"A revealing book about the grueling--and glamorous--world of ballet."--New York Daily News

"Chock-full of tips and advice for aspiring dancers and their parents, and includes a personal account of the ballerina’s rocky journey to fame."--Brooklyn Downtown Star

"Entertaining, realistic, and practical--that big sister that you’d like to have beside you."--Ballet News

"A must for the aspiring ballet dancer."--Tammy Lechner, publisher, The Dance Series


Originally released in e-book format only, Jennifer Kronenberg’s inspiring how-to guide offers a wide range of pointers for success, starting with the basics: selecting a school, auditioning, sewing your pointe shoes' ribbons, and choosing what to wear. She also covers topics not usually taught in dance classes: backstage etiquette, emotional well-being, handling criticism, and eating for optimal energy.

Best of all, this enhanced print edition features QR codes that can be scanned with a smartphone, taking you to a companion website full of bonus videos. Watch Kronenberg demonstrate how to arrange your hair for the stage, properly prepare pointe shoes, and apply stage makeup. You’ll get the head start you need to prepare for the highly competitive, often unforgiving, ultimately rewarding world of ballet.

Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg, a native of Queens, New York, studied at the renowned School of American Ballet. She joined Miami City Ballet in 1994 and has been a principal dancer with the company since 2001. She has conducted Master Classes for Ballet Chicago, NOCCA, Ballet de Monterrey, and has taught as a faculty member at the Miami City Ballet School Summer Intensive since 2005.

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"Shares stories from her career as a professional ballerina, while also revealing the hard truths she's learned on her road to success."
--Dance Spirit Magazine

“Covers practical topics such as applying stage make-up, protecting feet from bunions and corns, proper diet and injury prevention and psychological issues such as dealing with stress, competition, sexual harassment and eating disorders.”
--Miami Herald

“Jennifer walks the aspiring dancer through the good, the bad and the ugly of the dance world including backstage etiquette, diet requirements, and so much more.”
--The Ajennda (blog)

“Divided into 20 easily digestible chapters that focus progressively on essential knowledge relevant immediately prior to and at the start of a ballet career…This is one of the most useful books about professional ballet in publication.”
--BalletScoop