“Beautiful ballerina, you are slender, straight-legged, high-arched, symmetrical, with strong this-little-piggie toes. You are poised, graceful, flexible, elegant. Your beauty invites bravissimos. Beautiful ballerina, you are the dance.” Marilyn Nelson’s seamless poetry celebrates many facets of African American dancers, from physical discipline and emotional strength to artistic interpretation and cultural heritage. Her vivid language is enhanced by Susan Kuklin’s photographs of four female students of the Dance Theater of Harlem, spanning an age range from young childhood to older adolescence. Shown in a variety of poses, their bodies stand out boldly against solid-color backgrounds. (Ages 6–11)

Every little girl has the dream to become a prima ballerina! On today's ever-changing cultural stage, ballerinas come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities. To celebrate the beauty of black ballerinas, here is a lush photographic picture book with a brilliant poetic narrative, brought to young readers by two amazing talents. The minimal text balances the harmony of the photos and demonstrates the joy of movement.