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Denise a Colorado native and is currently the CEO/President of two corporations. She has been teaching dance for over 35 years and has spent the last 24 years as owner and Artistic Director of Infinite Dance Inc., formerly known as Danza Dance Academy. She received her dance training in Steamboat Springs, CO, and spent many summers training at the famous Perry Mansfield School of the Arts. Denise is a previous company member of Ballet Northwest. In the mid 90’s Denise was the Director and Choreographer for the Denver Nuggets Professional Dance Team. She also performed in and choreographed two Ford Truck commercials, a Ford Car commercial, a dance video “Reality” for Cabana Boy Records. Denise has been the spokesperson on many television spots including a commercial for Cool Sculpting. Later in life she went on to become a paramedical aesthetician. She is the currently President and co-owner of Castle Pines Med Spa located in Colorado. This is her first attempt at becoming an author and is very excited for this new journey in her life.
Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
Featuring animals as main characters, Denise Danzo's Toadalina is a delightful children's adventure tale. When young Maddy discovers that the little frog doll she recently received as a gift can actually talk, she can hardly believe it. Maddy has asthma, which stops her from becoming a dancer. Toadalina starts telling Maddy her story. The first thing Toadalina saw after she was born was the Tree O' Academy of Dance in the great Redwood Forest. Despite everyone insisting that frogs can't dance, Toadalina eventually learned to dance. Years later, Toadalina and her best friend Swanella traveled to New York City to audition for the Broadway musical Cats. Even after failing their auditions, Toadalina and Swanella learned different styles of dance, made some unforgettable friends, and escaped the clutches of a nefarious street boss.
Author Denise Danzo tells an enthralling tale with a valuable message about self-belief. Toadalina encourages young readers to chase their dreams and use setbacks as opportunities to learn new things. I loved the characters in this book. They are colorful and full of personality. The fact that most of these characters are animals makes them even more appealing to young readers. Apart from enjoying the friendship between Toadalina and Swanella, I found the Lavender Legwarmers' clique truly hilarious. Toadalina and Swanella's adventures in New York City, including learning different styles of dance, were some of the other highlights for me. The story is full of charm, heart, and humor. The illustrations are the cherry on top, breathing life into the characters. It's a fantastic book for preteen readers.
