Born to Dance: Celebrating the Wonder of Childhood

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I received a digital copy of 'Born to Dance' from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you!

Sydney Ladensohn Stern, author of The Brothers Mankiewicz: Hope, Heartbreak, and Hollywood ClassicsThis book is absolutely true and gorgeous. If you have known, or are the parent of a wiggling little critter turning pirouettes in all of places, then you might have a dancer on your hand to support. Not everyone is born to dance, but those that are, know it. For them, there is no separation of any kind in the world, just dance. And the images as well as the dedications beautifully illustrate it. I approached reading "Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance" (written by Paula Broussard and Lisa Royere, who met her in her later life) with some trepidation after having read one too many self-published biographies that were released with little or no editorial supervision with occasionally dreadful results including inaccuracies and typos. This is not the case here. After having read the book I can say that I greatly enjoyed reading it and have very few reservations about it. Eleanor Powell was without a doubt the premier tap-dancing film star of all time. Her legendary performances graced such MGM motion pictures as Born to Dance and Rosalie, and her 'Begin the Beguine' number with Fred Astaire in Broadway Melody of 1940 will never be duplicated.... Powell has long deserved a good biography. Her life and career should never be forgotten This book is a loving and faithful tribute to one of Hollywood's great dance icons. Well-written and thoroughly researched, it will be indispensable for anyone interested in Eleanor Powell and the art of tap.

From Jordan Matter, YouTube star and New York Times–bestselling author of Dancers Among Us, a celebration of what it means to be young and full of possibility, featuring gorgeous photographs of well-known dancers (including Tate McRae and Sofie Dossi) as well as stars in the making. Born to Dance: Celebrating Moments of Joy, from Toddler to Teen by Jordan Matter is a celebration of what it means to be young and full of possibility. The book is full of lovely color photographs of young dancers (ages 4-17) by Dancers Among Us photographer Jordan Matter, along with Jordan's personal observations and quotes from some of the dancers about joy, life, dance, and family. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and University Press; I am leaving this review voluntarily. It was interesting to read all about Powell’s work ethic and the fact that the studios did not take her as seriously as they took her male counterparts. It’s also amazing how poorly MGM treated her, as is true of many of their stars, and underutilized her while she was under contract. Eleanor Powell) exuded not only a wholesomeness and perfectionism that no one in Hollywood could rival, but a kind of immaculate aura. I can't remember reading a more moving biography."This book beautifully captures young dancers on and off stage. Everyday life seems inseparable from a dancer’s heart/body connection. Each young person featured here told the photographer that they were born to dance. Dance had chosen them. I love, love, love movie musicals. One of my early memories is me and my dad watching Swing Time with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers on public television. I was instantly smitten. As I grew older, I devoured books on the subject and watched as many musicals as I could. One of the things I always wondered was why I couldn’t find a decent biography on one of the best dancers of the silver screen, man or woman, in Eleanor Powell. I’m glad to say that Born to Dance is the biography I’ve been waiting for. First and foremost, I have to highlight the theme of the book, centering around "a celebration of what it means to be young and full of possibility and to live life joyfully." It was all captured so beautifully through the many selected titles, including: "play with me," "when I grow up," "oops," "do they like me?" and more. Christina Rice, author of Mean...Moody...Magnificent! Jane Russell and the Marketing of a Hollywood Legend With Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance, authors Paula Broussard and Lisa Royère pay an overdue tribute to one of Hollywood's most mesmerizing dancers with this engaging and detailed biography. Despite Royère's personal connection to Powell, the book presents an objective and balanced portrait of an entertainer who reluctantly traded in her pointe shoes for tap and made film history.