Yelena Black is the author of “Dance of Shadows.” The following is a complete transcript of her interview.
Where specifically did your idea for DANCE OF SHADOWS come from?
Ballet has always intrigued me. It has been around for centuries, all over the world. I knew I wanted to write a story that involved dancing, and boarding school. And a mystery. Since I live in New York, I wanted to set the story there … and then the pieces began to fall into place. I also grew up on classical music, and have always been fascinated by the legend surrounding Stravinsky and the premier of The Rite of Spring, when the audience supposedly went into fits upon hearing the opening sequence.
Do you have a background in ballet?
I took ballet classes when I was younger, though I was never as good as the characters in Dance of Shadows.
Particularly in the dance scenes, DANCE OF SHADOWS has a cinematic feel to it. How did you accomplish that?
Thank you! I think being as specific as possible helps to bring a book to life, especially in moments where there is such movement. I watched a lot of dance on television and tried to figure out the best way to describe a dancer’s body.
The “Firebird” takes center stage in DANCE OF SHADOWS why did you decide to use that particular ballet as the star?
The Firebird is a ballet (and orchestral concert work) by Russian composer Stravinsky. There a couple of different reasons why I found it so appealing, and why I chose to integrate it into my novel. First, it’s storyline, based on Russian folk tales of the magical glowing Firebird that is both a blessing and a curse, was something I really responded to—it deals with desires and wishes and I thought it could be layered into the dark, paranormal story of Dance of Shadows. Second, the music is amazing! And third, I thought it was interesting that Stravinsky was basically an unknown composer when he was hired to compose The Firebird for the Ballets Russes.
What do you hope readers take away from your books?
First of all, I hope readers have fun! I absolutely love the characters and the world in Dance of Shadows, and I hope that readers do as well.
Is there a book from your own childhood that still resonates with you?
I used to sleep with the Anne of Green Gables series. They were so heartfelt and honest. I also loved Kurt Vonnegut’s books, because they always made me laugh. I loved Judy Blume, because she spoke to me girl-to-girl, and told me things that I could never ask my mother about. And of course, the Harry Potter series, which still gives me that magical feeling of excitement, even though I’ve read all of the books dozens of times.