Danza! : Amalia Hernández and el Ballet Folklórico de México
Amalia Hernández and el Ballet Folklórico de México
Duncan Tonatiuh
Award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh tells the story of Amalia Hernandez, dancer and founder of El Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. Published in time for the 100th anniversary of Hernandez's birth, Danza! is the first picture book about the famous dancer and choreographer. Danza! is a celebration of Hernandez's life and of the rich history of dance in Mexico. As a child, Amalia always thought she would grow up to be a teacher, until she saw a performance of dancers in her town square. She was fascinated by the way the dancers twirled and swayed, and she knew that someday she would be a dancer, too. She began to study many different types of dance, including ballet and modern, under some of the best teachers in the world. Hernandez traveled throughout Mexico studying and learning regional dances. Soon she founded her own dance company, El Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, where she integrated her knowledge of ballet and modern dance with folkloric dances. The group began to perform all over the country and soon all over the world, becoming an international sensation that still tours today. Duncan Tonatiuh's picture books have been honored with many awards and accolades, including the Pura Belpre Award, the Robert F. Sibert Award, and the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award. With Tonatiuh's distinctive Mixtec-inspired artwork and colorful drawings that seem to leap off the page, Danza! will enthrall and inspire young readers with the fascinating story of this important dancer and choreographer.
Duncan Tonatiuh was born in Mexico City and grew up in San Miguel de Allende, in the historical state of Guanajuato, Mexico. Duncan Tonatiuh studied writing and illustration at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. His illustrations are inspired by the ancient Mixtec art. Duncan's first book, Dear Primo: A Letter to my Cousin, won a Pura Belpré Illustration Honor; Diego Rivera: His World and Ours won the Pura Belpré Illustration Award and the Tom's Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award; Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale was featured on the front cover of USA Today, received a Pura Belpré Illustration Honor for illustration and narrative and the Tom's Rivera Mexican American Children Book Award; Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and her Family's Fight for Desegregation, received a Pura Belpré Illustration Honor, a Robert F. Sibert honor for best informational book, and the Tom's Rivera Mexican American Children Book Award; Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book, won the Robert F. Sibert award for best informational book, earned a Pura Belpre Illustration Honor, and the Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children Book Award. Duncan currently lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, with his wife and child.