Being a Ballerina

“This is the best book I’ve ever read about becoming and being a dancer. Every word rings true.”—Robert Gottlieb, editor and dance critic

“Larsen relates in great detail and remarkable prose how she became a ballerina. With her we enter a school. With her we enter a theater. With her we listen in the wings and rush out onto the stage, the destination of her desire, the music her guide. We read about the difficult training that must be mastered and the fragility of the body during the process of learning technique. We learn about the joy of performance. I loved reading it.”—Allegra Kent, former principal dancer, New York City Ballet

“Gentle, genuine, and honest, Larsen shares her experiences generously, offering a compelling glimpse into a ballerina’s world—one that beautifully illustrates not only what it takes to become a professional dancer but what it means to be a ballerina.”—Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg, author of So, You Want to Be a Ballet Dancer?

“I laughed out loud, cringed, and teared up relating to the joys and trials that a career in ballet requires and that Larsen so vividly conveys. Her wit and humanity bring behind-the-scenes experiences to life with the candor of a good friend along with the invaluable insights of a real ballerina. If you want to be a ballerina or want to know what it takes to be one, this is a must-read.”—Elysia Dawn, arts consultant and former dancer

“This book has a lovely lilt to it. . . . [Larsen] describes her experiences with sensitivity and profuse detail.”—Wendy Perron, former editor-in-chief of Dance Magazine

“A luminous new memoir. . . . Poignant . . . Both a personal account and a universal take on the life of a professional ballet dancer.”—New York Times

“A personal chronicle of a professional dancing life that is as accessible as it is engaging.”—Christian Science Monitor

“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

“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

“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

“A lush memoir that spans Larsen’s 18-year career. . . . It’s a vivid insider’s perspective on the rigors of professional ballet, as well as what a dancer’s life is like beyond the footlights.”—Oregonian

“A memoir to sweep you off your feet. . . . Vividly engaging. . . . A pleasure to read not just for the backstage stories it tells but also for the line-by-line, sentence-by-sentence reward of [Larsen’s] way with words. Like a good dance, it’s swift, taut, and abundant.”—Oregon ArtsWatch

“Revealing and relatable, Being a Ballerina is one of the most readable dance books I’ve picked up for a long time.”—David Mead, Seeing Dance

“It is a vulnerable window into the inner life of a ballerina, and a true story of longevity and endurance.”—Dance Teacher

"Few if any books have ever taken us so acutely into multiple facets of the dancer’s art. . . . It’s an important addition to the dance bookshelf – and an important, sensitive, intelligent case study in ballet as psychological odyssey."—Alastair Macaulay, former chief dance critic, New York Times