Aaaand here's the OUABlog OUAT Forum (Just in Time to Discuss Last Night's Episode)

Next up on the Once Upon A Blog Forums for fairy tale folk: the OUABlog OUAT forum! (Heh.)

If you haven't been following recently, as you can see from the banner above, the Wicked Witch of the West has taken over the second half of this season and, at this point, we're kind of grateful she did. Overall, the Oz factor is a plus.

Since I wasn't on such a huge learning curve this time around in creating a forum, I took a little extra time to start off some topic threads and pose some questions, getting ready for you all to talk about Sunday night's episode "Bleeding Through".

I know it's always hard to be first on the scene but we'd love to see what you have to say. I know there are a ton of OUAT fans among my readers and now's a chance to show your love, share your wishes and express your "if only!" bugaboos.

Here's the link: OUABlog OUAT Forum and you should see a OUAT Forum tab at the top of the page, under the header, that you can access any time. 

And here's what it looks like at time of writing... again with some extra text and arrows to show you around.

What are you waiting for?

Let's chat!

Dancing Ghosts and Haunted Shoes in Fairy Tales (+ The Most Adorable Little Short!)

A little ghost Singin' in the Rain (fan art) by Cellsai

Are there ghosts in fairy tales?

The answer isn't as straightforward as you might think. The dead - and symbols of someone dead (especially beloved dead) are fairly common in fairy tales (eg the help Cinderella receives from birds in the Grimm version are symbolic of her mother watching over her) but actual ghosts, not so much. Unless you're talking Irish fairy tales. Or Japanese. But then these are more often "spirits" than the ghost of someone people/the characters knew passed on.

There is a whole category of folktale categorized as The Grateful Dead (and Heidi of SurLaLune is busy working on a collection of these! I can't wait!) but usually these aren't classic ghost stories in the usual sense either.

Enchanted - or haunted - objects appear every so often as well but not usually in the modern sense of the word haunted. I often wonder, though, what on earth happened to those red shoes, once they were cut off Karen's feet? Did they continue dancing through the ages? Did they change form and haunt other people who had to dance or they felt they would die?

OK, I admit it. I don't have a well researched and deep article on this topic for you. It's really an excuse to bring you this completely delightful little animation I saw for the first time today. It will at first puzzle you, then make you smile wider and wider the longer you watch. Full disclosure: I had to watch it over again immediately when I first saw it, so consider yourself warned. ;)

Lovers of musicals, prepare to fall in love again:

義足のMoses from ががめ on Vimeo.

Seeing a short like the one above makes me wonder: what if one of the Twelve Dancing Princesses was caught in that limbo or underworld land because she loved dancing so much and was doomed to wander and dance alone for the rest of her days? What if that princess found her way to the abandoned stage of a musical?

Or, what if the spirit of Karen (the girl from The Red Shoes by HCA) was forced to walk, er float, upon the earth (considering her feet were cut off). I would think that perhaps the saddest thing for her would be not necessarily that she was dead, but that she couldn't dance. And what if she found some shoes that continued to dance by themselves, long after their owners stopped? What would her response be?

I should go look up that Ferragamo exhibit o shoes again (The Amazing Shoemaker - Fairy Tales and Legends About Shoes and Shoemakers), which JUST GOT EXTENDED THROUGH TO MAY 18, 2014! No doubt the topic of ghosts or shoe haunting will be addressed there in some form...

{Aaaand this is how my hooked-on-fairy-tales brain works, much of the day... be glad you don't live inside my head. }

As always, feel free to add your own crazy thoughts and/or studied insights in the comments below. The whole topic is pretty fascinating and I'm sort of surprised there isn't more literature available on it regarding fairy tales in particular. Folktales however, I'll bet some of you have entire shelves just devoted to those, and we'd love to hear about it.

Now, I'm going to go watch the short again...

Note: I'm sorry I don't have much information on the animator. All I know is that they're Japanese and I can't access the websites they appear on without an account. Your best shot is to go to the Vimeo address and leave a message, or follow up via that way. Good luck!

Sanderson's "Dancing Princesses" Find A Forever Home at the Norman Rockwell Museum (+ an "Art of" Book In the Works)

Have you ever wanted to see Ruth Sanderson's original oil paintings? Particularly the The Twelve Dancing Princesses? Well, very soon, you can. All you will need to do is find a way to visit the Normal Rockwell Museum, which is now the new, permanent home of the originals.

From MassLive:

Sanderson, known for illustrating many classic fairy tales as well as her own books, will have 64 pieces of art on display during the exhibition, "Dancing Princesses: The Fairy Tale Art of Ruth Sanderson," from Dec. 7 through March 9, 2014. 

“They were thrilled to be able to have that book in their archive,” said Sanderson, of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" art work that was donated to the museum by Palmer-based Sanderson MacLeod, a company owned by Sanderson's brother. 

