March is Women’s History Month, and what better way to feel inspired than by reading about exceptional trailblazers who worked hard to achieve their dreams? This is especially true for Joan MacNaughton, the author behind Forever Dancing, whose story reflects determination, creativity, and a lifelong passion for dance and performing.
While Forever Dancing is her first children’s book, MacNaughton is also the associate publisher of Dan’s Papers and the owner of Leggz Ltd. Dance, located in Rockville Center, New York. She began dancing at age seven in Manhattan and continued at LeRoy Dance Studio in Lynbrook after her family moved to Long Island. That same location later became Leggz Ltd., as she purchased and renamed it when she was only 19.
The book evokes joy right from the start. In diverse, colorful illustrations created by Leigh Ann Klein (a former Leggz dancer), everyone looks excited to learn. MacNaughton’s uncomplicated storytelling details her own experiences. Since her audience is younger readers, the uplifting message and engaging visuals help make dance feel welcoming and accessible to anyone who wants to take up a new hobby.
But why a children’s book instead of a traditional memoir? It’s a question that came to mind often while reading. MacNaughton’s life as a performer certainly has the merit to fill more pages, and those interested in both reading and dancing could easily find something that resonates. However, beyond delivering what the publisher asked of her, MacNaughton explained that the project quickly became something she wanted to create as a source of inspiration and motivation for new or young dancers.
“It’s really a motivational book, to keep kids going and not to give up. And that’s what it’s about,” said MacNaughton. “It doesn’t matter if it’s dance, sports, or anything you do; you have to follow through and stick with it.”
For most of her career, MacNaughton has taught children how to dance, and she described that experience as deeply rewarding. Watching the same students return year after year, continuing to dance while improving their technique—whether in ballet, tap, jazz, or lyrical—has been one of the most meaningful parts of her work. It’s another reason she didn’t want her book to land only in adult readers’ laps.
She compares teaching dance to watching children grow up in school. They progress year after year in dance just like they do from kindergarten to high school and sometimes move up to the major leagues of the performance world. MacNaughton recalls a few of her students being cast in the Broadway production of Annie, where she was backstage coaching them and cheering them on.
Those experiences reflect the spirit seen in her storytelling as well. MacNaughton’s story combines hard work and determination with a childlike sense of whimsy, and it effortlessly showcases both the discipline required to master dance and the joy that first draws performers (no matter their age) to the stage.
For someone whose dancing is mostly reserved for weddings or special occasions (much like myself), the way MacNaughton describes learning new styles, growing up in a studio, and practicing routines simply because she loved to almost makes you want to lace up your own dancing shoes. Her love of the arts is clear on every page, but it really stands out in this passage:
“Dance is more than just movements of the body. It is also a way to express feelings. I learned that people go to dance performances to connect with these feelings and to enjoy the beautiful techniques. I learned that dance can tell a story of happiness and joy, or one of pain and sorrow. My job as a dancer is to feel this storyline and deliver it to the audience. Then they can feel it, too.”
Whether you’re a dance novice, a big-stage performer, or anything in between, Forever Dancing is a book that’s sure to inspire readers. It embraces creativity and movement wholeheartedly, and it’s an enjoyable reflection of MacNaughton’s own life that both adults and children can appreciate. I was never a dancer, but I felt MacNaughton’s passion and life lessons resonated with the hobbies and activities I pursued when I was younger—and even with what I’m interested in now.
