Sinposis

"A personal chronicle of a professional dancing life that is as accessible as it is engaging."_Christian Science Monitor "Excellent. . . . [Larsen's] story is all the more engrossing for its vivid portrayal of the `everyday' ballerina, making it relevant and resonant for a multitude of dancers who aspire to a professional dancing life. As she documents the discipline, dedication, and sheer stamina that life in the ballet world requires, she traces a journey of transforming craft into art."_Pointe Magazine "There is power and perfection in this captivating memoir_the power of personal experience and the perfection of writing that carefully captures the life of a dancer. . . . Dancing `full out' means going all out during practice rather than saving energy for the performance. In this memoir Larsen is writing full out, and we are the lucky audience of her performance. Balletomanes, dance students, and aspiring dancers will applaud this absorbing account."_Library Journal, Starred Review "Larsen's memoir oftentimes reads more like a novel than an autobiography. . . . Interstitial chapters walking through an average day in the life of a professional dancer go a step further, dropping the reader . . . directly into the everyday agonies and ecstasies of a life in dance."_Dance Magazine "A lovely debut that's relatable, engaging, and unafraid to show vulnerability. A thorough, evocative, and deeply reverent remembrance."_Kirkus Reviews "Warm, insightful and enjoyable to read, Being a Ballerina helps cast the life of a professional ballet dancer in a new light."_Dancing Times "Being a Ballerina floats along like a lovely adagio solo; we both feel a dancer's constant pain and share the magical soar of a perfect lift. Reading it is a reminder that words can dance too."_Seattle Times "One has to be grateful to Larsen for taking the time to write so well about the thoughts and the emotions that she revealed_and passing on the art form and those experiences to the next generation of ballet students and professional dancers."_Mark Kappel, NewsNotes Dance Blog