Blue Moon Ballet by Lynda Waterhouse

Dance into Words       

After many years of teaching I am still in awe of the mysterious alchemy that takes place when a child turns the key and unlocks the world of literacy. Despite what politicians may say it is not just about decoding words, or knowing your sounds, looking at pictures or being able to copy a sentence. These things doth not a reader and lifelong lover of literature make. They are important but a child has to make an unquantifiable and imaginative plunge into this realm. They have to ‘get’ reading and experience the magic it can bring. When the imagination begins to dance then words leap off the page. Witnessing these moments are one of the delights of teaching and the main reason why I write stories for children.

I have always been fascinated by dancers and the way that they have trained their bodies to perform sequences of dance steps. This ‘body memory’ comes from hours of practice and constant repetition of moves alongside a powerful poetic need to express oneself. Dancers tell stories with their bodies.

As a writer it is often when I am walking or moving, usually at a fast pace, that the story in my head takes shape. This sparky duet between my imagination and my body is essential to my creative process.

Blue Moon Ballet is my latest story. It is the second book that is set in the mysterious world of the sand sprites and is published by Piccadilly Press.