“Then they asked me if I’d like to expand the show to have art work from other books. They took art work (on loan) from four of my other fairy tales, and they hope to tour the exhibit around the country.” 

Sanderson’s art from “Cinderella,” “The Snow Princess,” “The Enchanted Wood,” and “The Golden Mare, the Firebird and the Magic Ring” will also be included, along with costumes that she had made specifically to include in her illustrations for “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” Art from one of Sanderson’s currently in-progress books will also be on display. 

Sanderson’s latest book, called “Golden Dreams: the Art of Ruth Sanderson” is a 224-page, full color art book on Sanderson’s career. 

Sanderson said she hopes fans of picture books enjoy the experience of seeing the art work in person. 

“The detail, texture and luminosity in oil paintings can never be exactly reproduced in printed books, so seeing the actual paintings is a more complete and personal experience of the art work,” Sanderson said. “It is my hope that families will enjoy the magical fairy tale worlds I have created.”

You can read the whole, much longer article on the exhibition, how Ms. Sanderson's works found their home at the Museum and more about her new book HERE.

And here's a bonus from Ms. Sanderson's website:

I am pleased to announce that you can now order a copy of my new 224-page art book, GOLDEN DREAMS, The Art of Ruth Sanderson in the SHOPS area of my website. We will begin shipping in early December. The book will feature hundreds of pictures from almost 40 years of illustration and fantasy art. And with every art book purchased in November, you will receive a FREE 8.5″ x 11″ print of The Snow Princess & The Polar Bear!

What a great opportunity. If you can, give yourself a special holiday present and go see the exhibit in person. I have a feeling it's an experience you will never forget.

Wordstock 2013's Grimm Readers

NBC Grimm stars Silas Weir Mitchell & Bitsie Tulloch read fairy tales at Wordstock 2013

A little report on the fairy tales chosen by NBC's Grimm stars for their dramatic readings during Wordstock this past weekend in Portland, OR:

Bitsie Tulloch (who plays the main character's love interest and is recently new-to-the-Grimm-factor alive and well in her world) chose the Twelve Dancing Princesses, while Silas Weir Mitchell (the reformed big bad wolf, part of the Grimm "Scooby gang" and fan favorite) chose The Boy Who Went Forth To Learn Fear.

I wish more had been reported (read: I wish someone had put it up on YouTube already They did! They did! See below for the video!!) but Oregon Live was generous with other details so I can't really complain. Here are some extracts from the article that will interest fairy tale folk:

The story of the youth who went forth to know what fear was by Adreas Krapf

Mitchell introduced his Grimm tale as "The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear," and he read with conversational ease the saga of a young man who goes out into the world determined to feel fear. "If only I could shudder," the boy repeats. "If only I could shudder."  

Despite encountering assorted frights -- including some ghoulish bowling, and two deadly black cats, whose cry of, "Au, meow! How cold we are!" Mitchell delivered with high-pitched, feline relish -- the young man still can't shudder. 

He can't, that is, until he marries the daughter of the king, whose chambermaid comes to the rescue. She goes out to the brook, and collects a bucket of cold water filled with wriggling minnows. While the young man sleeps, his wife pulls back the covers and pours the water and minnows on him. The young man wakes, and at last declares, "Yes, now I know how to shudder." 

Finally published 60 years after it was created, Sheila Robinson's The Twelve Dancing Princesses

For her turn, Tulloch read "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," the famous Grimm tale about a veteran soldier who solves the mystery of how the 12 princesses manage to sneak out of the castle every night and dance until their shoes are worn through. 

Tulloch -- whose "Grimm" character, Juliette Silverton, has endured her boyfriend's strange behavior and an amnesia-inducing spell -- said "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" was one of her favorites. Smiling, she said that, in comparison to Mitchell's choice, hers was "a little bit girlier." She read in the smooth, reassuring voice of a parent sharing a much-loved story with her child. 

After the stories, Mitchell and Tulloch were asked why they selected the stories they did.

...Mitchell thanked the audience for sticking with his story, despite its length, and referenced the work of C.S. Jung -- a pioneer in the study of human psychology -- in alluding to the story's theme of something compensatory going on in the boy's psyche. When you feel you lack something, you feel like you've got to go get it, Mitchell said, even though "What he wants is something not great" -- that is, he wants to learn how to be afraid. 

The Boy Who Went Forth To Learn What Fear Was by Lin Ran

As to the ending, in which the young man finally learns to shudder at the hands of his wife, Mitchell said it also speaks to the idea that "We can't be whole unless we have someone...that we can relate to." It's the "other," he said, that makes the boy whole. 

Mitchell then added that was "one of a thousand possible interpretations of the story." 

