Dancers and the dance--and the obsession that drives artists to create.

"The memoir of Michaela DePrince, who lived the first few years of her live in war-torn Sierra Leone until being adopted by an American Family. Now seventeen, she is one of the premiere ballerinas in the United States"--

Profiles the life and career of the professional ballerina, covering from when she began dance classes at age thirteen in an after-school community center through becoming the only African American soloist dancing with the American Ballet Theatre.

Do you love to dance? If so, this is the book for you! Twist! Stretch! Reach! Leap! Be a swan! Be a tiger! Be a flame! Be a ballerina!

Sophie the swan joins a ballet class and works hard to earn a part in the end-of-year performance of Swan Lake.

Can Ella Bella help the swan princess to be reunited with her prince? Will she help to break the wicked sorcerer's spell? Will true love conquer all? Young ballerinas will find the answer to all these questions and delight in the sheer charm of Ella Bella's world. James Mayhew has also included a page full of ballet facts to help even the keenest budding ballerina learn the story behind Swan Lake.

Eleven-year-old Rosie must choose between the two things she loves most--ballet and horseback riding.

An irresistible and determined ballerina shows readers how to reach for their dreams.

The perfect holiday gift for every young ballet lover. Go backstage at the ballet with real-life thirteen-year-old dancer Fiona. Dozens of gorgeous, full-color photographs welcome readers into Fiona's world, as she goes from auditions, to rehearsals, to opening night playing Clara, the lead child's role in Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker. Experience the nerves, the hard work, and ultimately the thrill of performing on the big stage with a professional company. This is a beautiful holiday gift that young dancers will cherish all year round.

Finalist, the Arts Club of Washington Marfield Prize A look inside a dancer’s world Inspiring, revealing, and deeply relatable, Being a Ballerina is a firsthand look at the realities of life as a professional ballet dancer. Through episodes from her own career, Gavin Larsen describes the forces that drive a person to study dance; the daily balance that dancers navigate between hardship and joy; and the dancer’s continual quest to discover who they are as a person and as an artist. Starting with her arrival as a young beginner at a class too advanced for her, Larsen tells how the embarrassing mistake ended up helping her learn quickly and advance rapidly. In other stories of her early teachers, training, and auditions, she explains how she gradually came to understand and achieve what she and her body were capable of. Larsen then re-creates scenes from her experiences in dance companies, from unglamorous roles to exhilarating performances. Working as a ballerina was shocking and scary at first, she says, recalling unexpected injuries, leaps of faith, and her constant struggle to operate at the level she wanted—but full of enormously rewarding moments. Larsen also reflects candidly on her difficult decision to retire at age 35. An ideal read for aspiring dancers, Larsen’s memoir will also delight experienced dance professionals and fascinate anyone who wonders what it takes to live a life dedicated to the perfection of the art form.