Dance Books

My 2 year old son loves Professor Parrot. The songs are short enough to keep his attention and he is learning to repeat many of the spanish words. I would recommend this for any toddler/young child who likes to sing.

We have tried several spanish learning tools. By far this is the best one. If you want to teach small children some spanish then this is the perfect video. Professor Parrot speaks clearly so my children can copy exactly how he pronounces the words. There are enough english words so that my kids know what the spanish words mean. The music, dancing and story telling keep my childrens attention through out the entire video. I can watch it with them to help them practice or I can let them watch it by themselves and I know that they are getting a great learning experience. I have a 4 year old boy and a 4 year old girl and they both love it.

I bought this DVD for my daughter who just turned two, and am so happy with it. We've owned it for only two weeks and she is already starting to count and sing in Spanish. It is her favorite thing to watch. What's great about this DVD is that not only will you and your children have a fun time learning Spanish from it (the tunes are very catchy) but it will also get your child moving and dancing along with the children in the DVD. I wish there were more DVDs out there like this one.

Bought this for a 5 year old who has surprised us all with her yen to learn to languages. Spanish seems to be the one that intrigues her the most, so I thought we would work on it. After the first viewing of the film, she picked up on how to greet someone and her numbers. She would rather watch this DVD than Nemo, any of the Princesses or Curious George. Well worth the money!

My son, aged 2, loves the "bird" videotape! I'm trying to teach him spanish but I'm having trouble finding visual materials in Spanish for him. This video touches the basics in an entertaining way so it's engaging for kids. The acting and singing isn't top notch but it serves the purpose: my son has been belting out the "colores" song at the supermarket!
I just wished they would make a whole series of it with more advanced vocabulary because this video is quite short and makes you want to see more!
I speak Spanish so I don't need subtitles, but I agree with other reviewers that it would be nice to have them.

Overall: the most engaging teaching material we have found so far.

It's an unexpected thing to say about a backstage book (not a genre I'm fond of) but this is an inspiring book about artistic collaboration, and a dream fulfilled.

The recording it celebrates can now be seen to be not without its flaws. For example it's tragic that Hotter's vast voice had gone "woofy" by the time they recorded Walku:re, the last of the cycle to be recorded. Despite the awesome conviction and power of Hotter's vocal acting, he wasn't beautiful, and the transformed Wotan at the end of Act III has to be beautiful. And it's a shame that they replaced Paul Kuen's excellent, musical, Mime with Gerhard Stolze's over-the-top cackling, which has not worn well with time.

But the Culshaw book helps put these flaws (and I can't bring myself really to consider Hotter a flaw, on balance) into perspective against the grandeur of the achievement - which, though complete Ring cycles are now common, remains unchallenged.

Culshaw himself is a fine, clear and sometimes amusing writer and, it seems, a likeably modest and decent man. For example he kindly withholds the name of the tenor, a potential superstar as Siegfried, who nearly killed the project by refusing to study his role. It's now known that that was Ernst Kozub, by the way, and you can consider Culshaw's claims about the magnificence of his voice by listening to his Erik on the Klemperer "Fliegende Holla:nder". He must be kicking himself to this very day. On the other hand, the story of Wolfgang Windgassen's artistic integrity and decency in stepping in and singing to save the recording, even while his agent was still working out the contracts, only adds lustre to the excellence of his performance. And if it were in a movie ("The hell with this; I'm going in to sing") no-one would believe it.

Kirsten Flagstad appears as perhaps the most loveable soprano, or singer of any kind, I have ever heard of, and the story of her death still, when I read it again, brings tears to my eyes. Culshaw's considerably more guarded treatment of Birgit Nilsson, undoubtedly a fine artist, tells a very different story...

It's also inspiring to read about record company management who were not solely motivated by the bottom line. Perhaps nowadays that would see the book classified as science fiction. :)

Good book. The best of it's kind. Recommended. (And they should re-print it.)

Laon

I was in elementary and junior high school when the legendary first-ever recording of Wagner's Ring Cycle was being set down and released. I did not get interested in opera until junior high and did not have access to the recordings until later, but in the meantime I did find and read this fascinating book, and have read it several times in the meantime.

