Book 1: Samba Spectacular Meet Alana - totally mad about dancing and surrounded by totally mad people. There's mum Suzanne and sister Abi pestering her non-stop at home, snotty Verity at dance class, and clumsy new girl Alice. Tomorrow's the big Latin show at Step Out Studio: but her Samba routine still isn't good enough and now mum's forgotten to make her dress. Things could be heading for major disaster! So when Alana discovers Mademoiselle Coco's mysterious costume shop she can't believe her luck. Not only does she find the perfect dress, but it marks the beginning of a wonderful magical adventure of dancing and making new friends at the Brazilian carnival. Full of magic, glamour, glitter and loveable characters, each story centres around a brand new dance - from foxtrot to tango, samba to street dance. Perfect for fans of Darcey Bussell's Magic Ballerina and Katie Price's Perfect Ponies, as well as TV hits such as Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing on Ice, So You Think You Can Dance?, X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent.

Meet Alana. She's crazy about dancing and has a mum Suzanne and sister Abi who keeps pestering her non-stop at home. At the dance studio, she has to put up with the snotty Verity and clumsy new girl Alice. Tomorrow's the big Latin show at Step Out Studio: but her Samba routine still isn't good enough and now mum's forgotten to make her dress. Things could be heading for major disaster! So when Alana discovers Mademoiselle Coco's mysterious costume shop she can't believe her luck. Not only does she find the perfect dress, but it marks the beginning of a wonderful magical adventure of dancing and making new friends at the Brazilian carnival.

Sigrid Carter's life story is worthy of becoming a movie. This was true before she even turned thirty. As an adventurous girl in her twenties, she and two girlfriends from Germany hitchhiked from Colorado to the Pacific coast of Mexico, where the trio took a canoe into the ocean, got lost, and found themselves surrounded by sharks just as bad weather set in. Somehow, they survived. The tide carried them to the shores of Peru, where they spent time living with Indians in the Amazon and working for biologists researching the rainforests, one of whom later became Carter's husband. A Peruvian filmmaker did, in fact, turn the ordeal into a television movie, but Carter professes not to know the title or release date. She has no time for such thingsshe's too busy continuing to live a life most of us can only imagine. It was her adventurous spirit that led Carter to set up her agency, Envoy Travel, in 1971 in Lubbock, Texas, where her husband has established himself as an associate dean at Texas Tech University. Lest you think married life and operating a thirty-six-year-old business has tamed her, Carter kayaks every morning, and a few days after we spoke, she was on her way to a polar bear expedition in Churchill, Canada. "Whatever you do in life is a big commitment, so it needs to be fun," says Carter, who's been to all seven continents. "I love this business. There is nothing more fun in life than talking about destinations." And Carter has a lot of stories to tellso much so that she landed the cover of Travel Agent in 1992 and in 1995 self-published a book, Travel Like a Millionaire Without Being One, which is being updated for a second printing. Her zest for life is infectious. She personally runs select small group trips, leading people on a pilgrimage to Santiago, Spain, and taking others to the Arctic Circle to stay with Eskimos. Many of the local operators she uses have been discovered and vetted through her own travels. "Wherever I go, I make friends," Carter says, who also works with such suppliers as Abercrombie & Kent, Butterfield & Robinson, and Clipper Adventures. "I went to India, and my goal was to experience yoga with the best teacher there. I checked the prices, and it was $850 a night! I thought, 'I'm not going to spend that kind of money.'" She left for India and, on the way, met a yoga teacher who invited her to dinner. "It turned out that the family is the number-one yoga family in Indiaeven the Clintons have studied with them," Carter shares. "They live very, very basic, but the simplicity of their lifestyle is something that we all can learn from."

