The Ballet Lover's Companion by Zoe Anderson

A group of balletomanes in Russia admired Marie Taglioni, a 19th century prima ballerina, so much that they cooked her pointe shoes in a sauce and ate them! I can only hope that the sauce was so delicious that it hid the no-doubt rubbery taste of the shoes.

Ths is one of many anecdotes shared in this book about the history of ballet.  Although the writing is still a bit dry, Zoe Anderson provides a well-researched and comprehensive guide to ballet from its beginnings in Italy to the modern era.  Anyone wanting a brief introduction to the different eras of ballet, such as the Romantic era with its eerie love stories and the explosive time of the Ballet Russes, will find this an easy guide.  Anderson includes thorough synopses of famous ballets and their interpretations at the end of each chapter and a glossary.

She will leave you wanting to learn more about the beautiful world of ballet!