Ballet Shoes (A Puffin Book)

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The story of Pauline, Petrova, and Posy will be in my heart for life, even though I must confess that was introduced to these charming and unforgettable characters from the 1975 British television version. That kind of ruined me for the book; all I'd do was nosh through my favorite scenes. Only when I was in my 20's did I read it cover to cover when I introduced its pleasures to a girl I was tutoring. Remember the scene in "You've Got Mail" where Colleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) is sitting in the children's section of the newly-opened Foxx Books, and a customer comes in looking for the "Shoes" books by Noel Streatfield? The clerk has clearly never heard of them, but Colleen has, and she tells the customer that "The Ballet Shoes" is definitely the one she should start with... Keller, Louise (18 December 2008). "BALLET SHOES: DVD". Urban Cinefile . Retrieved 30 November 2009.

The book concerns three adopted sisters, Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil. Each of the girls is discovered as a baby by Matthew Brown (Great-Uncle-Matthew, known as "Gum"), an elderly, absentminded palaeontologist and professor, during his world travels, and sent home to his practical great niece, Sylvia and her childhood nanny, Nana who live in London, England.a b c d "Ballet Shoes: Interviews: Behind the Scenes/A Tale of Our Times". BBC Northern Ireland. BBC.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009 . Retrieved 30 November 2009. Pauline, Petrova, and Posy are inspired by the professors to "put their names in the history books" by giving service to their country. Every Christmas and on birthdays they vow to do that. Mary Noel Streatfeild, known as Noel Streatfeild, was an author best known and loved for her children's books, including Ballet Shoes and Circus Shoes. She was born on Christmas Eve, 1895, the daughter of William Champion Streatfeild and Janet Venn and the second of six children to be born to the couple. Sister Ruth was the oldest, after Noel came Barbara, William ('Bill'), Joyce (who died of TB prior to her second birthday) and Richenda. Ruth and Noel attended Hastings and St. Leonard's Ladies' College in 1910. As an adult, she began theater work, and spent approximately 10 years in the theater. Gum has the last word. He asks, Petrova, who wants to fly aeroplanes, ‘Are Cook and Clara still here?’ and when he learns that they are, he says, ‘Good! Then they can look after us … (we must) find a house near an aerodrome where you could study.’

Ballet Shoes was the first children’s book by English author, playwright, and actress Noel Streatfeild (1895-1986). Encouraged by her editor and the success of ballet schools in 1930s London, Streatfeild drew from her own experiences as an actress to write a story about children working on the stage. Mr Simpson tells Petrova that he left Malaya because the rubber market slumped and he now plans to open a garage in Piccadilly Originally published in 1936, this first "Shoes" book by acclaimed British children's author Noel Streafeild - the "Shoes" books are less of a series than a collection of wonderful children's novels, some related, some not, many of which were not "shoes" books at all, in their original British forms ( Theater Shoes was originally Curtain Up, Dancing Shoes was Wintle's Wonders, Skating Shoes was White Boots, and so on) - is one that I have long been wanting to read. Thankfully, a book-cub to which I belong chose it for their June book-club selection, giving me that long-needed impetus! An intriguing mix of conservative and sneakily subversive, when it first appeared in 1936 Ballet Shoes was a huge success, department stores like Selfridge’s devoted entire sections to displaying and selling copies. Its publication was perfectly timed to tap into a depression-era craze for ballet and modern dance, fuelled by popular films starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, or featuring Busby Berkeley’s glorious dance sequences. Since then, it’s never been out of print. The title, and numerous fairy-tale qualities, may make this sound potentially fluffy and sentimental. But it’s actually a marvellous recreation of England in the 1930s focusing on the everyday lives of the impoverished middle classes. There are numerous references to Britain’s troubled empire, as well as the aftermath of WW1 and the Russian Revolution glimpsed through encounters with figures linked to the city’s large numbers of Russian refugees. One central character Sylvia’s a prime example of the so-called “surplus women” linked to the losses of the war, while her staff are a Downton-like group of faithful retainers headed up by the resourceful Nana, formerly Sylvia’s childhood nurse. Streatfeild also manages to smuggle in a thinly-veiled storyline that’s attracted a growing queer following. At the centre of the piece is a shabby house in London’s Cromwell Road not far from the Victoria and Albert Museum. It’s overseen by Sylvia supported by Nana, they’re unexpectedly joined by three orphan children collected by Sylvia’s eccentric Great Uncle Matthew on his numerous travels overseas. The girls, Pauline, Posy and Petrova, become the Fossils, named after Matthew’s extensive collection. When Matthew fails to return from an expedition Sylvia, desperate for money, advertises for lodgers and slowly the house becomes a community along the lines of Armistead Maupin’s famous “logical family”.

