Pirouette your way into the Shimmer & Shine dance studio, where the ballet besties are ready to put on a show!
Dante loves nothing more than scoring goals on the football pitch then racing to Shimmer & Shine to ace his pas de chats.
But when his football friends start to tease him for his passion, Dante struggles to find the confidence to keep doing the two things he loves most.
Will encouraging Miss Diamond to enter their class into a dance competition be just what Dante needs to prove how fantastic dance can be? Will their adaptation of Beauty and the Beast win over his friends? Or will Dante have to put his own modern spin on things to truly shine?
A fun, inclusive and accessible series that will bring the joy of dance to young readers! Yasmine Naghdi (Author)
Yasmine Naghdi is a Principal of The Royal Ballet and has been dancing with the Company since 2010. Her many roles with The Royal Ballet include Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Princess Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty), Juliet (Romeo and Juliet) and The Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker). She has performed all over the world and is passionate about showing that ballet is for everyone.
Chitra Soundar (Author)
Chitra Soundar is a writer and dreamer of many things. As well as writing books, Chitra is a speaker, oral storyteller and screenwriter. Her stories are inspired by her family, her childhood in India, which was filled with epics and folktales, and her travels around the world. Chitra has performed at literary festivals across the globe, telling stories and introducing the magic of writing to children everywhere.
Paula Franco (Illustrator)
Paula Franco is an illustrator living in Rosario, Argentina. She studied Illustration & Graphic Design at Instituto Superior Comunicación Visual. Her work has been featured in the New York Times Children's Best Seller list and has been awarded a Kirkus Star and a School Library Journal Star.
Pirouette your way into the Shimmer & Shine dance studio, where the ballet besties are ready to put on a show! A fun and inclusive series, bringing the joy of classical ballet to 7-9 year old readers, dancers and non-dancers alike. Breaks down the traditional idea of what a ballet dancer looks like by showing characters of all ages, genders, ethnicities and body sizes enjoying dance. With accessible writing and endmatter, including a glossary and explanations of dance moves, no previous ballet knowledge is needed to enjoy. Fully illustrated in a gorgeous black and white package to bring the characters and dance techniques to life. Yasmine is a Principal dancer with the Royal Ballet and has a platform of 100k followers on Instagram from all over the world, with fans on every continent. Chitra is children's author with lots of event experience in the UK and abroad.