Culshaw begins by giving some background: the earlier attempts on the part of Decca/London to record and issue a Ring the "easy" way (by going to Bayreuth and taking one down, which they tried in both 1951 and 1955); their ultimately successful attempt to snag Kirsten Flagstad, who had retired from recording, into the Rheingold cast; and the early attempts at creating stereo productions for the phonograph which finally jelled when they got around to recording Das Rheingold.

There are many, many fascinating stories within the main fabric of the tale, and it would take a review much longer than 1,000 words to even mention all of them. For example, although the reasons had to do mostly with the technical quality of the recording, this first-ever Das Rheingold captured the imagination of the opera-buying public in a way that nobody could have imagined or expected, despite the doubts of the competition and the lack of interest on the part of the Wagner cognoscenti. Another story is that of Kirsten Flagstad's tragically deteriorating health which ultimately prevented her from participating in any of the other operas, despite the glimmers of hope that kept flickering and the constantly changing plans Decca/London made to accommodate her. The story of the young unknown tenor who was supposed to be the ideal Siegfried except that he was unwilling to take the time to learn the role is a study in frustration. On the lighter side are the tale of the horse the producers brought into the studio to surprise Nilsson during the recording of Gotterdammerung, and the story of Regine Crespin's kicking James King in the shin during the recording of the Walkure Act I love duet.

Culshaw has a definite way with words and thus has the ability to allow the reader to feel the tension, time pressures and catharses involved in the recording sessions. One example of this is his description of Decca/London's attempt to record an acceptable Rheingold prelude--in the middle of the night yet!--given that the first half of the piece could not be edited because of the way it is written, and so had to be recorded without mistake; the tension here is almost palpable. It is in areas such as this where Culshaw is at his strongest.

Unfortunately, sometimes Culshaw fails to understand the power of his pen and as a result the book also has its weak and even offensive areas, usually centered around the author's own prejudices. For example, he dismisses the 1951 Bayreuth Gotterdammerung, which Decca/London almost issued but did not, as an inferior performance except for the Brunnhilde and the Hagen. However, this performance was finally issued a year or two ago on the Testament label and in the opinion of many immediately jumped to near the top of the list of contenders for best-ever recording of the work. What could Culshaw have been thinking when he wrote his cavalier dismissal of the recording? And if the Gotterdammerung *had* been originally issued rather than the legendary Parsifal from the same year, would Culshaw then have said that the Parsifal was no good? Given a glaring error in judgment such as this one, I have difficulty trusting Culshaw's objectivity in other areas. And even given his bias in favor of the German repertoire as opposed to the Italian, his words to the effect that no *real* conductor has ever shown any interest in Bellini are at best unprofessional if indeed not irresponsible, as Serafin and Berntein provided contemporary evidence to the contrary, while others such as Levine would come along later to prove Culshaw wrong yet again.

Another drawback to the book is that Culshaw can be incredibly condescending. The conclusion to the tale about the man who owned a rare steerhorn and came to Vienna during the Walkure sessions to help Decca/London get the relevant passages on tape is not only condescending but just plain mean. Likewise Culshaw makes the comment that he wouldn't expect anybody who hasn't been exposed to the pressures involved in recording music such as the Ring to understand the necessity of briefly lowering the temperature with the horse episode; such a comment assumes that Culshaw is writing to people who are unsophisticated if not worse.

These drawbacks aside, however, Ring Resounding is really an excellent read, and gives a wonderful idea of the joys and struggles involved in recording an opera. I'm sorry to see that it has gone out of print and hope to see it back soon. I want to edit if it does return, though...

This is one of a handful of books indispensable to the history of "classical" recording. It relates the on-again, off-again, 7-year history of what it took to record the first complete, commercial RING. (Other such books include Roland Gelatt's THE FABULOUS PHONOGRAPH; the Legge-Schwarzkopf ON AND OFF THE RECORD; and Culshaw's posthumously published memoir PUTTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT -in which Culshaw's observations are far less reserved than in RING RESOUNDING- and he names Names.)

