Welcome to the ballet world, filled with beautiful dancers, pink shoes, and lots and lots of secrets. Being a ballerina can be both the most wonderful and most rewarding thing, but it’s a vicious world and comes with a lot of darkness as well. If this is something that interests you, let me present to you my first book recommendations for ballet themed books.

When a ballet is being performed, the beauty, the coordination, the steps, yes everything is planned and trained for perfection. Months, even years, go into perfecting a move for a performance, and sometimes you only see that move for a few minutes or seconds. If you want to see behind the scenes of the ballet world, the hard work, the scary parts, but also the amazing parts, read one of the following books,

• Second Position by Katherine Locke
• Pointe by Brandy Colbert
• Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton
• Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Another thing you have to know about ballet is that it’s a lot more complex than what first meets the eye, my friend. Ballet is an old art form, with lots of different styles and types. Afterall, it exists all over the world, and has existed for hundreds of years.

Of course, with something so old, and something so very set in its ways, one might think that it’s a world only for straight people, but that is not the case. The ballet might be old, but the people who take part in the art form are no longer conforming to all of the old norms, nor are they hiding who they are. The ballet has a long way to go, but as the books in this post will show you, there is, and there can be, a place for everyone.

These books have so many unique and lovely individuals that all struggle with love, with themselves and sometimes even their connection to ballet. Sometimes when we get to know the people behind the lights, and the ballet shoes, we realize they are just like anyone else with goals, dreams and fears. No matter one’s sexuality, if you have passion and want to dance, then that is what you should do. Down below are books with LGBT+ main characters that are also ballerinas,

• Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz
• First Position by Melissa Brayden
• Keeping Her Secret by Sarah Nicolas
• We Awaken by Calista Lynne

Now that I have taken you behind the scenes of the ballet world, are you ready for the show? Sit down and relax as the lights go off, the curtains open, and the greatest show of your life begins…