© 2013 Universal Uclick Stay on Your Toes from The Mini Page © 2013 Universal Uclick Beautiful Think of all the different ways there are to tell a story. We can sing a song, The French King Louis XIV loved dance. In the mid-1600s, he started such as “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” An author a dance academy in Paris and often can relate a tale in a book. Actors can danced in its . tell a story through a movie or play. This week, The Mini Page leaps into the world of ballet. When it first began, ballet, like many other types of dance, Ballerinas was another way to tell a story. In the 1700s and Ballet’s beginnings 1800s, ballerinas began to dance on pointe — The first ballet was believed to have up on their toes in taken place in 1581 — more than 400 special shoes called years ago! At that time, kings and pointe shoes. Famous queens kept huge courts of people ballerinas became known to serve and entertain them. Court for their special talents Pointe shoes entertainers wore fancy costumes and — jumps, turns or beautiful arms. performed speaking and singing roles, along with dancing and music. Europe and Russia The first ballet, the Ballet Comique Ballet became popular in Italy, de la Reine, was Royal influences France and Russia. In the early 20th performed in , or court dance, called century, an arts promoter named Paris during for specific movements — pointed Sergei Diaghilev started a ballet a three-day feet and turned-out legs, for example. company in Paris called the Ballets wedding These positions would later become the Russes (roos), or “.” celebration at basis for the five basic ballet positions. Experts say his company changed the court of As ballet became more technical and the way people experienced ballet. Catherine de’ specific as a dance form, costumes were During this time, the male dancer Medici, the wife changed. For example, the enormous became more important to the dance. of King Henry wigs and skirts of the time made it In addition, great composers began II of France. The story it told was of difficult for dancers to turn quickly and to create music for ballet, and artists the Greek goddess Circe. The ballet jump. Skirts became shorter so that legs such as Picasso began creating sets for lasted more than five hours. and feet could be seen by the audience. the productions. Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®. ®

from The Mini Page © 2013 Universal Uclick Ballet Stories Classical ballets combine music and Audiences love the stories. Several of them have been holiday story of “The performed for hundreds of years and Nutcracker.” The production includes are still popular with audiences today. many small children, Two examples of classical ballets which is a great way are: for beginning ballet students to have a • “.” This is a chance to perform. Christmas story that includes many children in the company, or

cast. The music photo by James Culp, courtesy Joffrey Ballet School was written by a Russian Later that night, Clara sneaks • “.” Tchaikovsky also composer, Peter into the parlor to find her doll. composed the music for this ballet, Tchaikovsky She finds that some of the toys about a prince who falls in love with (chi-KOFF- have come to life, and mice and a maiden who is under the power of skee). The story gingerbread men are having a an evil spell. The spell turns her into was based on a battle! a swan during the day. tale by E.T.A. Clara’s nutcracker defeats the “The Waltz Hoffmann called Peter Tchaikovsky Mouse King and turns into a prince, who takes Clara to the Land of of the “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” Swans” It features a little girl, Clara, Sweets. from “Swan who is given a nutcracker doll for When Clara wakes up back in Lake.” Christmas. But her brother, Fritz, her own parlor, she wonders if her adventures were really just a dream. photo by Paata breaks the doll. Vardanashvili

from The Mini Page © 2013 Universal Uclick from The Mini Page © 2013 Universal Uclick TM Basset Brown try ’n the news ready resources Hound’s Ballet find Words that remind us of ballet are hidden in the block below. Some words are The Mini Page provides ideas for hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can websites, books or other resources that will help find: AUDITION, BALLERINA, BALLET, CHILDREN, CHOREOGRAPHER, you learn more about this week’s topics. CLASSICAL, COMPOSER, CONTEMPORARY, COSTUME, COURT, DANCE, NARRATIVE, POINTE, POSITION, SHOE, STORY, STUDENT, STUDIO, TOE. On the Web: A F Y R A R O P M E T N O C L • nickjr.com/kids-games/doras-ballet-adventure.html Dancers are also N O I T I S O P N P A T O N A • wish-upon-a-ballet.com/ballet-media/ athletes! I C O S T U M E O R N M O O C ballet-coloring-pages R S H O E T R I R E P I I M I At the library: E Q R T E D N A D O T D J W S L Y O L L T T U S I U G N Y S • “On Your Toes: A Ballet ABC” by Rachel Isadora L E L I E I T E D T R U O C A • “Ballet” by Lisa Dillman A A H G V S R U S E C N A D L • “Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake” DVD B C R E H P A R G O E R O H C

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TM TM Rookie Cookie’s Recipe

Mini Spy . . . You’ll need: Pumpkin Cake Squares • 1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix • 2/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk Mini Spy loves taking ballet lessons! See if you can find: • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar • sheep • bell • carrot • brick • cat • letter C • 3 eggs • 3 teaspoons cinnamon • arrow • number 3 • letter E • word MINI • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin • whipped cream What to do: • letter A • duck • needle • kite 1. Reserve 1 cup cake mix. Combine remaining cake mix with 1/2 cup • ladder • alligator • letter B • peanut melted butter and 1 egg; mix until crumbly. 2. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and press crumbly mixture in bottom of pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, mix pumpkin, 2 eggs, milk, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Spoon mixture over baked layer. 4. For topping, combine reserved cake mix, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining cinnamon in a small bowl. 5. Sprinkle topping mix over pumpkin mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. 6. Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream.