The 1972 Time-Life edition of RING RESOUNDING is the one to have- if you can find a "seperate" copy. (Originally, it was leather-bound, in a big black box, together with Peter Gutman's 1968 Wagner bio and Bernard Shaw's The PERFECT WAGNERITE.) Not only is the layout more generous (with thick, glossy pages), but in this edition we get many more photographs of the Solti RING artists- most of them taken by Hans Wild at the actual recording sessions. (The commerical hard-cover edition of '67 has only a few pages of smaller-sized photos.)

Granted, Culshaw had his blind-spots and biases. Still, it is perilously easy to look down on this man and his work when, in terms of appreciation and musical hindsight, we "record collectors" of today are standing on his shoulders. Because without Culshaw and his Decca-mates (Ray Minshull, Gordon Parry, Erik Smith, Christopher Raeburn & CO.)- without them, such a thing as the Solti RING would have taken much longer to materialize...And by THAT time, it would have been too late to capture (in stereo/studio conditions) the last generation-or-so of great Wagnerian singing which we can hear on the Solti RING.

If this sounds like an exaggeration, consider that : 1) Kirsten Flagstad's terminal illness cut short her "comeback," within a year of her RHEINGOLD Fricka. 2) Within five years of this RING's completion in November 1965, Wolfgang Windgassen retired (and died soon thereafter). 3) Not much later, Brigit Nilsson passed out of her peak/glory days- even if, "out" of her prime, she could still clean the clock of any other Wagnerian soprano. 4) Soon after the mid-1960s many of the older players, who formed the last vestige of the pre-war Vienna Philharmonic, began to retire- taking with them a unqiue, burnished sound. (In time, even the Concertgebouw and the Vienna Philharmonic got infected by the Post-Jet, Post-Karajan "International Sound.") That is to say, Culshaw and his team were able to record this RING, in state-of-the-art sound, only just in time.

True, if you can put up with some smeary orchestral playing, there's the stereo '67 Bohm/Bayreuth RING on Philips- with a host of great singers, including Wolfgang Windgassen and Birigit Nilsson (who preferred her Bohm/Bayreuth performance to her Solti/studio one).

And yes, the live Bayreuth RINGs of the 50s (Krauss '53 and Keilberth's early stereo '55) allow us to hear several of Solti's singers, in younger and fresher voice...But remember that due to various "contractual" problems, these performances would not be legally OR widely available for decades to come. (Just for "starters," EMI had a "lock" on any Bayreuth RING recordings, from 1951 to 1958.)

This brings us to the old canard that, out of self-interest, Culshaw "eighty-sixed" the release of the '55 Keilberth/Bayreuth RING (which Decca taped in stereo). Now, it's true that Culshaw (to quote a certain Politician) "misunderestimated" Keilberth's conducting, going so far as to describe his 1953 Bayreuth LOHENGRIN as "limp." (Not many Wagnerians would agree with this.) There's no question that Keilberth was indeed one of Culshaw's blind-spots, and that Culshaw's input to Decca's corporate "suits," vis-a-vis Keilberth, would have been "negatory."

Still: in 1955 and '56, did Culshaw, by himself, have the sheer CLOUT to prevent the release of the '55 RING?

Culshaw had produced Decca sessions as early as 1947, but the fact is that during the '55 Bayreuth Festival, he wasn't even WITH with Decca, but with Capitol. Yes, he returned to Decca, but not until August 29, 1955- after the Festival was over. Not only that: as "A & R man," Culshaw would not take over Decca's Continental recording schedule from Victor Olof until the following year.

But the biggest "snag" for the release of any Decca/Bayreuth RING was the 7-year "lock" which EMI had on any Bayreuth RING recordings, from 1951 to '58. Still, if you insist on assigning the role of "culprit" to Culshaw, then you must assume that

(a) Culshaw's Zurich boss, the notoriously conservative Maurice Rosengarten, had considered Keilberth's "name" big enough to sell a complete RING in 1955
(b) that Rosengarten actually thought of a complete RING as marketable at that time, under ANY name. As it was, getting him to "sign-on" to a studio RHEINGOLD, in 1957, was something of a "coup." (Yes, he had given the go-ahead to TAPE the '55 RING- but contractual legalities had to be worked out, prior to "publication".)
(c) that the formidable "Uncle Maurice" would EVER (at least so far as he knew it) allow his perogatives to be swept aside, simply on the say-so of an A & R man (i.e., Culshaw) whose greatest successes were still in the future.

