BHARATANATYAM IN BALLET SHOES

A little girl discovers her differences are actually strengths.

Paro, an experienced young Bharatanatyam dancer, is nervous about taking ballet lessons for the first time. While Paro comes from a family of classical Indian dancers, she struggles with ballet at first because the steps and poses are so different. By contrast, her new friends Marco and Dana take to ballet immediately. Finding it too hard to study both styles of dance, Paro tells her mom that she’s going to quit Bharatanatyam to concentrate on ballet. But when Paro returns to class after her big decision, a wonderful surprise leads her to realize the two forms of dance are not that different after all. Chouhan’s bright and engaging illustrations are a fitting accompaniment to Jain’s tale about a child whose confidence slowly but surely grows. The energy of Paro’s dance class comes through on the page, as do Paro’s mother’s and her dance teacher Madame’s passions for their crafts. The small cultural touches throughout the family home are also a welcome addition. Backmatter includes information on the origins of the term Bharatanatyam and instructions on making traditional anklets. Paro and her mother are Indian American, Madame appears to be White, Dana appears to be Asian, and Marco appears to be Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A warm and encouraging read.