You will need an adult’s help with this recipe. from The Mini Page © 2013 Universal Uclick Meet Bella Thorne Bella Thorne stars as the dancer CeCe Jones in the Disney Channel TV series “Shake It Up.” Bella has acted in several movies and TV shows, including the Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverly Place.” She has appeared in several commercials and has modeled for ads and fashion stories. Bella, 15, was born in Pembroke Pines, Fla. She is the youngest of four children. All her

photo courtesy Disney Channel siblings are also actors. Bella supports the charity The Nomad Organization, which helps give education, food and medical supplies to children in Africa. She enjoys dancing and playing soccer. She has two dogs, six cats and a turtle. from The Mini Page © 2013 Universal Uclick from The Mini Page © 2013 Universal Uclick

from The Mini Page © 2013 Universal Uclick ® The Mini Page Book of States TM The Mini Page’s popular series of issues about each state is collected here in a 156-page softcover book. Conveniently spiral-bound for ease of use, this invaluable resource contains A-to-Z facts about each state, along with All the following jokes have something in common. the District of Columbia. Illustrated with colorful photographs and art, and complete with updated information, The Mini Page Book of States will be a Can you guess the common theme or category? favorite in classrooms and homes for years to come. Benjamin: Why do ballet dancers try to avoid banana peels?

To order, send $15.99 ($19.99 Canada) plus $5 postage and handling for each Barry: Because they are wearing copy. Make check or money order (U.S. funds only) payable to Universal Uclick. slippers! Send to The Mini Page Book of States, Universal Uclick, P.O. Box 6814, Leawood, KS 66206. Or call toll-free 800-591-2097 or go to www.smartwarehousing.com. Bonnie: How can you tell that ballerinas Please send ______copies of The Mini Page Book of States (Item #0-7407- 8549-4) at $20.99 each, total cost. (Bulk discount information available upon like math? request.) Boris: Because they are always wearing Name: ______Address: ______tutus! City: ______State: ______Zip: ______Bill: What is a dancer’s most important goal? Barbara: To get right to the pointe! Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®. ®

from The Mini Page © 2013 Universal Uclick Ballet and You Ballet in the United States Getting started Ballet basics In 1934, the School of American How do kids start in ballet? Most Beginning ballet students learn Ballet was founded in New York children start between the ages of 3 five basic positions. These moves are City by George Balanchine, a and 5 in creative combined to make many different choreographer originally from movement and movements in ballet. But every step Russia. (A choreographer is tap dance classes. begins and ends with one of these someone who designs a dance for Around 8 to 10 positions. performance.) years old, a ballet First position: Heels This and other ballet companies student may attend touching, toes turned changed this type of dance again, class twice a week. out to the side. Arms producing new versions of classic As a student forward, hands ballets and developing new ballets gets to be 13 or photo by James Culp, courtesy Joffrey Ballet School touching, elbows open. that were centered around a theme 14 years old, he or she must make a () instead of a more serious commitment to ballet Second position: Feet story (). instruction. Classes may be three to shoulder-width apart, Music for ballet six times a week, and students may turned out. Arms open, be expected to practice every day. hands down, forming a For narrative ballet, a choreographer Some older teenagers go to smooth curve. and composer work together to create boarding a ballet. programs, For contemporary ballet, a where they Third position: Heel choreographer takes a piece of music of one foot in front of live and middle of other foot. One and designs a ballet to go along study at arm curved above you, with it. the ballet the other out to the side. In 1944, composer Aaron Copland school. At wrote a piece of orchestral music © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com 17 or 18 Fourth position: One called “Appalachian Spring” for a years old, they begin auditioning, or foot crossed in front of the other. Both feet narrative ballet choreographed by trying out, with ballet companies. Martha Graham. turned out. One arm out Ballet is hard work, but “it’s in a gentle curve in front fun!” an expert says. “Kids should of you; the other arm Choreographer curving above your head. Martha Graham experience ballet live.” Kids might think Fifth position: Heel of ballet is boring, front foot against toe but a production of back foot. Both feet such as this one turned out. Both arms by the Colorado curve over your head. Ballet of “Where Fingers and shoulders

The Mini Page thanks Jo Matos, director the Wild Things photo by Tony Shapiro, courtesy Colorado Ballet relaxed. of Children and Young Dancer Programs, Are,” with the beasts dancing on the Joffrey Ballet School, New York City, for stage, captures the imagination of even Next week, The Mini Page is about the help with this issue. young children. Westminster Dog Show. The Mini Page Staff Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.