This single-volume work covers many traditions, customs, and activities Westerners may find unusual or shocking, covering everything from the Ashanti people's funeral celebrations to wife-carrying competitions in Finland. In Maharashtra, India, a tradition exists to throw newborn babies off the tops of buildings. At the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, Thailand, some people ritualistically pierce their cheeks and faces with swords and knives. How did these surprising customs come to be? From camel wrestling to cheese-rolling competitions to a tomato-throwing festival, this fascinating single-volume encyclopedia examines more than 100 customs, traditions, and rituals that may be considered strange and exotic to U.S. readers. This work provides high school and undergraduate students with a compelling and fascinating exploration of world customs and traditions. Comprising entries by anthropologists, religious leaders, scholars, dancers, musicians, historians, and artists from almost every continent in the world, this encyclopedia provides readers a truly global and multidisciplinary perspective. The entries explore the origins of the custom, explain how it was established as a tradition, and describe how and where it is practiced. A thematic guide enables readers to look up entries by the type of tradition or custom, such as birth, coming of age, courtship and wedding, funeral, daily customs, holidays, and festivals.

Humans have always made music and this authoritative and lavishly illustrated guide is your companion to its fascinating history across the globe. Music - that mysterious alchemy of harmonies, lyrics, and rhythm - is a constant in our lives. Discover how music has evolved with human society, accompanying our leisure, religious rituals, and popular festivities. Watch its development during prehistory and before musical notation, when melodies were memorized or improvised. Enjoy galleries of historical instruments such as dulcimers, shawms, psalteries, and tabor pipes. The universal language of music is expressed in an astonishing number of styles today, and Music presents its evolution around the globe, including the classical European tradition of JS Bach, the passionate sounds of Spain's flamenco, and the sonic power of electronica and heavy rock. With spectacular timelines of key events and profiles of musicians from Amadeus Mozart to David Bowie, Music is an unrivaled and comprehensive reference. Whether you are into the Blues, Brahms, or Bhangra, it is essential reading and guaranteed to hit the right note.

Imagine being a child living in a remote village. What do you think your future will be like? Becoming an internationally renowned expert in your field might not immediately come to mind. But while it might seem unlikely, such a future is not always out of reach. In My Amazing Life: Journey through Success, Munna L. Sharma narrates his amazing story, which began in a remote Indian village. Through his academic excellence, Sharma won scholarships and obtained master's and doctorate degrees from highly reputable universities in India and the United States. He tells of his travels through the United States and his ultimate arrival in Australia. Sharma joined Australia's most prestigious research organization, CSIRO, rising to one of its highest positions. He takes us beyond his work success, recounting his family and personal experiences in rural India and modern societies, describing the cultural, emotional, and social challenges he faced. Sharma's spiritual strength not only helped him to cope with traumatic events but also motivated him to use them as opportunities for further growth. And as his financial advancements exceeded his expectations, his spiritual development kept him balanced and allowed him to lead a satisfying life. A story of perseverance and dedication, My Amazing Life demonstrates the importance of living a well-rounded life and serves as an inspiration to others.

Throughout Brazil, Afro-Brazilians face widespread racial prejudice. Many turn to religion, with Afro-Brazilians disproportionately represented among Protestants, the fastest-growing religious group in the country. Officially, Brazilian Protestants do not involve themselves in racial politics. Behind the scenes, however, the community is deeply involved in the formation of different kinds of blackness—and its engagement in racial politics is rooted in the major new cultural movement of black music. In this highly original account, anthropologist John Burdick explores the complex ideas about race, racism, and racial identity that have grown up among Afro-Brazilians in the black music scene. By immersing himself for nearly a year in the vibrant worlds of black gospel, gospel rap, and gospel samba, Burdick pushes our understanding of racial identity and the social effects of music in new directions. Delving into the everyday music-making practices of these scenes, Burdick shows how the creative process itself shapes how Afro-Brazilian artists experience and understand their racial identities. This deeply detailed, engaging portrait challenges much of what we thought we knew about Brazil’s Protestants,provoking us to think in new ways about their role in their country’s struggle to combat racism.