Dancing on the Inside

<p>Ever since her grandparents gave her a DVD of <em>Swan Lake</em> twelve-year-old Jenny Spark has wanted to be a ballet dancer. But on her first day of ballet class she suffers a crippling panic attack. She’s too terrified to practice in front of the other kids and as for actually performing for an audience? Forget it.<br /><br />Yet Jenny refuses to give up her dream of making dance part of her life. With determination and a little deception Jenny figures out how to observe ballet class without actually participating and she practices in the safety of her home. Then Jenny meets her polar opposite: Ara Reyes a bold spontaneous and accident-prone girl who longs for the spotlight but is overlooked in favor of the school’s star performer.<br /><br />The girls’ friendship blossoms as they help each other find their real talents. Ara’s dancing takes a leap forward and Jenny discovers she has a hidden gift for choreography. With the support of the school’s newest teacher Jenny’s original ballet might just make it on stage … but will she?<br /><br />Charming and inspiring <em>Dancing on the Inside</em> shows how pursuing our passions can often lead to wonderful and unexpected results.</p><p>“<em>Dancing on the Inside</em> is a fine and very much recommended read for younger readers who may be facing stage fright themselves.”<br />—Midwest Book Review</p>