Someday Dancer Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
A ballerina tale with a thoroughly modern twist!Casey Quinn has got more grace in her pinkie toe than all those prissy ballet-school girls put together, even if you'd never guess it from the looks of her too-long legs and dirty high-top sneakers. It's 1959, and freckle-faced Casey lives in the red-dust countryside of South Carolina. She's a farm girl: Her family can't afford ballet lessons. But Casey's dream is to dance in New York City. And if anyone tries to stand in her way, she's going to pirouette and jeté right over them!Casey's got the grit, and Casey's got the grace: Is that enough to make it in Manhattan someday? Or might the Big Apple have something even better in mind? When she meets a visionary choreographer she calls "Miss Martha," Casey's ballerina dream takes a thoroughly, thrillingly modern twist!
Lexile Measure: 730L (What's this?)
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Chicken House; 1 edition (August 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545393787
ISBN-13: 978-0545393782
Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 5.2 x 8.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #688,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #55 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Performing Arts > Dance #287 in Books > Teens > Historical Fiction > United States > 20th Century #399 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Music & Photography > Performing Arts > Dance
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Don't you have a dream you want to accomplish? Casey Quinn is desperate to be a dancer. She has more grace in her fingernail than all those mean girls that can afford ballet lessons. Casey is serious about her dream. She may be penniless but her hope is expensive. How far will Casey go to complete her dream? Will she make it?I thought this book was very exciting and inspiring! I would recommend it to all girls because it's mostly a girl book, but if a boy read it he would probably like it too. This book has many exciting parts to it. When you read it, you'll feel like you're in the story too! Someday Dancer by Sarah Rubin is a book you will enjoy! Read it! You'll have a smile on your face when you're done!
THIS BOOK WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING I CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW MANY TIMES I REALLY FELT A CONNECTION BETWEEN CASEY QUINN AND MYSELF HANDS DOWN, EVERYTHING IN THIS BOOK WAS WELL WRITTEN AND I AM HAPPY I FOUND SUCH AN EXTRAVAGANT BOOK
Maybe you can't do ballet in high-tops, but that don't mean you can't dance.I know I don't look like a ballerina, not in these dirty high-tops with my scabby knees. But inside there is a ballerina leaping to get out, leaping so hard that sometimes I think she'll bruise my heart.- from Someday Dancer by Sarah Rubin, Page 105 and Page 9Casey is a dancer, heart and soul. She can't help but skip down the streets of South Carolina and twirl-twirl-twirl whenever she feels like it. She's been in love with ballet since she was little, when her grandmother took her to see Cinderella and she could barely stay in her seat, eagerly pointing her toes and wishing she could "scramble down the aisle and dance with [the ballerinas]." Unfortunately, her family can't afford ballet lessons, so Casey regularly peeks in the window of a dance studio and copies the moves to the best of her ability.When she learns about an open audition for The School of American Ballet in New York City, Casey saves up the money she earns working beside her mother as a cleaning lady at the hospital. With some assistance, she manages to make it to New York. The first audition leads to an opportunity that is better suited to Casey, something she hadn't even imagined, something she's never tried before: modern dance.The year is 1959, and Casey's new instructor is Martha Graham, who is widely regarded as a pioneer in her field. Though, at times, I thought that more detail and description of movement and choreography would help readers who have never seen or experienced modern dance, I appreciated the moments when Casey expressed her love for dance and her gratitude for the opportunities she was given because I'm a dancer and actress myself. Those who know what it feels like to do well at an audition or on a test of any sort will understand this:I walk out of Miss Martha's studio and down the street, floating towards the bus station. I don't care if people push past me, or shoot me the greasy eyeball for not scooting fast enough. I want to soak up every last second of the city. [...] I know I'll be back, but I want something to hold on to, something to remember while I'm waiting in the wings in Warren. When I get on the bus to go home, my heart is full... - Page 104The beginning of chapter 29 on page 192 captures the experience of the first time you enter a beautiful theatre in which you're going to perform. It feels like if I open the door all the way I might let the magic out. Yes, yes, yes. For dancers, actors, singers, this can be our wardrobe to Narnia.Anyone who was raised with love but very little money and had dreams that seemed out of reach due to that financial situation knows what it's like to walk in Casey's shoes. I hope that you dance if you want to, that you move when the music moves you, whether you're in toe shoes, tap shoes, sneakers, or your bare feet!
Casey is a natural dancer. Every second of the day, she's tapping some kind of beat and moving her body to the music. No one but her grandmother believes in her, however. Her mom wants her to come down to earth and pursue a realistic path. The other girls make fun of her love of dance. It is her dream to make it into a big ballet school and show everyone what she knows she can do. When she arrives in New York, her dreams change. She'll still be a dancer but in a contemporary dance school.Family and friends is especially important in Casey's world. Her grandmother is her rock in her little town. Whereas everyone else believes that Casey can't make it as a dancer, her grandmother is there supporting her and giving her the encouragement that she needs. It is her grandmother who helps Casey's mom understand how much dance means to Casey. Then there is Andrea, a fellow dancer with whom Casey shares her dreams, fears, and troubles. Without all of these people, Casey wouldn't be who she is.The biggest factor in Casey's success, however, is her dedication to to making her big dreams a reality. It is so easy to fall prey to the reality trap as we grow older and start looking for a stable income that we forget to dream--to think about how to make our dreams a part of our reality. While a stable income is important, it is also just as significant to have dreams--and to have the dedication to pursue these dreams. Casey has just that. She receives a lot of negative criticism each day, and she goes through many obstacles in her path to becoming a dancer. Still, she never gives up and goes on to prove to everyone that she was right to pursue her dreams.Someday Dancer is an inspiring read about pursuing your dreams and never forgetting who you are. It is about forgiveness, friendship, dreams, and family. I recommend this for upper elementary and tween readers.
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