Sarah knows that she is the best dancer in her ballet class, and she is eager to show off at the upcoming recital--but when a new move proves unexpectedly difficult and she has to ask for help, her confidence is shaken.

Ellie's first term at the Royal Ballet School is filled with excitement, hard work, homesickness, an unexpected chance to perform, and new friendships, tainted only by the rude and hateful behavior of Lara, the girl she crashed into during their audition.

Get to know the plie, arabesque, and other basic steps, and see how ballet has changed over the years. From Anna Pavlova to Mikhail Baryshnikov to Misty Copeland, discover the dancers who added their signature style to this graceful dance form. Go behind the curtain to see what it takes to become a prima ballerina and how a performance comes together.

The author describes how she first decided she wanted to be a ballerina at the age of six, and how that dream carried her from her home in Puerto Rico to dance class in Boston to performing with the New York City Ballet