About the Author

Once Upon a Dance is a mother-daughter team who share a passion for dance and storytelling. Teacher Terrel and Ballerina Konora create books that spark imagination and inspire children to explore movement, breath, and connection. Four series span ages 3-12: - Dance Stories with Props (for age 3+) (2023) - Dance-It-Out! Creative Movement Stories (4-9) - Dancing Shapes: Ballet and Body Awareness (6-9) - Ballet Inspiration & Choreography Concepts (8-12)Once Upon a Dance was named a top 10 author of 2022 by Outstanding Creator Awards, and they've been honored by over 40 book awards, 1000+ 5-star reviews, and a Kirkus Star. They donate all royalties to charities supporting the arts, animals, environment, or people. Visit DanceStories.com for more info. After earning her B.F.A. in dance from The Juilliard School, Dina performed Off-Broadway and in the downtown New York contemporary dance scene for five years. Upon graduating with an M.F.A. from Arizona State University, Dina pursued a teaching career, serving on the dance faculties of University of Oklahoma, Kansas State University, Stephens College and Oakland University and later taught at community centers, public school residencies, and in detention centers. In 1997, she received a GIRAFFE Award, for her arts programming work with at-risk youth in Seattle. Her career has encompassed dancing, teaching, choreographing, dance writing and serving as artistic director and co-founder of LEAVING GROUND/DANCE, which performed throughout the U. S. and Canada. Since 2001, she has served on the faculty of Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Dina published her first book, A Dancer's Diary: Around the World in Thirteen Dances in 2017. In fall 2019, she traveled to southeast Finland for an international artist's retreat, where she began work on a memoir about her family.