That is to say, Gimmee a break. And besides, would anyone really WANT to go back in time, pre-empt the Solti RING, and deprive us of Kirsten Flagstad's RHEINGOLD Fricka?

This is an enjoyable "read" which stands up to repeated traversals...What fascinating stories, what an abundance of example after example of seeking out just the right ambience, the right textures, moods, tempi, effects...And when Culshaw relates how difficulties and crises were not only weathered & overcome, but turned to the advantage of the recording, it's nothing less than inspiring. (By the way, does anyone know HOW Windgassen's voice was changed to sound more like Fischer-Diskau's, in the GOTTERDAMMERUNG Tarnhelm scene? It's the only instance where Culshaw wouldn't reveal how an effect was achieved.)

Going through this volume, it is painfully nostalgic to behold a time when such vision, quality and craftmanship were not only sponsored, but ENCOURAGED by big record companies. Still, a periodic re-reading of RING RESOUNDING can replenish appreciation of all-out quality and dedication to one's craft (whatever it may be) - and help the "gentle reader" become part of the greater public which once supported such visions, much more than they do, now. So, in spite of the pain of knowing that there are no Culshaws or Legges walking among us in 2006 (much less the corporate leeway thereto), we can still keep alive the larger visions - and enhance our lives. (No mean feat, that.)

This book came as an insert into the Package of the Ring(Solti). Purchased the set back in 1976, at Westwood/LA'sTower Records. Clerk said,"Wanna see people's heads turn?" And cranked up the concludng portion of the Immola-tion scene for me...on the PA......THAT decided for me notjust which version of the Ringto buy, but just how beautifu-lly and faithfully this recor-ding really IS to Wagner's very precise original direc-tions...I take it out every sooften to remind myself of just how much we opera-lovers oweto the pioneering work doneby Mr. Culshaw and his team ofauditory/sound engineers forEMI/London Recordings.Indeed, I daresay it is due invery large part to their pain-staking work that full-length recordings of Bach, Mozart,Verdi, for that matter, ANYopera, oratorio, or longer-length piece, could have beenrecorded, let alone attempted,at all, or have sold enoughcopies to justify furtherpioneering works.I am in debt, as are we all, to this pioneer in music!

I got this book s part of a boxed set of Solti's Der Ring des
Nibelungen back in 1976. Culshaw was the sound engineer on the
Sofiensaal recording of Wagner's Ring, beginning in 1958, the
preparations took years to bring to fruition, and the whole ef-
fort was a gamble on Decca/EMI/London's part, as noone was tot-
ally sure that the record buying public would support financial-
ly such a monumental recording. Just as the logistics of get-
ting an internationally famous assemblage of singers weren't
daunting enough, there were the gargantuan tasks associated with
recording this Mount Everest of music-and getting it right, with
out having to recall singers, conductor, and musicians again and
again. This part is absolutely fascinating, and if one gets the
dvd/video as a an illustration, one will get a very fine appre-
ciation of the tremendous efforts that go into the making of any
operatic recording.

This effort made it feasible for whole operas to be recorded and
sold, not to mention pioneering recording techniques that con-
tinue to be refined to this day.

You really want to understand what goes into making an opera re-
cording tick? Or what efforts go into recording sound? Then
buy this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Long ago, at the beginning of my dance career (age 4), I received a copy of "The Royal Book of Ballet" with Tasha Tudor's exquisite illustrations of the classical repertoire. But Macmillan had barely choreographed R&J when it was released, and so it wasn't included in that book. Now Nancy Ellison's beautiful book repairs that omission.
The immediacy of photos, versus a painting, is further enhanced by placing the dancers in natural realistic settings; in this case, Verona itself. "Day for Night" technique (always noticeable in films) is used to exquisite effect in the Balcony scene. And elsewhere, the use of natural light (or very subtle lighting)throughout, only serves to make the dance even more real. For that is the intent of this book: To take an "ephemeral art" and translate it into a realistic depiction of events, thereby communicating that ballet too can tell the story. The inclusion and juxtaposition of the pertinent excerpts from Shakespeare's play, only serves to show how perfectly the dancers and choreography illustrate the language.
And what dancers! Both Angel Corella and Paloma Herrera were not much older than the characters they depicted when this was shot. Romeo has become a signature role for Corella; a perfect allignment of looks, temperament, and technique. And though his acting abilities are a little more apparent here than Paloma's, she too acquits herself well through beautiful technique and appropriate youth.
This is an inspired book and Ms. Ellison should receive all commendations for beautifully capturing the abilities of Macmillan's choreograpy, Angel Corella, and Paloma Herrera to interpret and illustrate a timeless story.
My only caveat is that some of the "bedroom scene" choreography was displaced to the "balcony scene" in some of the photos. And beware of price gouging: I have seen prices for this book fluctuate by $30, and condition not match that overpricing.

Fans of American Ballet Theatre will want to know about the new book ROMEO & JULIET: The Love Story in Dance. The photographer Nancy Ellison had the inspired idea of giving us in a picture book a photo narrative of the Romeo and Juliet story in Verona where it originally took place. The Romeo and Juliet are Angel Corella and Paloma Herrera who have appreared in the Macmillan Ballet about the tragic lovers. The photos are accompanied by Shakespeare's words. I never imagined it would be possible to find in Verona a balcony like Juliet's and other places that in these marvelous photographs frame the action of the tragedy. Looking at the great Staircase of Reason in Verona's public square where so much of the struggle between the Capulets and the Montagues took place, and seeing Romeo and Juliet dancing on a terrace in a real garden bring home the tragedy. For lovers of the ballet this Christmas, particularly young lovers of the ballet, there couldn't be a better book.

This book is so beautiful and I am so fortunate to have found a copy of it! Ms. Ellison has captured the true feelings of Romeo and Juliet with her pictures! From the very tips of the dancers fingers to their eyelashes you truly believe that they ARE Romeo and Juliet, from their first meeting to the scene in the tomb. By the time you finish reading you are completely swept away to a world where true love is so beautiful and so inviting, you cry. Ms. Herrera and Mr. Corella are two of my favorite dancers and they fit the part perfectly! Ms. Ellison used the natural light given to illuminate the dancers and give an extra sense of feeling to the story. To everyone who buys this book take it to your heart and believe that anything is possible.

I love this book, the whole idea of it - from the wonderful photographs to the amazing ballet dancers. I have looked at it many times and every time at a different level. First, the photos and the wonderful shots of Verona, second for the ballet dancers and then third for the writing. When books seem to be priced into the stratosphere, this little gem is a bargain and a great gift for the holidays for young and old.

I have been a ballet dancer all my life and I feel Nancy Ellison's book is a tribute to all dancers. This book truly captures and celebrates the beauty and essence of the art of ballet. I envy Paloma's talent and with this book it's not hard to see why. The photos show her graceful pirouttes and impressive turnouts. The scenery is breathtaking, but what is more captivating is the way Ms. Ellison managed to capture the dancers' attitude in the photos. With every dancer's leap, you can really feel the movement of dance. It's almost as if the dancers are about to jump off the pages. This book is stunning and delightful for all.

All information in this book is usefull, even if you aren't writing screenplays. There were a lot of interviews which were somewhat helpful but not what I personally was looking for. I was looking for more of how to format a screenplay and there was not a lot of this in the book. Also some of the websites in the book did not work (which Hamlett could not have had any control of). I was very dissapointed that the Film camp that has a few pages of the book dedicated to it's website hasn't been updated since 2003. There were a lot of good exercises and things to do. I reccomend this book to writers in general. If you are a screenwriter or just starting out I recommend that you buy this book along with "How to Write a Screenplay in 21 Days" together these two books are a great starting point.

With ageism sweeping Hollywood recently, and executives apparently desperately looking for the "next genius 18-year-old screenwriter," it was only a matter of time before someone wrote a screenwriting manual "just for kids."

Still, Christina Hamlett does not fall into the trap of dumbing down the material. Though aimed at high school students, she treats every aspect of the screenwriting process with the same sérieux one would use for a book aimed at the adult market. Indeed, it covers all the same topics (finding ideas, writing dialogue, structure, character, formatting etc.).

Differences are noticeable in the tone of the examples used, which are a bit more fanciful than usual, and in the exercises in each chapter, which are really designed for the classroom. As such, the book is probably even more valuable to teachers of a beginning screenwriting class for young adults than for the teen screenwriter himself.

The advice is good, with an interesting take on structure. There is a lot of information on getting an agent (perhaps a tad too optimistic here), as well as interviews with industry professionals to conclude each chapter (and the ageism issue gets referred to a lot, strangely enough). For those who remain cynical about the whole thing: the one 14-year-old writer interviewed here prefers Rashomon and Citizen Kane. So there may be hope yet.

This book fills an important niche for the ever increasing teen film market. It does so, however, with instructions and lessions that are valuable for all in the industry and for anyone who thinks an Academy Award winning screenplay is just a blank sheet of paper away. The author not only provides a very comprehensive guide to screenwriting, but also tests the motivation of the young writers and their fidelity to their craft.

This book is like the mentor every screenwriter longs to have, but rarely has the good luck to find. The idea of writing a screenplay is glamorous, yes, but none to easy to accomplish. I've been working as a screenwriter since my 20s, but I sure wish this book had been around when I first dreamed of writing movies. Christian Hamlett's book can tell you how to get started and how to successfully reach that longed-for goal, the final fade out. What a boon to young screenwriters just getting started! Christina Hamlett's book offers heaps of practical advice, and the interviews she includes provide the reader with additional voices of wisdom. I intend to recommend it to any teenager interested in creating a screenplay.

I fully endorse all the previous reviews of this book. ScreenteenWriters is excellently structured, full of everything a budding playwright would need to know (and not only a budding writer!) This book is extremely user friendly, and simple in its explanations of complex concepts. Definitely, A MUST BUY. Thank you, Christina Hamlett!

this book wasn't so interesting for me.
I expected a series of photos with the life of the actor, meanwhile there is only a long list of his participations in movies or shows in theatre.

Mimi Braverman's book "The Spin on Spiner" lists every film Brent has made, names his character, describes the scenes and his comments about the role. The same is done for all his live stage productions prior to "1776," and all TV appearances (except StarTrek series which can be found in other sources). "Spin" includes pages of biography and personal background. Everything is documented--no gossip, no guesswork, just very good reading.

And I thought I knew everything there was available about Brent Spiner!!! There was hardly anything in this book which I actually already knew about Brent, it's not like the stuff you get on every single Brent site on the web, this is interesting stuff you've never heard before about every darn role the guy has ever been in. It is well worth buying, I totally recommend it

It has been mentioned before that this is not a tabloid-geared biography. Braverman steers clear of the personal and focuses on Spiner's public life and professional life -- not his personal life. This is a refreshing change from the Kitty-Kelly-esque celebrity bios we are used to seeing published. I do not need to know Mr. Spiner's favorite cereal or whom he first had intercourse with and where. This "spin" concentrates on the good stuff. Bravo, Ms. Braverman.

Fans of Brent Spiner -- and casual readers -- will find this factual filmography of Spiner's theatre, television and motion picture work insightful and concise. There's no "drooling fan", sychophantic, "goo-goo eyed" driveling over the actor in this book. It sticks to the facts, dispells some rumors, and gives everyone who reads it some of idea of this actor's full body of work. It's physically not much to look at (a soft cover piece with no artwork to speak of), but as reference material, it is excellent.

Excellent book. EXACTLY line for line from the musical. I highly suggest reading "Spring's Awakening" along with this. It is the original version of this play that the musical is based off of.

This is worth it if you are a Spring Awakening fan. I saw it on Broadway a month ago and absolutely fell in love with it.

Not only was it delivered ahead of schedule, but it was in perfect condition. I almost didn't want to take it out of the wrapping!

Steven Sater's new approach to "Spring Awakening" was suprisingly refreshing. The text was much easier to follow compared to the original version of the play.

But when I first picked it up I thought: How in the world do you make a musical out of this? But I have got to admit his post-modern twist on the play using the music to enchance the inner workings of the characters and not the story really worked!

The play ,although written quite awhile ago, still has issues and characters that audiences today can relate to. It's a great play that any reader will finish off quickly. Trust me; you're not going to want to put it down.

