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A girl explores her love of dancing and her cultural identity in a lively picture book with echoes of the real-life collaboration between Bharatanatyam icon Rukmini Devi Arundale and ballerina Anna Pavlova.

Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes

Written by Mahak Jain
Illustrated by Anu Chouhan
Published by Annick Press

Paro comes from a dancing family. At home, she dances Bharatanatyam with her mom, and now she’s excited to learn ballet. But what if she can’t dance like the other kids in her class? Ballerinas move like fairies, while Bharatanatyam dancers seem like queens. Paro can’t be both…can she? Anu Chouhan’s vibrant, energetic illustrations emphasize themes of creative flexibility and navigating the intersections of different cultural identities.

Primary ISBN: 9781773216157
Available As: Hardcover
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented:

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Setting: Unspecified

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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Author Introduction