5+ stars for La Danza: Conflict, Passion, and Healing by @AllegroDance #bookreview #dance #memoir
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  • N. N. Light
    • Apr 4, 2022
    • 3 min read

5+ stars for La Danza: Conflict, Passion, and Healing by @AllegroDance #bookreview #dance #memoir



Title: La Danza: Conflict, Passion, and Healing

Author: Anna Harsh

Genre: Nonfiction, Folk Dance, Travel Memoir


Book Blurb:


Imagine an assignment in college as a dance major opening a door and leading you to a life-long mission after just one performance.


Anna Harsh made a vision board in 6th grade about dancing professionally, traveling to Italy, and meeting the Pope. Fast forward to her senior thesis project that catapulted her journey fulfilling that vision and so much more.


Her quest to find traditional Italian dances creates questions about her own life. Be prepared to immerse yourself in Italian dances, how families deal with grief, and the highs and lows of directing a dance company.


You’ll discover:

  • How her dream and desire for preserving traditional Italian dances manifested in unexpected ways.

  • How, through this journey, she learns more about her family legacy by meeting long-lost family and friends.

  • How chance meetings and happy accidents change her perspective and convince her why she must preserve these precious dances.


La Danza – Conflict, Passion, and Healing is a travel memoir of an adventure that has forever changed the life of this Italian-American dancer. Through experiences and humor, Anna invites you along her dancing journey, exploring villages steeped in tradition and local culture. Take a contemporary look of Italy through the eyes of a dancer and experience firsthand the Italian gusto, traditions, history, culture, and family legacy in this exciting read.


My Review:


Embrace all things Italian through the experiences of a dancer. Anna Harsh has the gift for dancing. From a young age, she's moved her body to express herself through dance. But it wasn't until she fully embraced her love of dance plus her Italian heritage that her destiny revealed itself. This book is so much more than a travel memoir. La Danza takes the reader on a journey of discovery through small villages in Italy where you'll learn the local customs, culture, food, wine, and of course dance. Life is a series of dances and the music is starting... take your first step and dance from your soul.


La Danza is a beautiful story about destiny, preserving your family legacy, and dancing. Anna Harsh bares her soul in an effort to share her vision with the world. As someone who loves all forms of dance, I was instantly drawn to the book. Part memoir, part motivational book, part travel adventure, La Danza will change your perspective on all facets of your life. Anna's writing style is open, emotional, and honest. It's like reading a letter from a dear friend, only longer. My favorite parts were where she traveled to Italy. Her detailed account transported me to Italy and I got to experience it through her eyes. The dancing is also intricately detailed, so much so, that I found myself trying out a few steps. If you're looking for a book unlike anything you've read before, pick up La Danza. If you're looking to escape into the world of dance, you'll want to read La Danza. Highly recommend!


My Rating: 5+ stars


Buy it Now:











Author Biography:


Anna Pishner Harsh is the Artistic Director and Founder of Allegro Dance Company. She has traveled throughout the United States and Italy performing and studying dance and culture. Her humor and spirited personality are visible and vibrant in her stories and choreography. She resides in Washington, PA, with her husband Greg teaching dance and fitness. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication from West Virginia University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Slippery Rock University, an RYT200 in yoga, and is also a certified Pilates Instructor. Her passion for dance bound with her Italian heritage is her guiding light as she searches for how to preserve her heritage to continue its life and continuity for the next generation’s enjoyment and study.


Social Media Links:


Twitter @TamChronicles

Instagram @TambourineChronicles

Facebook AllegroDanceCompany.net


Reviewed by: Mrs. N

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