A book with ties to St. Paul-based Young Dance has been nominated for a Panda Book Award. The book I Will Dance, is by Nancy Bo Flood. It is nominated in the category of Best Young Readers, picture books for children ages five to eight years.
I Will Dance was inspired by a real dancer from Young Dance and was written by Flood and illustrated by Julianna Swaney. The story follows a young girl with cerebral palsy named Eva.
Eva wants very much to dance, not just watch others onstage. She learns of a place, Young Dance, which has created a class for dancers of all abilities. Readers learn how Eva becomes more confident and attains a sense of belonging as her dream of dancing becomes reality.
Flood is a counselor, teacher, and parent. She has conducted workshops on child abuse, learning disabilities, play therapy, and creative writing. Flood has lived in Malawi, Hawaii, Japan, and Saipan. She has written several books for readers of all ages.
Swaney has illustrated several children’s books. She is a native of Michigan, went to college in Maine, and now lives in Oregon.
The Panda Book Award, initiated in 2008 by librarian Nadine Dewit Rosevear, invites students and teachers from participating international schools in China and beyond to vote for their favorite book published in the previous school year. Through the award process, international students and teachers will read I Will Dance and learn about Young Dance and Eva’s opportunity to learn to dance.
The titles for the shortlists met selection criteria focused on social justice, diversity, and inclusion by up-and-coming authors and illustrators from around the world. I Will Dance highlights the inclusion of people with physical disabilities into previously inaccessible spaces.
In Young Dance’s All Abilities Dancing Program, youth with and without disabilities dance together through the exploration of the fundamental movement concepts of body, action, space, time and energy. Literature is regularly utilized in both creative movement and all abilities dancing. Classes are offered during the school year as well as in summer camps.
In coordination with the nomination process of the Panda Awards, Young Dance and Nancy Bo Flood will offer I Will Dance story times and movement sessions at various libraries and bookstores. Those offerings will be posted on the Young Dance website and can be scheduled by request.
More information about Young Dance classes and the All Abilities Dance program can be found on the Young Dance website,
Young dance is inspiration for book
A book with ties to St. Paul-based Young Dance has been nominated for a Panda Book Award. The book I Will Dance, is by Nancy Bo Flood. It is nominated in the category of Best Young Readers, picture books for children ages five to eight years.
I Will Dance was inspired by a real dancer from Young Dance and was written by Flood and illustrated by Julianna Swaney. The story follows a young girl with cerebral palsy named Eva.
Eva wants very much to dance, not just watch others onstage. She learns of a place, Young Dance, which has created a class for dancers of all abilities. Readers learn how Eva becomes more confident and attains a sense of belonging as her dream of dancing becomes reality.
Flood is a counselor, teacher, and parent. She has conducted workshops on child abuse, learning disabilities, play therapy, and creative writing. Flood has lived in Malawi, Hawaii, Japan, and Saipan. She has written several books for readers of all ages.
Swaney has illustrated several children’s books. She is a native of Michigan, went to college in Maine, and now lives in Oregon.
The Panda Book Award, initiated in 2008 by librarian Nadine Dewit Rosevear, invites students and teachers from participating international schools in China and beyond to vote for their favorite book published in the previous school year. Through the award process, international students and teachers will read I Will Dance and learn about Young Dance and Eva’s opportunity to learn to dance.
The titles for the shortlists met selection criteria focused on social justice, diversity, and inclusion by up-and-coming authors and illustrators from around the world. I Will Dance highlights the inclusion of people with physical disabilities into previously inaccessible spaces.
In Young Dance’s All Abilities Dancing Program, youth with and without disabilities dance together through the exploration of the fundamental movement concepts of body, action, space, time and energy. Literature is regularly utilized in both creative movement and all abilities dancing. Classes are offered during the school year as well as in summer camps.
In coordination with the nomination process of the Panda Awards, Young Dance and Nancy Bo Flood will offer I Will Dance story times and movement sessions at various libraries and bookstores. Those offerings will be posted on the Young Dance website and can be scheduled by request.
More information about Young Dance classes and the All Abilities Dance program can be found on the Young Dance website, https://youngdance.org/
