The cultural differences, as well as the impact that war and abuse had on both girls created fears that would appear unfounded to the onlooker, and that were overcome, in time, by the help of their family. Being written by Michaela DePrince and her mother, who are not professional authors, the writing was not the most impressive part of the book but it did come across as authentic. there is just so much competition in the African Memoir genre, that this unfortunately pales a little in comparison to others that I have read, therefore the lowish rating. I actually picked it up because I have a little girl who loves dance so I'm interested in reading about people who have a passion for dance, find it empowering and an outlet for their creativity (think Billy Elliott, LOL).

Having been adopted at the age of four, alongside her best friend Mia, Michaela initially finds life in America difficult to adjust to. She is recognised throughout the world as an inspirational woman: she featured in Huffington Post's Most Amazing Young People of the Year and Newsweek's 125 Women of Impact and has spoken at the United Nations.She escapes Sierra Leone thanks to two extraordinary people who adopt both Michaela and her best friend, Mia. The young heroine of the autobiography does not forget to thank her mother, and she acknowledges the tremendous love gift.

Michaela's own dedication, hard work, and passion for ballet have taken her far but she wrote this book along with Elaine, her adoptive mother, to be an inspiration to all girls to pursue their dreams. Oh, yes, on one or two occasions an older dancer or teacher will comfort her as she deals with nerves or the loss of a role, but very superficially.

Michaela's early life was marred by death, violence and abuse, but now a talented ballerina, making her mark on the professional international stage, she is sharing her story. They were older parents by this point, but didn't hesitate about opening their home to Mariel when her previous adoption didn't work out, doing the same again when Bernice and Jestina, who were originally adopted older son Adam, but when he and his wife separated, his parents accepted guardianship of the two girls.

Michaela's life changes overnight and her dream of becoming a ballerina has the possibility to become a reality. Michaela takes the reader with her from the joys and struggles of her early life in Sierra-Leone to the challenges and delights of her life in America. After seeing a picture of a ballerina during her horrific time at an orphanage, Michaela decides she wants to become a ballerina. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Co-written with her adoptive mother, this is an extraordinary and compelling account of love and hope triumphing over cruelty ( Sunday Times ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

J'ai offert ce livre à ma meilleure amie Hollandaise pour son anniversaire et je me le suis offert à moi aussi. Afterwards she danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem professional company for one year before joining the Dutch National Junior Company as a second-year member and apprentice to the main company.

However, she never lost hope and found her passion for ballet when she saw a magazine with a ballerina on it.They had already raised 5 boys - two of whom had passed away due to being born with hemophilia and contracting AIDS via blood transfusions - and would go on to adopt 4 more girls after Michaela and Mia. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words "America's not ready for a black girl ballerina". The straightforward way in which both Michaela and her mother, Elaine tackle racism and other issues is novel, and shows that when strengthened by family, even the most cutting of remarks can't stop someone great from reaching their full potential. Today, Michaela is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of 19.