Ballet Besties: Dante's Winning Dance

By: Naghdi, Yasmine

Published by Candlewick, 2026-05-26

When Dante’s soccer teammates start picking on him for taking ballet, his confidence tanks—until he asks a popular hip-hop artist to help give his class an edge at winning an upcoming competition.

Like everyone in his family, Dante has always been a dancer—all kinds of dancing. This term he’s taking ballet at Shimmer and Shine, and he loves playing soccer, too. He sees them as two sides of the same coin, both involving intricate moves. But lately, his teammates have been teasing him about ballet and even refusing to pass him the ball during practice. What will get them to let up? Can Dante show them that dance is nothing to scoff at? When Dante sees a notice about an upcoming competition that might give him a chance, he asks his ballet instructor if the class can enter. And as he watches a video of his favorite hip-hop artist, Nitty Smitty, who hails from the same neighborhood, Dante gets an idea. What if Nitty Smitty would agree to help them blend chaînés with moonwalks for an original hiplet (“hip-lay”) adaptation of Beauty and the Beast? Part of a series of joyful and inclusive chapter books about friendship, teamwork, and ballet, Dante’s story, touching on themes of bullying and resilience, creativity and self-confidence, will appeal to aspiring ballet and hip-hop dancers alike and features an extensive glossary of ballet and hip-hop dance terms at the end.