A local children’s author will soon release a book inspired by her time at the Los Altos Dance Academy.
When Los Altos resident Carly Mottinger was younger, she attended the Los Altos Dance Academy, then named the San Juan School of Dance. Her new “Gigi” series installment is inspired by that; it follows a young girl at her ballet recital.
Mottinger said she named the teacher in “Gigi: The Ballet Recital” after her own dance teacher, Suzanne San Juan.
“It’s kind of crazy because my daughters dance there, and they have my same teacher,” Mottinger said. “I was inspired to tell a story that was dance themed, because dance was such an important part of my life growing up here, and it’s now becoming a really important part of my daughters’ lives. So, I’m really excited about that book.”
The dance studio is not the only inspiration derived from Carly’s life growing up in Los Altos – there are subtler details throughout, including Gigi living on Linden Avenue.
Before becoming a children’s author, Mottinger attended USC’s film school and then worked as a staff writer for Nickelodeon and Disney.
After Mottinger and husband Drew had kids, they moved back to Los Altos. In 2021, they started the publishing company Starry Mill Entertainment. They plan to publish nine stories and will release two more this fall.
Drew said he spent more time with his kids after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and realized he had been missing out on this time while working. Mottinger also started writing more, and Drew used his previous experience in graphic design and marketing.
“I found some of Carly’s old files and printed one of her first books for fun just for our daughter, and they loved it,” Drew said. “We decided to publish on Amazon for family and friends, and it just took on a life of its own from there. We started making more and more books and just really enjoyed it.”
“Gigi: The Ballet Recital” is set for release Friday on Amazon. Drew hopes local stores will carry it soon.
For more information, visit starrymill.com or follow Mottinger on Instagram at @starrymillentertainment.
