About this item
In the picture book Danza!, award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh tells the story of Amalia Hernández, dancer and founder of El Ballet Folklórico de México.. Winner of the Pura Belpré Award and the Robert F. Sibert Medal. "A vivid celebration of Mexican culture, art, and life." -- School Library Journal (Starred Review) . As a child, Amalia saw a pair of dancers in the town square. The way they stomped and swayed to the rhythm of the beat inspired her. She knew one day she would become a dancer. Amalia studied ballet and modern dance under the direction of skilled teachers who had performed in world-renowned dance companies. But she never forgot the folk dance she had seen years earlier.. She began traveling through the Mexican countryside, witnessing the dances of many regions, and she used her knowledge of ballet and modern dance to adapt the traditional dances to the stage. She founded her own dance company, a group that became known as El Ballet Folklórico de México.. Using his signature illustration style, inspired by the ancient art of the Mixtecs, Tonatiuh tells the story of Amalia Hernández and the formation of one of the most famous and successful dance companies in the world.. This is a celebration of Mexican heritage, culture, and dance that will entertain young readers and their parents.. "Tonatiuh tells Hernándezs story with careful attention to detail and with obvious admiration for the subject. . . . 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." -- Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
About the Author
I was born in Mexico City and grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I received my BFA from Parsons School of Design and my BA from Eugene Lang College, both of them divisions of the New School University in New York City. My first picture book "Dear Primo, a letter to my cousin" is published by H N Abrams and will be in stores March 1st, 2010. My illustrations of the AH1N1 in Mexico were selected to be a part of CONACULTA's catalog of Mexican illustrators for children and young adults. They also appeared in the BBC when the pandemic broke out. My short graphic novel Journey of a Mixteco was awarded the prize for the best thesis in the Integrated Design Curriculum department at Parsons. It appeared serially in the webcomix site topshelfcomix 2.0I'm currently working on two new picture books. And I regularly upload new illustrations about current events to my blog.
