Hope in a Ballet Shoe: Orphaned by war, saved by ballet: an extraordinary true story

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This book gave me chills because of the simplistic, but breath-taking and honest way in which it's written. The book includes barriers such as racism in the competitive world of ballet and also includes other cultures as the main character strives to become a ballerina, despite there being very few black ballerinas in America.

In the process, she has featured in a documentary, First Position, that looks at the demanding life of a professional ballerina; she has become a beacon of hope for black ballet dancers around the world (who feature all too rarely in professional dance troupes); and she has spoken at the United Nations on the issues faced by children affected by war. The cruel, inhumane things that Michaela had to see and experience from such a young age absolutely demolished me and I'm so thankful she allowed herself to share the demons of her past with us, because her story just proves with the right determination and the picture of a better future, the physical form of hope in the shape of a ballerina that you can do whatever you put your mind to It just shows how if you hold onto hope, you can accomplish anything from your wildest dreams. Today, Michaela is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of 19. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. View image in fullscreen Michaela DePrince: First came the African mother, who loved me enough to give me her food while she was starving.A day came when the girls were all adopted by American families, rescued from the disguised day-to-day trauma in the orphanage. Recruited as Mr Silver's apprentice, Daniel learns the secrets of the Emporium's vast labyrinth of passageways and rooms -- rooms that contain wonders beyond anything Daniel has ever imagined.

The orphans are in danger in war-torn Sierra-Leone but some American families come to their rescue and she starts a new life in America. I found it well written and didn't think it had been too sanitised for the age group and a society lucky enough to have not experienced the reality of civil war and anarchy. Fearful, hungry and riddled with disease, Mabinty was surviving as best she could in an orphanage when one day the wind blew a magazine through the orphanage gates. It is one of the greatest pleasures in life to meet people of courage who are faced with huge difficulties which they manage to overcome, and who then open their arms to the world and try to give something back. Offering accounts on conflict, adoption and the ballet dancing industry, this is a truly inspiring and emotional read!Besides dancing, Michaela loves reaching out to disadvantaged young people, with whom she shares her message of hard work, perseverance, hope, and striving for a dream.

As one of several children adopted by an American couple, Michaela has managed to well and truly overcome the horrors of her early childhood. Soon after the discovery of the ballerina, Michaela was adopted by an American family that encouraged her to pursue her passion for ballet. Michaela DePrince is the character in the documentary film First Position who totally won my heart/admiration/everything when we watched it last year.Hope in a Ballet Shoe is the emotively uplifting, coming of age autobiography of ballerina Michaela DePrince.

Elaine DePrince, her new mother, noticed Michaela's obsession with ballet and allowed her to begin lessons. In 1999, after raising five sons, she took a leave of absence from law school to adopt a child from war-torn West Africa.The book also includes pictures of Michaela from her time in the orphanage right up to her life today as a prima ballerina. I'm not sure how she remembered so many details of the story as she left Sierra Leone as a 4-year old. It is completely relevant whether one is a ballet lover or not, and will be of particular interest to people who have undertaken cross-cultural adoptions.