Danza!: Amalia Hernández and El Ballet Folklórico de México

by Duncan Tonatiuh

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419725326
Publisher:	ABRAMS
Publication date:	08/22/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	25,149
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Duncan Tonatiuh was born in Mexico City and grew up in San Miguel de Allende, in the historical state of Guanajuato, Mexico. He studied writing and illustration at Parsons School of Design at the New School in New York City. His books have received many awards over the years. He divides his time between New York City and Mexico.
 

Editorial Reviews

08/07/2017
Tonatiuh follows his picture book biographies of Diego Rivera and José Guadalupe Posada with a vibrant introduction to a Mexican artist who made her mark in the arena of dance. Inspired by the danzas she saw performed on the streets of Mexico City as a child, Amalia Hernández went on to study ballet before being exposed to modern dance. Eventually, she became a choreographer and founded a company that sought to pay tribute to Mexico’s past and present, fusing her study of traditional dances from across the country (“She paid special attention to the steps, the music, and the outfits people wore”) with top-notch production values. Employhis 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. A closing note and glossary provide additional context and insight. Ages 6–10. (Aug.)

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

"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

**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

★ 10/01/2017
Gr 3 Up—Amalia "Ami" Hernández (1917–2000) didn't expect to break with tradition. It was assumed that perhaps she would become a schoolteacher like her mother. But when she saw dancers in a town square while on vacation with her family, she knew what she wanted to be. Her parents nurtured her love of dance, and she benefited from studying under some of the world's best ballerinas and teachers. Always disciplined in her practice and technique, Hernández became a seasoned dancer and later a teacher and choreographer. She was inspired by the fusion of modern ballet and the traditional dances of her native Mexico. Drawing on her knowledge of indigenous danzas, as well as art, music, and architecture, she established a truly unique concept: el ballet folklórico. Hernández and her fellow dancers gave wildly successful performances throughout Mexico that motivated her to create her own dance company, El Ballet Folklórico de México. Traveling first in Mexico and then around the globe, the company became the face of innovative and artistic modern Mexican dance for the whole world to admire. Tonatiuh's Mixtec-inspired illustrations capture the movement and vibrancy of El Ballet Folklórico and pay homage to the artistic vision of one of the world's most beloved dancers. VERDICT Part biography and part homage to the history of Mexican dance, this essential, first-ever children's biography of Amalia Hernández is a vivid celebration of Mexican culture, art, and life and a timely release in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of Hernández's birth.—Natalie Romano, Denver Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2017-06-14
An ode to Mexico's rich heritage of indigenous dance. Amalia Hernández was born in Mexico City in 1917 and saw her first local dance performance when still a young girl. Entranced, she determined to become a dancer, and with her parents' encouragement, she began to study ballet and, later, modern dance. She then started to choreograph, basing her steps on "folkloric danzas" similar to what she had seen as a child. Hernández followed this first foray by forming her own small troupe and fashioning numbers based on Mexico's many different traditions and indigenous danzas. Her work melded old traditions with ballet and modern dance and was filled with drama, featuring colorful costumes and sets. Works based on Mexican history also became part of her company's repertoire, along with music from Europe such as the waltz. National and international success and acclaim followed for her company, El Ballet Folklórico de México. Tonatiuh tells Hernández's story with careful attention to detail and with obvious admiration for the subject, adding in his author's note how popular Mexican dance is across both Mexico and the United States. 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. Play music from Mexico and dance to the beat. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Picture book/biography. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews