Dance Diaries: Learning Ballroom Dance by The Girl With the Tree Tattoo: A review

BOOK TITLE: Dance Diaries: Learning Ballroom Dance: What I Wish I Had Known

AUTHOR: The Girl With the Tree Tattoo

ISBN/ASIN: B01E5XFAZC

GENRE: Non Fiction

NUMBER OF PAGES: 43

FORMAT: Digital

SERIES / STANDALONE: Dance Diaries #1

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I thank iRead Book Tours for this review copy.

SUMMARY:

Why didn't anyone tell me? Ballroom dancing is fun, magical and, most of all, life-changing. When I first started learning ballroom though, I fumbled around awkwardly and sometimes painfully, figuring things out as I went along. Certain things weren't explained or just never came up in conversation. From what to expect in class to how to find the right teacher or dance partner to how much ballroom really costs, Dance Diaries: Learning Ballroom Dance covers the things that I wish I had known when I first started learning ballroom. This quick read is your cheat sheet to help you get the most out of your ballroom experience.

FIRST IMPRESSION:

I don't really know much about Ballroom dancing but was very interested to learn more details about it. The book was short, and could be read at a single sitting. The summary offered a glimpse into the style of writing and made me interested enough to pick this up immediately.

REVIEW:

Most of a book's success depends on the way it is presented. In fiction, a good plot can go down with lacklustre story development, whereas even a ordinary plot can be made extraordinary by good presentation. Things are even more dicey in non fiction, where the author has to be careful not to create a detail overload and still give enough to keep the reader occupied. The book itself is well presented, and covers all the essentials about Ballroom dancing in the earlier stages. I liked the clean, detailed format of the book, and the seuquencing of events.

Dance Diaries #1 is neatly written - covering the main points in Ballroom dancing with a clean style. More than the writing, it is the content that held my attention. It was something that both learned ballroom dancers and rookies would benefit from. The book can make you decide if Ballroom dancing is for you, and tell you the pros and cons of choosing it. Once you do decide to take the plunge, it will tell you which type of instructor or package might suit you. What I liked the most about it was, it does not advise on any one particular style. It just details the pros and cons of both, leaving the reader to make the choice on their own.

Various hints thrown in about how instructors and other dancers might become friends and how it might benefit or affect practice, and the smashing beginning about why exactly ballroom dancing is a good idea are the highlights of this book. Most importantly, the author's passion for the craft shows in every word, and she does not glorify dancing. She just talks about Ballroom dancing and how it became a part of her life.

This book is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to know about Ballroom dancing - be it someone completely new, or someone who has had a bad experience with it. This time you can approach ballroom dancing armed with the information. The book changed my perspective about ballroom dancing and I loved it, would surely look forward to reading the next book. 

VERDICT:

Whether or not you have prior experience with ballroom dancing, this book will give you all the basic information you need about it.

RATING: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katie is known as the Girl with the Tree Tattoo because of the tree of life tattoo that covers her entire back. She has been taking ballroom dancing lessons since December 2012 and competing in pro-am ballroom competitions since April 2014. It was through ballroom dance that Katie started to discover who she really was and what she was capable of, despite the demons of fear, self-doubt, and anxiety that live in her head. Through sharing her own experiences, Katie hopes to lead others to experience the amazing effect ballroom dancing can have on a life.

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Kindle

PRICE $3.97 for Kindle

BOOK LINKS: Amazon