I'd forgotten a stunning fantasy sequence depicting Biff's bad dream, in which pairs of magic ballet tights and two red shoes dance demonically to the sound of Prokofiev's Dance of the Knights. I peek at Aggie to see if it scares her, but she's spellbound.

Biff is a pug who longs to be a ballerina. He looks longingly as his owner as she puts on her tutu ready for her ballet classes, dreaming of one day seeing his name in lights, but of course everyone knows that “dogs don’t do ballet”, or do they? The theatre itself, a former temperance hall, has a musty cosiness that can't help but remind you of your own childhood, whether it was spent watching cutting-edge puppet shows or not. Seating is unreserved and it's worth arriving early because there's always a lot of to-ing and fro-ing (kids are encouraged to sit by the aisle with their parents further to one side, so everyone gets a good view, but this does provoke the odd tantrum from both parties). As soon as I saw this book I knew I was going to like it! It is said that you should never judge a book by its cover but when choosing children’s books the cover often tells you so much and plays a great part in the young reader’s selection. The artwork, not only on the cover but throughout the book, consists of extremely well observed, beautifully hand-drawn illustrations in a vintage style. My dog is not like other dogs. He doesn't do dog stuff.... You see, my dog doesn't think he's a dog."The little girl who owns Biff is anonymous in the original story, but becomes Anna (named after the book's author) in the adaptation. The puppet Biff, who resembles a well-loved and suitably dog-eared cuddly toy, is voiced with all manner of jovial ruffs and crestfallen howls by Le Drew (most of these are echoed exuberantly by the children). Le Drew's improvisations around the children's reactions are seamless, and Aggie giggles at Sadler's deft clowning with a string of dancing sausages and a kazoo. Close Get directions Time / Date Details When is it on 9th & 10th April at 11:00am and 2:00pm Time of day Sabio and Mom just watched a Korean family drama about ballet, and he quite enjoyed it. So, Mom thought Sabio could read this book, too. Mom was captured by the intriguing title. Meanwhile, its cover... Hmm, she didn't really like it.

It is a sophisticated story with sophisticated language including some French ballet terms which my class found inexplicably, but amusingly, funny when I read the story aloud! Relaxed environment performances: Perfect for anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed performance environment, these performances allow for noise and movement in the auditorium, re-entry when needed and a chill-out space for patrons who may need time away from the performance. Supporting people with This story is a nice introduction to the idea of challenging stereotypes by asking children to consider how they would feel if they were told that they were not allowed to so something that they love just because other people thought they weren’t supposed to do it. When there is a calamity at the Royal Ballet, Biff is able to realise his dream. This story of overcoming adversity will touch adults and children alike. It’s a story about following your dreams, however far-fetched others may think them and having self-belief to achieve your ambitions.It turns out that the story is very entertaining. Its illustrations and colour palettes are gorgeous. What was visible on the cover is just a tiny fraction. Mom likes the illustration of the children in ballet class the most, as well as the illustration on the bus. Very beautiful! Dogs Don't Do Ballet – wittily written by Anna Kemp and cheerily illustrated by Sara Ogilvie – was adapted for the stage by David Duffy, the Little Angel's technical manager, and his wife, Andrea Sadler, one of the show's two puppeteers. The other is Ronnie Le Drew, a Little Angel mainstay who is perhaps best known for performing Zippy on the TV series Rainbow. Relaxed environment performances: Perfect for anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed performance environment, these performances allow for noise and movement in the auditorium, re-entry when needed and a chill-out space for patrons who may need time away from the performance. Additional Information Providing services to