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Author
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Comment
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DianeMountford
Unregistered User
(1/26/06 3:19 pm)
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Suggestions for Twelve Dancing Princesses research
Hi all ... I'm new here an hope some of you will be kind enough to help me with a project.
I'm a theatre director, and am working on a new theatre piece based on The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I have read many versions of the story (and have a lot of other versions on order), but would love suggestions for the following:
1. Good versions of the story that don't have the words "dancing princesses" in the title ... which is what I've been using to search. The only ones I've found so far are Debbie Allen's "Brothers of the Night," "The Night Dance" by Suzanne Weyn and "The Princesses Have a Ball" by Terese Bateman.
2. Articles or book sections with analysis of the story (literary or psychological) ... I'm particularly interested in exploring the symbolism of the story (going into the underworld, those mysterious groves of trees, dancing as a metaphor for sexuality, etc.) As you might guess, this isn't necessarily going to be a version for children.
3. Good and simple general reference on fairy tale analysis. I'm not writing a dissertation, so I'm not going to have time or energy to devote to reading tomes that don't directly relate to the story at hand, but if there are some good overview texts, I'd be interested.
Thanks in advance for your ideas!
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evil little pixie
Registered User
(1/26/06 5:22 pm)
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Re: Suggestions for Twelve Dancing Princesses research
Have you already looked at this page and its links?
www.surlalunefairytales.c...index.html
Good luck!
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DianeMountford
Unregistered User
(1/27/06 2:07 pm)
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Re: Suggestions for Twelve Dancing Princesses research
Yes, I found the Surlalune information ... that's how I found this discussion board ... I was just wondering if anyone else had any further advice.
I'm particularly interested in versions of the story (which I vaguely remember from my youth) where the man who solves the mystery is the princesses' cobbler, and/or where the princesses are also unaware of where they go in the night.
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darklingthrush
Registered User
(1/29/06 10:21 am)
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Re: Suggestions for Twelve Dancing Princesses research
There is a very different version of the story by Kelly Link called "The Girl Detective" from her collection Stranger Things Happen. While the story definately is an ode to girl detectives, it also has a nice subplot of the Tap Dancing Bank Robbers who are of course the same as the dancing princesses. Not at all a traditional revision, but perhaps a springboard for ideas.
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Goldtears
Registered User
(2/18/06 12:12 pm)
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Re: Suggestions for Twelve Dancing Princesses research
Have you read the Phoenix Dance by Dia Calhoune? It's not my favorite version but it has a cobbler girl solve the mystery.
Edited by: Goldtears at: 2/18/06 7:52 pm
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Rosemary Lake
Registered User
(2/18/06 4:17 pm)
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groves of trees
As for the groves of trees made of precious materials, similar groves are found in some quite different tales, such as 'The Black Bull of Norroway' iirc.
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janeyolen
Registered User
(2/20/06 6:15 pm)
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And of course. . .
this summer Adam Stemple and I have a new novel--TROLL BRIDGE--which has a subplot using the Twelve Dancing Princesses as a base.
Jane Y
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