Tulloch had a personal connection to her story. She wanted to read it from the book she had with her, she said, "Because my sister gave this to me when 'Grimm' was picked up for series two years ago." 

Coming from a military family, she added, she responded to the character of the wounded war veteran being the one to solve the mystery of the princesses' midnight dancing. She also liked that when given the choice of which princess to marry, the soldier acknowledges he's not young anymore, and so decides to marry the eldest princess. 

Twelve Dancing Princesses by Errol Le Cain

You can read the whole article HERE. 

And now you can see a video too! (See? It pays for me to double check what's going up early the next morning... :)

Enjoy:

How fun would that have been to see in person? I'm secretly hoping someone recorded these performances (properly) and that they'll be included as a DVD extra at some point, because this is a keeper.

Spotlight on Ruth Sanderson NOON TODAY at ComicCon!

From The Twelve Dancing Princesses Retold & Illustrated by Ruth Sanderson

Ruth Sanderson is in the spotlight at ComicCon today! And yes, she WILL be talking about fairy tales and very specifically, according to the program. I hope those of us who can't be there will be able to get some notes or see a video excerpt of the presentation and panel.

From the official ComicCon Schedule:

A Token Of Love by Ruth Sanderson

Thursday July 18, 2013 12:00pm – 1:00pm 

Spotlight on Ruth Sanderson 

Award-winning illustrator and Comic-Con special guest Ruth Sanderson (The Twelve Dancing Princesses) will give a visual presentation on her career as a fantasy artist and fairy tale author/illustrator, and on her move to a more graphic format for a fairy tale for older children. Ruth’s work has appeared in fantasy magazines and on many book covers, and she has illustrated over 80 books for children. Her artwork can be seen in Spectrum, and she was the 2011 Artist Guest of Honor at the World Fantasy Convention in San Diego.Room 91: Programs, Art and Illustration, Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances, Science Fiction & Fantasy

from The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Ruth Sanderson

Here's a recent interview with Ms. Sanderson HERE on how she views retellings, what she thinks of "too many princesses" and a change in style she's working on. The preview below shows one of her illustrations for George MacDonald's fairy tale "The Golden Key". (Click on the link HERE to see more of the amazing things she's been up to including more on this tale.)

Scratchboard illustration - preview of The Golden Key illustrated by Ruth Sanderson

Article/Advertising: Gifts For Fairy Tale Characters

Inspired by the recent public fascination with fairy tales a couple of clever writers at the Los Angeles Times put together an article (which is really a cleverly disguised set of advertisements) on fairy tale gifts, with a difference. Instead of fairy tale themed things for people who like fairy tales (though those are awesome too!), these gifts are all about what you might consider giving the characters of well known tales for a present.

Hansel and GretelTwo adorable young children get lost in the woods and outsmart an evil witch in a candy cottage. For a sweet tooth: Vosges Haut Chocolat Ensemble du Chocolat, $135 at Vosges Haut Chocolat boutique, Beverly Hills.
Survival tool: Victorinox Tomo in apple green, $24 at Victorinox Swiss Army boutique, Beverly Center.
Cottage warmth: Semiologie quilt by APC, $548 at Anthropologie stores.
Angelic dressing: Lanvin ivory taffeta coat with grosgrain bow, $1,050 at Lanvin, Beverly Hills.

Although these gifts are obviously high-end and really just a cleverly disguised set of advertisements for Hollywood-end types, I really like the idea because it requires considering the tales themselves and the situations and challenges being faced. My favorite suggestions are the truly practical things like foot-rub lotions for a Dancing Princess' sore feet, or a Swiss Army Knife for Hansel.

Red Riding HoodTaking a basket of goodies to Grandma's house, the girl in the red cape (briefly) becomes lunch for the trickster wolf. Pack it up: A Bottega Veneta Plaster Cioccolato Nero Canvas Basket print Vachette tote, $1,550 at Bottega Veneta, Beverly Hills.
Off you go: Ralph Lauren Blue Label cabled hat and scarf, $200 at http://www.ralphlauren.com.
A pop of red: YBF Royalty Collectable Pewter lipstick in Royal Red, $28.80 at http://www.ybfgirlfriends.com.

You can see the whole fairy tale gift guide HERE. There are also photos of the suggestions items HERE.



I would really like to see a list of potential gifts that is more in the price range of regular folks. I think that would be a fantastic read and maybe spark some ideas on how we could be of more practical help to people who are undergoing similar challenges to fairy tale heros and heroines.

In the meantime, consider your favorite fairy tale people in the middle of their tales. What would you gift them with? [And let's say you get extra points if you can enhance their tale life without making spoilers. ;) ] How about a a beautiful cook book for Snow White or a decorative boot scraper or a discreet peep-hole for the front door? What about a diary for Rapunzel instead of just hair products, or equipment to facilitate time lapse photography?

Your turn. :)