Thanks to everyone who posted a list a great ballet books. I have a few to add that are excellent as well. I collect all kinds of books on ballet both modern and vintage - as a teacher I can never get enough! If someone else mentioned these already I apologize, but these are the books I love that I didn't see mentioned. Got all of them on ebay at great prices...

BOTH SIDES OF THE MIRROR by Anna Paskeva
Favorite part: It thoroughly describes what muscles are used in each of the traditional exercises and what sucessful execution of each will help the dancer to achieve.

TUNE UP YOUR TURNOUT by Deborah Vogel
Favorite part: Helpful in demystifying how turnout works and how to increase it safely.

THE CECCHETTI METHOD OF CLASSICAL BALLET by Beaumont and Idzikowski
Favorite part: Gives many full exercises that I refer to when I start to feel stale and in need of an infusion of ideas.

THE BALLET LOVER'S COMPANION
THE BALLET LOVER'S POCKETBOOK
THE BALLET-STUDENT'S PRIMER
all by Kay Ambrose

Favorite part: All the pictures in each one. These are older books but full of great info and pics.

JAZZ DANCE CLASS by Gus Giordano

Favorite part: Chock full of jazz class exercises, sometimes a litte hard to follow but really good ideas andsuggestions for barre, center, adage, and across the floor for beg - adv. jazz classes.


Hope these are helpful to you all!

"Dance is music made visible" Balanchine

Laurel

The Dancer's Foot Book- Dr. Terry L. Spilken
The Muscle Booke - w Paul Blakey
Stretching Without Pain - W Paul Blakey
Dance Life - Kenny Pearl

Thank you for that information. It is always good to hear about books that others found useful. There isn't enough hours in a day sometimes to search so that was a great help I can't wait to start reading some of the books you have listed.

Oh man! I'm going to have to sell my first born to Amazon.com. I have to have all these books! Last week I spent an hour at a coffee shop( by myself, no children) reading "Inside Ballet Techinique" and it was heaven. I'm going to need a bigger bookshelf! Thank you all.

Oh my I think I own almost 100 or so ballet books and not to mention DVD. I love my ballet I guess you can say its my passion in life. I love the fact that there is always new things to learn it keeps me facinated in my job.

Great selection!

I have a good one to add. I used this in my college course:

Teaching Beginning Ballet Technique~ Gayle Kassing/Danielle M. Jay

It might seem a bit outdated, with the pictures and all, but the resources and information about different teaching styles and classroom work, is worth it!

Enjoy

~DbG~

this is really a very interesting thread*
Thank you all for sharing it with us

Thank you for posting this. I am always on the look out for new ways to approach my technique classes and these books look to be wonderful additions to my dance library.

Here are two.

www.thinklikeachampiondancelikeastar.com

and

www.danceglobe.com

thats an ebook.. kinda kool.

enjoy.

Thanks for the list. I am always looking to add to my library. I would like to add my favorites to yours.
Currently out of the bookshelf and on my bedside table:
1. The Pointe Book by Janice Barringer and Sarah Schlesinger
2. The Ballet Companion by Eliza Gaynor Minden = Beautiful!! Gorgeous photos and tons of information on all aspects of ballet
3. Suki Shorer on Balanchine Technique

On the bookshelf but also favorites that I refer to often:
1. The Dancer's Complete Guide to Healthcare and a Long Career by Allan J. Ryan M.D. and Robert E. Stephens Ph.D.
2. Both Sides of the Mirror: The Science and Art of Ballet by Anna Paskevska
3. In Balance - The Fundamentals of Ballet by Janice D. LaPointe-Crump
4. Ballet: Beyond the Basics by Sandra Noll Hammond
5. Ballet Class Illustrations by John Green Text by Caroline Denzler = This is a coloring book with some good pages you could copy and hand out to your students

For anyone who teaches Modern out there:
1. The Dancer Prepares - Modern Dance for Beginners by James Penrod and Janice Gudde Plastino
2. The Modern Dance - Seven Statements of Belief edited and with an introduction by Selma Jeanne Cohen - Written by prominent choreographers Jose' Limon, Anna Sokolow, Erick Hawkins, Donald McKayle, Alwin Nikolais, Pauline Koner, and Paul Taylor. Not necessarily about technique, but a fascinating look at these choreographers in their own words.

I also like to collect children's fiction books about ballet and old picture books with photos of dancers. There are hundreds of fiction books out there, just look at bn.com (barnes and noble).

I loved this selection of books - Thanks!!

The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) has an amzing dance dictionary of terminology if you are a member and have not ordered one it is a must have!

Great list! I am also looking for recital songs - old ones

Thanks for your list of books for contemporary dance.
I find it very hard to find good books about it.
I will certainly check out your list.

Thanks again and take care, Merle

So glad I came across this post. Guess I never noticed it before. My big job this summer is to redo and update my curriculum for the whole studio so I've been taking classes, looking at videos and updating my music and book library. I have some great ballet and health books but needed some tap and jazz books. Thanks for the post - I hope that people continue to contribute to it.

Which book can you recommend for preballet? I am searching for good books with exercises for preballet- class.

Thank you!

Fantasy garden ballet by rosemary borross is pretty good. The music get monotonous, but thankfully it does come with an instrumental version as well, haha! I use alot of the exercises in there with my little ones but I normally change up the music for my personal sanity...

Classical Ballet Technique is fabulous (Gretchen Ward Warren)! I would also like to mention Dance Kinesiology by Sally Fitt. It's an integral book to Dance Science. We studied it in Kinesiology when I was getting my degree in dance. Great reference, detailed diagrams.

I would add Ballet Basics by Sandra Noll Hammond as well. It's great to recommend to adult beginners who are interested enough to do some outside work. I've reread it every summer while making plans for the new year to make sure all my lower level classes are on the right track.

thanks for this thread, it's always great to know the books other teachers find worth having. Thanks a bunch...