It started as a ‘car story’
follow the beat of your soul
“For all the kids with a dream of doing their own thing, no matter what society says they ‘should’ do.”
“A beautiful story to encourage any child to listen to their heart’s song.”
Hugo is a boy with a passion for dance. He tries different sports at the urging of his family, but can’t escape the rhythmic beat of his true calling.
With unwavering determination, he convinces his mother to let him explore Ballroom Dancing.
It seems as if Hugo has found his happiness, but doubt creeps in when he realises he looks different from the other dancers.
Hugo Dances is a gentle tale of self-discovery, embracing uniqueness, and the power of following your dreams.
A journey of embracing uniqueness
Hugo Dances is a full-colour children’s book written by Jay Crisp Crow and Hugo Crisp Crow and illustrated by Olena Kiptelaya.
The rhythmic story has movement – just like dance – and follows Hugo’s journey through longing to start Ballroom Dancing, to questioning whether he ‘fits’, and uncovering the truth about what being a dancer is really about.
Authors
This book is 3 years (and about a thousand hours on the road to and from dance studios) in the making. It began as a funny story Hugo liked to hear during the drives about his determined and impassioned pleas to become a Ballroom Dancer, and slowly became a collaborative project between a little boy who loved dancing and his writer mum.
Hugo is currently 11-years-old, loves dancing, his Lagotto, pasta, and sport (not always in that order) and wrote all the best bits of this book.
Jay is older than Hugo, loves writing for a living (although this is her first children’s book of her own, she has edited some others) and almost evaporated from shock when Hugo took to the original draft of Hugo Dances with the delete button to rewrite sections.
“Anybody can be a dancer if they can make a shape in the space” *
Hugo Dances celebrates the beauty of being true to yourself, having perseverance, and discovering the power of courage. This story teaches children (and maybe their families) the the invaluable lesson that challenges and doubts can sometimes be stepping stones to happiness.
With every volta and reverse turn, Hugo Dances sends a powerful message that no matter how different we may feel, our dreams are worth pursuing with unwavering determination. And a little bit of a pep talk.
* Quote from Hugo’s Latin teacher, Steven.
“Not just for boys who want to dance”
Ultimately, Hugo Dances not only inspires children to find their own rhythm in life but also teaches families the profound lesson of supporting and nurturing each other’s dreams.
In this story, Hugo’s family remembers that encouragement and the joy of celebrating each others successes, no matter how small, creates the kind of bond that will carry them through life’s dance.
USA: Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org
AUS: Amazon, Booktopia, Readings, Elite Dancer (psst! Use the code: HUGO DANCES on any purchase at Elite Dancer for a nice surprise!)
NZ: Mighty Ape
Or order directly from us via the button above
(The best) stockists
Shopping for any dancewear at Elite Dancer? Use the code HUGODANCES for a nice surprise!
bOOK SIGNINGS
If you are in Western Australia, we would love to visit your bookstore, library, festival, school, or event to meet readers and sign some copies of Hugo Dances. If your people love dancing, you may also like to book the original Hugo to show you his signature Jive!
Just get in touch to have a chat with us about your event or idea