the storied ballet). There's a big difference between loving a pastime and making it your daily bread, and this book gives revealing snapshots and helpful details about what life is like as a not-so-young dancer. All of the multicultural, coeducational group of subjects are enthusiastic about their vocation, and none of them regret their choice, but it's also clear from their descriptions of the rigor that it's not for everybody. Whether young readers are genuinely considering a dance career or just want to add a little more reality to their terpsichorean fantasies, they'll adore the backstage authenticity and lively readability here. Dramatic black-and-white photos of dancers, usually in mid-leap, decorate the chapters; a glossary, extensive annotated list of resources, and an index are included."