Danza!: Amalia Hernández and Mexico's Folkloric Ballet

By Duncan Tonatiuh

Age Range: 6 - 10 years

Grade Level: 1 - 5

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1419725327

ISBN-13: 978-1419725326

Award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh tells the story of Amalia Hernández, dancer and founder of El Ballet Folklórico de México.

Published in time for the 100th anniversary of Hernández’s birth, Danza! is the first picture book about the famous dancer and choreographer.

Danza! is a celebration of Hernández’s life and of the rich history of dance in Mexico. As a child, Amalia always thought she would grow up to be a teacher, until she saw a performance of dancers in her town square. She was fascinated by the way the dancers twirled and swayed, and she knew that someday she would be a dancer, too. She began to study many different types of dance, including ballet and modern, under some of the best teachers in the world.

Hernández traveled throughout Mexico studying and learning regional dances. Soon she founded her own dance company, El Ballet Folklórico de México, where she integrated her knowledge of ballet and modern dance with folkloric dances. The group began to perform all over the country and soon all over the world, becoming an international sensation that still tours today.

Duncan Tonatiuh’s picture books have been honored with many awards and accolades, including the Pura Belpré Award, the Robert F. Sibert Award, and the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award. With Tonatiuh’s distinctive Mixtec-inspired artwork and colorful drawings that seem to leap off the page, Danza! will enthrall and inspire young readers with the fascinating story of this important dancer and choreographer.

Reviews

"Tonatiuh tells Hernández's story with careful attention to detail and with obvious admiration for the subject... His digitized, hand-drawn illustrations are striking. They showcase, in his signature style based on Mixtec art, the beauty and grace of many different dance styles."(Kirkus- STARRED REVIEW)

"This beautifully designed, large-format picture book is a showcase for Tonatiuh’s distinctive illustrations, drawings with digital collage elements that add colors, patterns, and textures to strong, well-delineated forms."

(Booklist- STARRED REVIEW )

"Tonatiuh’s recognizable illustration style, inspired by Mixtec art and with well-chosen photo-collage elements on costumes and accessories, is par- ticularly resonant with a subject whose own desire was to preserve and celebrate Mexican arts and culture. A beautiful look at one of Mexico’s most cherished institutions." (The Horn Book)

"Employing his his customary brand of Mixtec-inspired collage, Tonatiuh makes expert use of photographic bits of lace, cloth, and hair to bring warmth to the dancers, who dip and turn on each spread."(Publishers Weekly)

"The book does an excellent job of chronicling Hernández’s work as cultural explorer and celebrator of both pre-Columbian past and Mexican present...Tonatiuh’s signature stylized figures in side view and flattened perspective are surprisingly well suited to dancing." (Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)