Ballet For Beginners

Ballet for Beginners (1952) by Felicity Gray
Published by Phoenix House – Sold by Crappy Old Books

Step (awkwardly) into the poised world of pliés and pirouettes with Ballet for Beginners, the charmingly earnest 1952 guide by Felicity Gray. Originally intended for the starry-eyed youth of mid-century Britain, this dusty classic is your window into a bygone era of ballet instruction — where posture was paramount, effort was everything, and leotards were definitely woollen.

From learning to point your toes without stabbing yourself, to understanding why your teacher keeps yelling in French, Felicity Gray’s book offers a gracefully outdated approach to classical dance. Whether you’re an actual beginner, a curious collector, or someone who just likes the idea of owning a book with yellowing pages and questionable illustrations, this is a Crappy Old Book worth falling out of fourth position for.

Warning: Contains no YouTube tutorials, modern anatomy, or elastic waistbands.

There is an adendum relating to plate 71, discretely attached to the binding towards the front, which is upside down. However, incase you missed that, someone has annoted plate 71 with a similar message, just so its clear. Its in scribbled handwriting that isn’t very good, which makes it really clear that the hands are the wrong way up.

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