This true story, told in graphic novel style, is about a Puerto Rican little girl named Siena. Her passion was dance, specifically ballet. Her family moved to New York City so she could practice with the best. The illustrations are what make the story shine. Much care was taken with artistic detail such as including Russian influences and unique costuming. Siena would stand in the wings watching the professionals perform from the side stage every chance she got. Ballet required much dedication and long hours of practice. Siena slowly worked her way up in skill and experience.

My main complaint about the text of the story was when Siena noticed chest sizes of other ladies. I understand that she was probably really concerned that size would affect her ability to dance in real life, but I’m not sure it was a necessary detail to include in the story. Or this detail could’ve been told in a more discrete way. This may keep some parents from purchasing it for their young daughters. This is unfortunate since it really is a lovely story.

Another area of possible concern for some parents is the sharing of one ballet’s story line where bitter female ghosts whose hearts were broken seek to kill the men that hurt them in an act of revenge.

It was nice to see photos of the real Siena at the end of the book. I wouldn’t have minded a bit more detail about her more recent life and if she stayed connected with ballet throughout her life.

This really is a lovely book. I would not recommended it for younger elementary students, because of my forementioned concerns above, but possibly for older elementary students and middle school, .

I received an ARC copy from net galley and exchange for my honest opinion.

To Dance is being re-released for it’s 10th anniversary. This is a graphic memoir about one girls dream to dance. Unlike what a reader expects, this does not show a dancer who starts out young and becomes the best ever, youngest ever, prima ballerina, but a real story about someone who tried. They never failed, but they did try. And they still love to dance. It intermixes the dance with stories of amazing choreographers, and a little girl living though her parents divorse. This was a simple story, it was nice and will be relatable to the readers.
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This is a beautifully illustrated memoir of a young dancer's experience with ballet. Graphic novels are an easy sell at my library and frequently get picked up by a wide age range regardless of intended audience. I think this book will certainly fit that appeal without being inappropriate for the possibly younger audience. It presents a pretty rosy picture of dance, although the illustrations hint at other possible issues (such as injuries and not being cast in performances) when the text does not. My one concern is a page a little over halfway through where the illustrations show time passing with Siena slowly growing taller and eating from plates with less and less food on them in three successive panels interspersed with scenes of dance practices, bandages, and more serious injuries. The entire page is wordless and never stops to explain or examine the sequence. I found this troubling in light of ballet's frequent relationship with disordered eating, and I wish it had been remarked upon instead of normalized by the illustrations. Overall, though, I think the book delivers what readers will be looking for from a ballet memoir-- a story of success, in an achievable sense, from an author who obviously continues to hold dance in as high regard as her readers.

This was a gorgeous book for younger readers. I loved the personal story of Siena's dancing journey, especially the historic figures included in this text. This was an endearing book that I believe many young ballerinas (and non-ballerinas alike) would benefit from reading.

A gorgeously illustrated snapshot of the evolution of an aspiring dancer.

While this book glosses over much of the uglier, more visceral aspects of ballet training, it’s charming and atmospheric and perfect for younger aspiring dancers.

I loved that the story wove together the protagonist’s progression as a dancer with some actual ballet history.

This isn’t a particularly substantive portrayal of life as a young dancer, but it’s evocative and fun to read.