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The family might be struggling financially, but, when they were small, the Fossil girls were taken regularly to the nearby Victoria & Albert Museum. Culture is important – Dr Jakes is a Shakespeare fan and determined that Pauline should learn to speak his verse with confidence. And this, of course, helps her future career. The two doctors also take on the girls’ education (for free) when the cost of the private Cromwell House School becomes too much for Sylvia to pay. We note that it never crosses her mind to send them to a local school. According to Angela Bull, Ballet Shoes was a reworked version of The Whicharts. Elder sister Ruth Gervis illustrated the book, which was published on the 28th September, 1936. At the time, the plot and general 'attitude' of the book was highly original, and destined to provide an outline for countless other ballet books down the years until this day. The first known book to be set at a stage school, the first ballet story to be set in London, the first to feature upper middle class society, the first to show the limits of amateurism and possibly the first to show children as self-reliant, able to survive without running to grownups when things went wrong. Posy is developing into a brilliant ballet dancer. She also clashes with her sisters, as she is so focused on dancing that she is insensitive about anything that gets in her way. Petrova is not interested in the performing arts and has little talent for it but must keep attending classes and performing to help support the family. However, she holds onto her own dream of flying aircraft. Madame Fidolia, the owner of the school, notices Posy is talented at ballet and teaches her classical ballet. However, Petrova hates dancing and would rather work with cars and fly planes. She and Mr. Simpson become good friends. Sylvia starts to fall in love with Mr. Simpson. She has bad lungs and her health starts worsening, worrying Petrova. Romance Related - 4 Incidents: Double-breasted in reference to a uniform. Not sexual. A girl comes into the room "with nothing on but a bathmat." It is noted that a girl has a rather "big behind." "Posy, even with nothing on, and dripping with water, was quite amazingly like Theo."

This is probably the first book ever where I cannot say 'The book is better' straight away. First of all, it is clear that the book is for children and the film is for the grown ups. But the beauty remains in both. a b Schutte, Sarah (10 October 2021). " 'Completely Wonderful': Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes". National Review . Retrieved 31 January 2023.The huge terraced house is run by five servants. There is Cook and the house maid, Clara; Nana, once Sylvia’s nurse and now looking after Pauline, Petrova and Posy; and two more unnamed maids. Even accounting for the fact that female wages were a lot cheaper than male wages, the cost of a cook, a nurse and three maids was not nothing. As well as their wages, they also got their board and lodging. However much Sylvia scrimps and saves, the money Gum has left for their support eventually runs out. When I re-read Ballet Shoes before writing this post, I found myself thinking that the book ends in 1934 and a certain Adolf Hitler has plans which will upset Posy’s classes with Monsieur Manoff in Czechoslovakia, but they will also, perhaps, bring unexpected opportunities in America for Sylvia, who has been too unselfish for too long. Although this report shows 24 "incidents" for "Attitudes/Disobedience," the majority of these are all lessons the girls work through and learn from. On the whole, the main characters are very loving towards each other, wish to work hard to help with the bills and want to make their guardians proud. Posey, the youngest girl, is, in several instances, an exception as she cares more for ballet and her achievements than people sometimes. This book is not just about ballet, but theater, motorcars and other interests as well, so can be appealing to any girl.

Dr Jakes and Dr Smith. Note Dr Jakes’ tie and short hair which indicates that she is a forward-thinking New WomanPauline, Petrova, and Posy are three adopted girls being raised in London in the 1930's. Because of the Depression, they get training to earn money as performers on stage. Pauline turns out to have a flair for acting, and Posy turns out to be a ballerina of rare genius. Petrova hates the stage, and goes along with it only because she has to. Her dream is to learn to fly an airplane. During The Great Depression, Pauline and Petrova attend school at Cromwell House, but Sylvia cannot afford to send Posy. As Gum's money runs out, Sylvia has to take Pauline and Petrova out of school. To earn money, she takes in four boarders: Theo Dane, an impractical dance teacher; John Simpson, who works with cars; and Dr. Smith and Dr. Jakes, who are retired academics.