Hewett, Lorri. (2001). Dancer: Everybody Has a Dream. New York: Puffin Books. 224 pp.

Grade Range: 6-12

Genre: contemporary fiction

Summary and Critique

Stephanie, a sixteen-year-old African American ballet dancer, feels overlooked and out of place when a Russian ballerina (with the typical ballerina"freshly peeled apple" skin color) wins the part of Princess Aurora in her ballet school's production of Sleeping Beauty. Doubtful of Stephanie's chances as an African-American ballerina, her parents offer little support. However, Miss Winnie, an accomplished ballerina in her own right, mentors Stephanie. Along the way, Stephanie is forced to cope with a myriad of complex issues as she experiences false friendships, shattered dreams, and her first taste of love. By the end of the novel, Stephanie begins to clarify her goals as she realizes those around her are more understanding than she might have first thought.

Hewett aptly addresses several adolescent conflicts in one novel and critics praise Hewett for her realistic character portrayal.

Awards

Best Books for Young Adults

Themes/Topics

Families

Friends and Enemies

Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

Challenges and Triumphs

Author/Illustrator/Editor Information

Lorri Hewett was born in Virginia and raised in Littleton, Colorado. She loved reading as a young girl and started writing at an early age. By the time she went to college at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, she had completed nine novels. Her novel Soulfire (1997) was based on her own experience as an adolescent. Other novels include Coming of Age (1996) and Lives of Our Own (1999).

For more information on Lorri Hewett (e.g., book reviews, biographical information):

Media Connections

Movies

Center Stage (2001) Jody's dream is realized when she is accepted into the American Ballet Academy, but her technique is nowhere near where it should be. Despite unsupportive teachers and peers, Jody works hard and becomes the principal dancer in the hottest new dance company.

Save the Last Dance (2001) After her mother's death, Sara must move to a Chicago ghetto to live with her father. Although the adjustment is difficult, Sara soon discovers hip-hop dancing and ultimately earns acceptance into Julliard for dancing.

Stand And Deliver (1988) In this film, based on a true story, a dedicated teacher inspires a group of inner-city Hispanic teenagers to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and achieve academic success.

Television

Three's Company Janet wants to become a professional dancer. Sadly, a director who is more interested in her body than her talent cons her into believing she has a chance.

Driven VH1 show about how determined celebrities realized their dreams.

Music

"Don't Get Lost in the Crowd." Lyrics by Ashley Ballard, from Center Stage Soundtrack Music from the Motion Picture. Sony, 2000. An inspirational song about staying true to your individual dreams.

Online Resources

http://www.education.indiana.edu/cas/adol/adol.html

This site includes ADOL, an online directory of information on issues such as conflict and violence, mental health, health and health risks, and counselor resources.

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=337

The focus of this Web site is on issues of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

http://www.education.indiana.edu/cas/tt/tthmpg.html

This teacher-talk homepage explores topics such as classroom management styles, first-day-of-school-activities, sex issues in the classroom, cultural diversity, and more.

Related Texts

Southgate, Martha. (1998). Another Way to Dance. New York: Delacorte Press. 179pp. This book portrays an African-American ballet dancer who is trying to overcome her parents'divorce and examines ways that race impacts her career as a dancer.

Cisneros, Sandra. (1991). House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Press. 110pp. A series of interconnected vignettes that tell the tale of a young girl growing up in the Hispanic part of Chicago. She experiences racial and sexual obstacles, and strives to make a house of her own.

Lowry, Lois. (1989). Number the Stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 137pp. This tale of bravery, courage and friendship is about a ten-year-old girl who tries to save her friend from the Nazis.

Hidier, Tanuja Desai. (2002). Born Confused. New York: Scholastic, Inc. 413pp. An Indian girl finds that she is not Indian enough for the Indians, and not American enough for the Americans. Although double-crossed by her best friend, she learns important life lessons about hope and identity.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. 197pp. An intriguing story of a friendless high-school girl who is ostracized for calling the police and busting a party. Because she is ignored by her peers, they do not know that the reason she called the cops and is silent now is because she was raped at that party.

Klass, David. (2002). You Don't Know Me. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 344pp. Fourteen-year-old John tries to escape the harsh reality of his life (e.g., struggling with his mother's abusive boyfriend, having a crush on a shallow classmate) by creating fantasies in his mind.

Anaya, Rudolfo. (1972). Bless Me, Ultima. New York: Warner Books, Incorporated. 277pp. A coming-of-age story of a young Chicano boy faced with having to make the decision of becoming a priest (as his mother wants) or a rancher (like his father). He is introduced to Ultima, a curandera, and experiences many life-altering encounters.

Teaching Ideas

(1) Discuss how it must feel for an outsider to come into an environment that is already determined. Take note of how the character stays in character and does not alter the environment, but becomes a part of it. Have students select a scene and bring it to class the next day. The next day, students will make 5 columns with the list of the 5 senses. They will then select a paragraph or sentence to focus on from their scene. Once they have visualized their scene, they are to jump into it and observe the environment and list the sensory details in the appropriate column. They are to approach one of the characters and talk to them in either a speech or a dialogue. They are not to change the action of the scene or the characterization. They then reflect on how they felt in the scene and what they learned. What they have just created is a prewriting for an essay about a piece of literature. [Summarized from "Jumping into a Book: Interactive Reading and Writing" by Marilyn Seward in IDEAS Plus, Book Twelve. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. 1994, p. 41-42.]

(2) Students will select any five characters from the text they have chosen. They are then to pick an item that represents these characters. They will bring this item or draw it, if they wish. In small groups of six or eight students, they will discuss the characters'personalities, actions, and ways the symbol represents the characterization. The students will glean perceptions of characters and the class will have fun doing so, as well. [Summarized from "Character Symbols" by Geraldine P. Shaver in IDEAS Plus, Book Twelve. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. 1994, p.38.]

(3) Students will construct a handbook of do's and don'ts for parents to go by. Ask students to reflect on personal experiences and make lists about parenthood. Students will create a fictional child of their own, which will be used later in the exercise. To get students thinking about this issue and the differences that lie between parents and children, they will look at a section from Dancer where Stephanie is having problems with her parents. The students will be given a list of 8 things to include in their handbook and may choose to include 5 of the 8. The items to include are a cover, dedication page, list of do's, list of don'ts, sketches of the "ideal parent" and"real parent," a description of a childhood memory, and a description of their fictional child. [Summarized from "Writing a Handbook for Parents" by Carol Young in IDEAS Plus, Book Seven. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. 1989, p. 54-55.]

(review written by Esia Hernandez and edited by Michelle Campbell)