Dance of the Earth
By Anna M. Holmes
By Anna M. Holmes
From world stages to theatres of war, Dance of the Earth is a sweeping family saga.
Set against the backdrops of London’s gilded Alhambra music hall, Diaghilev’s dazzling Ballets Russes, and the upheavals of the First World War, Rose and her children, Nina and Walter, pursue their ambitions, loves, and dreams. Dance and music shape their identities, helping each to find their place in the world.
Spanning the years 1875 to 1921—an era of profound artistic and social change—fact and fiction interweave in this tapestry of birth, sacrifice, and renewal. Art—both serious and comic—is at the story’s beating heart.
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Publisher: The Book Guild
Pages: 456
Genre: Historical Fiction / Ballet History
An interview with Anna M. Holmes
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My title, Dance of the Earth, is from the climactic section ending Act One in The Rite of Spring, a production that features centrally in my story. |
What inspired you to start writing?
Communicating with audiences in different ways has always been part of my working life. I was a broadcast journalist, writing news and current affairs stories to be listened to, then writing arts strategies to convince funding bodies. I have enjoyed choreographing and performing, which requires shaping and editing movement to be watched.
I turned to fiction in the early 2000s – first screenplays (one of which won an award) and this taught me to think visually as dialogue floats above scenes. But getting films made is all but impossible so I wondered if I could turn my first screenplay into fiction. This became Wayward Voyage, inspired by pirate Anne Bonny. Writing this drew together so much of what I enjoy: research, making scenes visual, character development. It was like creating my own visual theatre. I was off!
Dance of the Earth is my fourth novel – again returning to historical fiction – and a subject close to my heart.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
For Wayward Voyage I spent a week on a tall ship to experience handling rope and going aloft. With Dance of the Earth, I could call on my own extensive dance experience. Still, I needed to know so much more.
There is a great deal of documentation available - particularly the Diaghilev Ballets Russes – and of course World War One. I consulted numerous books, films, photos; visited museums and asked specialists for advice. Everything fascinated me and I had to force myself to be brutal, cutting scenes that didn’t fully earn their place. That was tough.
Dance of the Earth spans the years 1875 to 1921, an era of profound artistic and social change. Keeping track of timelines was tricky and I had a spreadsheet, to ensure I knew what was happening, year by year, and didn’t get caught out.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
I have three main characters, two of whom are dancers. Rose is a simple, uneducated girl who becomes a front row dancer at the Alhambra Theatre, later maturing into family matriarch.
Her daughter, Nina, longs to join the Ballets Russes. You might think it’s one of these two I will choose (and some readers see something of me in both Rose and Nina) but I select Walter.
Walter is Nina’s twin, who only learns of his real family when he is twelve. He’s a good pianist and battles both internal and external demons. While both Rose and Nina are named for theatrical reasons (Rose from an operetta, and Nina after a favourite ballerina) I chose Walter’s name in honour of author L.M. Montgomery’s Walter in her Anne of Green Gables series. As a child I devoured those books and cried my eyes out in Rilla of Ingleside, when Walter dies fighting in World War One.
I loved that earlier fictional Walter, and my Walter makes me want to hold him close. As Rose says: “No, I’m not worried about Nina. She’s a weed that’ll grow in a crack in the pavement. But Walter, now. If ever a boy was a hothouse plant…”
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
What fun! An early reviewer could imagine Dance of the Earth as a Sunday night serial, so let’s imagine that.
How about Rose played by Gemma Arterton or Romola Garai who could play Rose as both a young and middle-aged woman.
For Nina, we’d need an actress with a good dance background. Maybe Sophie Skelton or Jessica Brown Findley. Or maybe there is an upcoming Gen Zer who’d be a shoo-in.
Walter… mmm. Leo Woodall? Luther Ford? I see Oli Higginson plays piano. He’s older but call him to audition please.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I want to immerse readers in my world, not wanting to leave it behind.
Art provides both refuge and sanctuary for my characters and although life delivers harsh truths, I draw comparisons with a Phoenix. Early on Rose’s beloved Alhambra burns down, but she learns a new, splendid, one will be built. Later, Nina says they must rise Pheonix-like from the ashes of war. I aim to leave readers feeling hopeful for both my characters next steps in life and for themselves in the real world we live in.
I’d love readers to learn a little about the theatre and dance life I write about as my story is deeply researched with lots of real people and real events. Dance of the Earth is, as they say, a passion project.
At the end of my story Rose says, “Imagined worlds are just as important as the real”. Yes!
To find out more about Anna M Holmes and Dance of the Earth (available internationally as paperback and ebook) visit www.annamholmes.com
"Draws on her knowledge of British dance history to capture the changes from late 19th century to early 20th century."
Jane Pritchard, M.B.E, Curator of Dance, V&A
"A wonderful blend of fun and grit. I love the delivery and descriptions and I will be looking for more of Anna M Holmes's work."
Abbe, 5* Amazon Review
Buy this Book
This title is available to order at all good bookshops, and in online bookstores in ebook and paperback formats.
Stories with big themes written as page-turners are Anna M Holmes’s speciality.
With an extensive background in dance and theatre, Dance of the Earth is a story she has longed to write.
Her novels—The Find, Wayward Voyage, and Blind Eye—are all typified by deep research.
Anna worked as a radio journalist before embarking on a career in arts management. Originally from New Zealand, she now lives in South-West London.
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