Hope in a Ballet Shoe

Orphaned by war, saved by ballet: an extraordinary true story

Michaela DePrince, Elaine DePrince

• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• eBook ISBN:
  9780571314485
• Year: 2014

Hope in a Ballet Shoe tells the story of Michaela DePrince. Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, she witnesses atrocities that no child ever should. Her father is killed by rebels and her mother dies of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela is mistreated and she sees the brutal murder of her favourite teacher.

Michaela and her best friend are adopted by an American couple and Michaela begins to take dance lessons. But life in the States isn't without difficulties. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it's haunting her. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words 'America's not ready for a black girl ballerina.'

And yet . . . Today, Michaela DePrince is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of nineteen. This is a heart-breaking, inspiring autobiography by a teenager who shows us that, beyond everything, there is always hope for a better future.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Landing Page
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Prologue: The Black Swan
• Chapter 1: From the House on the Right
• Chapter 2: To the House on the Left
• Chapter 3: When the Rain Came
• Chapter 4: At the Orphanage
• Chapter 5: Number Twenty-Seven
• Chapter 6: A Victory
• Chapter 7: The Gift of Harmattan
• Chapter 8: White Ladies and Family Books
• Chapter 9: The Debils!
• Chapter 10: Stepping Stones to America
• Chapter 11: Into a Mother’s Arms
• Chapter 12: Michaela, Mia and The Nutcracker
• Chapter 13: Baby Emma
• Chapter 14: Into the World of Ballet
• Chapter 15: A New Sister
• Chapter 16: The Canned-Food Birthday
• Chapter 17: Fears
• Chapter 18: Bigotry and Jealousy
• Chapter 19: Where Are the Black Ballerinas?
• Chapter 20: Dancing The Nutcracker!
• Chapter 21: Turning a Blind Eye
• Chapter 22: Loss
• Chapter 23: Moving On
• Chapter 24: Growing Apart
• Chapter 25: The Youth America Grand Prix
• Chapter 26: A Homemade Tutu
• Chapter 27: My First Tour
• Chapter 28: Turning Thirteen
• Chapter 29: An ABT Summer
• Chapter 30: My Year of Angst
• Chapter 31: First Position
• Chapter 32: Growing Up
• Chapter 33: After First Position
• Chapter 34: Returning to Africa
• Chapter 35: Finding a Company
• Chapter 36: Taking Flight
• Epilogue
• Acknowledgements
• Picture Credits
• Plates
• About the Authors
• Copyright