Dancing in the Wings [Hardcover]

Sassy worries that her too-large feet, too-long legs, and even her big mouth will keep her from her dream of becoming a star ballerina. So for now she's just dancing in the wings, watching from behind the curtain, and hoping that one day it will be her turn to shimmer in the spotlight. When the director of an important dance festival comes to audition her class, Sassy's first attempts to get his attention are, well, a little wobbly. But Sassy just knows, somehow, that this is her time to step out from those wings, and make her mark on the world. Actress/choreographerDebbie AllenandKadir Nelsoncollaborated onBrothers of the Knight, about whichSchool Library Journalraved, the strutting high-stepping brothers are full of individuality, attitude, and movement. Nelson's artwork conveys Sassy's spirit and captures well the expressions of her smug, mocking classmates. A great read-aloud. (School Library Journal)Actor, director, dancer/choreographer and singer, Debbie Allen's career has touched nearly every facet of the entertainment industry.

Allen's Broadway career as a dancer, singer and actor began in the chorus of Purlie . She next appeared in Raisin , then in the 1979 production West Side Story , for which she won a prestigious Drama Desk Award, as well as, her first Tony Award nomination. Allen received another Tony Award nomination in 1986 for her role as Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity .

Allen's choreography career soared in 1980 with the international hit TV series Fame . In 1988 she went behind the scenes to choreograph the new American Musical Carrie with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has continued to devote herself to that discipline. She holds the distinction of having choreographed the Academy Awards for five consecutive years. Allen collaborated with James Ingram to create Brothers of the Knight which played at the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, DC in the spring of 1998.

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