I couldn't put it down when I first recieved it. Spring Awakening, is an amazing adapation of Wedekind's, Spring's Awakening first written in 1899. I own the original by Wedekind, and really appreciated how Steven Sater was able to maintain the integrity of the original while adapting it to a new libretto. When I read the lyrics of the songs in context to the story, I am nothin short of amazed. My recommendation is to read the script, and utilize the soundtrack at the appropriate times. It really enhances the experience. This book and play alone is magnificent, but coupled with the music of Duncan Shiek it is a masterpiece.

i got this book to help me in my acting classes. I started reading it and i had a highlighter whith which i was planning to underline all the important stuff. Well i ccould not stop highlighting; every single paragraph in this book is pure genius. I already started developing as an actress more efficiently and faster than i used to, i wish i met her before she died...

the only criticism...she is too abrupt. She is harsh with you. even if she does not kknow you personally, she stil attacks the young actor. this can be rude, but her directions are always right. If u are an actor, you NEED this book. Acting teachers should read it too. I had some horrible teachers in my life

This is one of the best books I read in 2006. It was recommended to me by a professional speaker who promised that the insights in the book were useful to not just professional actors, but rang true for any profession. He was right, this is a must read for business professionals, as well as the actors.

I read it with vigor and was thrilled to see the wisdom in each paragraph. I have recommended this book to friends who have thanked me for linking them up with this amazing publication.

If you are considering reading this book, just do it.

This book was recommended to me by my mentor and coach Bob Proctor (watch DVD "The Secret"!!!) as an inspiring read for living the life I want.
Receiving the book and spending an hour disappearing in it, leaning with my partner (it was her birthday gift) over the kitchen counter forgetting time while being totally absorbed by the Truth these pages contain.
A must have in every serious library!
Acting? Yeah, learn to ACT! Right action is what propels us forward in life. Why not learn from a pro?!!

Stella Adler was considered one of the best (perhaps the best) acting teachers of all time. This books give concrete ways to become a better actor and, I believe, at the same time become a more fully developed human being. It is an inspiring book full of wisdom and thought provoking ideas. Definitely worthwhile.

This is going to the top of the "books my kids must read" when they are going off to college or leaving home. This book is a supposedly a series of Stella Adler's lectures about acting, but it is also very inspirational as a series of lectures about how to live.

Addler says that "The whole thing about acting is to give. The actor must above everything be generous. He doesn't hoard his riches...But before you can be giving and magnanimous, you must have something to give. Ideas don't come from your legs. They don't come from your voice. They come from your mind. The theatre is built on developing your mind. It's an education for your mind."

She works on critical seeing, self-awareness, discipline, self-control - skills that are important to everyone, not just actors. She discusses the importance of developing your imagination, "Eventually your imaginative reach will extend to other things, until you can say, I know how it feels to be in mourning, how it feels to be isolated, what it means to be abandoned, what it's like to be engaged or to be married." She means this in the context of acting on stage, but for the non-actor, it translates into becoming truly empathetic, to being able to truly understand and communicate with others.

Every page is full of memorable comments:

"You must be aware that even a subject of profound importance can be trivialized and degraded if you haven't the energy and interest to match it."

"Sometimes, when a husband and a wife go on a trip together, he might say, "My God! Do you know what that is? Why that's Notre Dame!" and she replies, "Yes I know. I can see it." They are seeing in Notre Dame something entirely different. As actors you must make everything you see come alive."

"You will fail. That's great. Here's a secret for you - that's the only way you can learn. Learning has to cost you something."

And on and on and on! She must have been such a strong, amazing woman, so completely different from anyone in my own solidly suburban middle class life. It is profoundly uplifting to hear her voice through the pages of this book. I highly, highly recommend this book.

The book contains some details about mcQueen's life that only the writer knew , that give a hint about how mcQueen viewed life, danger, and speed.
but the photos are mainly advertising ones and not real life.
i would expect more on the life of mcqueen as a person and not only as an actor

A wonderful work of art that captures what made Steve so charismatic and appealing. It leaves you wishing you could see more from other periods in his life. This is a book I will treasure all my life. Thank you Amazon, I would have paid ten times as much for this book. God Rest His Soul.

