Dancing on the Inside
4.5/5
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About this ebook
Ever since her grandparents gave her a DVD of Swan Lake, twelve-year-old Jenny Spark has wanted to be a ballet dancer. But on her first day of ballet class, she suffers a crippling panic attack. Shes too terrified to practice in front of the other kids, and as for actually performing for an audience? Forget it.
Yet Jenny refuses to give up her dream of making dance part of her life. With determination and a little deception, Jenny figures out how to observe ballet class without actually participating, and she practices in the safety of her home. Then Jenny meets her polar opposite: Ara Reyes, a bold, spontaneous, and accident-prone girl who longs for the spotlight but is overlooked in favor of the schools star performer.
The girls friendship blossoms as they help each other find their real talents. Aras dancing takes a leap forward, and Jenny discovers she has a hidden gift for choreography. With the support of the schools newest teacher, Jennys original ballet might just make it on stage but will she?
Charming and inspiring, Dancing on the Inside shows how pursuing our passions can often lead to wonderful and unexpected results.
Dancing on the Inside is a fine and very much recommended read for younger readers who may be facing stage fright themselves.
Midwest Book Review
Glen C. Strathy
Glen C. Strathy started writing stories when he was 11 years old and became enamored of the arts and the opportunities for self-expression they offer people of all ages and backgrounds. Coauthor of a New York Times Bestselling Business Book, he has also worked as an actor, teacher, and freelance writer. Dancing on the Inside marks his fiction debut. Glen graduated from the Artist in Community Education program at Queen’s University, Kingston and earned his M.A. in English from the University of Western Ontario. His website www.how-towrite-a-book-now.com provides advice to budding authors.
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Reviews for Dancing on the Inside
7 ratings8 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After watching a DVD of The Nutcracker, 12-year-old Jenny convinces her parents to sign her up for ballet lessons. Unfortunately, Jenny cannot overcome her shyness enough to dance in front of others. But she persists, sitting in the room watching the other girls dance, even filming them. because, more than anything, she loves ballet even if she can only dance for herself.This is a very sweet and charming story about a little girl's determination to follow her dreams despite her parent's protests, the teasing of others, but, most especially despite her own crippling fears. It is also about the value of friendship and the need to accept help to overcome the obstacles that keep us all from dancing in front of others. This is a wonderful story, perfect for any little girl who dreams of learning to dance, especially if she is too shy to do it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I won this book from Librarything Member Giveaways - Thank You -This is the lovely story of Jenny, a young girl who loves ballet and yearns to learn ballet but struggles with her shyness and fear of the spotlight. Her love of ballet as well as a friendship she develops help her to overcome her insecurities, and she is finally able to have her dream come true.Jenny is such a beautiful, lovable character. Great book!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A delightful read for any inspiring ballerina!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I loved this book and wished it could have lasted longer. I grew up taking ballet lessons as a child, and from the very beginning of the book, I immediately identified with the main character, Jenny. Jenny has an overwhelming passion for dance, but is unable to act on her passion because she suffers from a crippling shyness. I was always the shy kid standing at the edge of the ballet classroom. The plot was interesting and the characters were real to life. This was an enjoyable quick read for me and I would certainly recommend it others.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dancing on the Inside is the story of Jenny who has a love of dance and convinces her parents to let her take ballet. However Jenny is shy and afraid to the point that she can't bring her self to actually dance at dance class. Despite her inability to participate she manages to still attend classes and befriends Ara. Together they bring out the best in each others skills. This was a nice story of friendship and the importance of finding a way to overcome your fears and finding a way to do what you love.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wonderfully inspiring tale of a young girl painfully shy, wanting to dance ballet. The friendships that she makes breaking out of her shell give every shy, awkward girl hope.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I read this book all in one sitting. This is aimed at young to mid-teens so it was an easy read for me. The heroine of the story is Jenny, a very shy 12 year old who really wants to dance ballet but discovers that she's too shy, too insecure and has a panic attack at the idea of trying to learn to dance with anyone else watching. She loves ballet so much, however, that she connives a way to be allowed to observe the classes. She takes notes and practices alone at home in secret. Ara is quite the opposite of Jenny. She's outgoing and spontaneous. She loves to dance too and is unafraid and passionate. She and Jenny become friends and help each other become better dancers on their own. Through this, Jenny discovers that she has a real talent for choreography and with the help of the new instructor, the girls work together to put on the spring recital, an original ballet. The book is the first work of fiction written by the author and I really enjoyed it. The story flowed well, kept my interest and brought the world of ballet to life for me. Jenny and Ara did seem a bit too mature for 12 year olds in some ways but as the book is aimed at that general age range, I think their personalities and dreams would appeal very much to girls just starting to edge past childhood. I'd certainly recommend it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Such a cute book. It was a very quick read and honestly I couldn't put it down. I relate a lot to Jenny. I was the shy one in junior high/high school. The one who wanted to be great at things, but was afraid to fail. The one who didn't realize the talent I had. I think this is a must read for any teen/pre-teen who is shy and has a dream. The ending of the story was so sweet and I think that ballet really needs to be produced :)