According to his foreward to this book, the photographer William Claxton met Steve McQueen in 1962 when McQueen was starring with Natalie Woods in LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER. The two men formed a friendship and apparently Mr. Claxton became Mr. McQueen's favorite and most requested photographer. This book of wonderful photographs, covering a couple of years in Mr. McQueen's life from 1962 to 1964, is a result of that brief friendship. Most of the pictures appear to be shot in available light and have a wonderful, informal spontaneity about them impossible to capture in formal portraiture. Both the photographer and subject are comnpletely without pretention.

Mr. Claxton caught Mr. McQueen smiling, clowning and pensive. There are photographs of McQueen in fast cars as well as on motorcycles. Many of the shots were done while Mr. McQueen was working on movies. There are also many pictures of him with family and friends. Most of the shots are in black and white with a few in color. Every time I look at them I find yet another photograph that I think is the best in the book. There is a haunting shot of McQueen with his young daughter where the child, sitting on the floor and resting on her arms, looks into Claxton's camera. We only see her father's legs and feet. (p. 79) Another great shot appears on page 73. McQueen is embracing the family cat. Finally, there's a shot of McQueen lying on a blanket in a large field. His profile is beautifully backlit. Both photographs selected for the front and back covers are fine, informal portraits as well.

This book made me remember how much I enjoyed Steve McQueen's movies and made me sad that he is no longer among us.

A great book, considering it is of a short period in Steve McQueen's life. This is him in his prime captured by a great photographer.

Very comprehensive. Show's a different side of the rough and tumble character known as Steve McQueen. Very entertaining.

Hilariously melodramatic monologue, generous, engaging narrative and classic Sendak illustrations make this theatrical romp a favourite of adults and children alike.

If wolves went to ballet, they wouldn't go to Swan Lake, they would go to Swine Lake! We think 4th and 5th graders would like this book because it is more challenging. You should read it a couple times to really understand it and have fun reading it. It's a very good book. It has action in it. We thought it would be rated 4.

I bought this book for my three year old daughter for Christmas. Although she has nearly a hundred books, she has requested this one every night for three months. She knows most of it verbatim. I think the book's okay, but for her it is something truly special and charming. She enjoys the dilema of the wolf, the grumpy landlady and the diverse characters of the pigs. This is a great story for kids with budding imaginations.

Swine lake, was absolutely wonderful, and it brought back memories of my childhood years. I reccomend it to those who are young at heart. I found it a very tasteful, and enjoyable piece of literature. So read it i say...thankyou

Swine Lake is a wonderfully creative story. It takes a twist that my daughter (age 7) nor I expected. The art of Maurice Sendak is as wonderful as ever. Great fun to read.

I have SEEN the Kent family talent shows. I am delighted to see they have finally shared their talent with others. This book will help people accomplish success in this field.

"This book is excellent. Every school, church, everyone interested in theatre production NEEDS one."

Talent Shows the Kent way is an amazing book. Directing a talent show is an incredibly daunting task, and this book pulled together an amazing amount of theatrical wisdom from the authors backgrounds and put it into an easy to follow format. The authors even broke down what order to put the acts in, lighting, etc. and I couldn't believe it could all be done from audition to performance in such a short time! The best part is the confidence the children receive from this method! I would recommend this book to anyone, even seasoned directors.

"Talent Shows the Kent Way" is a fantastic guide to putting on a talent show. I have seen talent shows in the past and previously thought the project would be overwhelming. The book walks you through step by step and even has a checklist to make the process even easier. It teaches you theatrical terms, so that when you are using the method with your performers, you can sound like a professional.

I was amazed at the quality of the performances I had using the method. Even though I had never directed a talent show before, the performances were polished and details I would never have thought of were covered in the method and used in our shows. Everyone involved enjoyed being a part of it. It has been a wonderful experience and "Talent Shows the Kent Way" made it happen!

"Talent Shows The Kent Way" is a delightfully written and thorough guide to talent shows of all kinds. It has amazing depth, providing in great detail the esesential elements that make a talent show run smoothly and profesionally. The book is packed with wisdom based on the authors' extensive experience in the field. Simultaneously, the writers demonstrate that doing a talent show "The Kent Way" is fun. Let them entertain you!