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Is there any more enticing figure than the ballerina? Dressed in a fluffy tutu, wearing her pink pointe shoes, and dancing so gracefully, she's what every little girl longs to be. But what does it take to make that fantasy come true? Thanks to the charming, illustrated Prima Princessa, would-be ballerinas will enjoy a privileged peek into the dancer's world.

The fairy-like Princessa ushers readers into New York City's famous School of American Ballet (SAB) in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts--the finest dance academy in the U.S. and the starting point for most of the New York City Ballet's ballerinas. Through stunning photography, they'll enter SAB's classrooms and get an intimate look at how elite dancers train. The visit begins in a pre-ballet class, moves to SAB's Children's Ballet Division (11-year-olds), and finally arrives at the near-professional Advanced Ballet classes (16-year-olds). Along the way, newcomers to ballet will learn about the school's dress code; see close-up images of young students demonstrating all the basic positions; and find out what goes into performing each step. Just like a real dance class, the book opens with a barre--where dancers warm up--and then shifts to the center, where ballerinas can show off their balance, perform combinations, and eventually practice partnering. (There's also a glimpse at boy's class, too ) The on-the-page performance is absolutely inspiring, with every dancer in perfect, elegant form: all the photos and instructions have been checked by the teachers at SAB for accuracy. And most exciting of all is watching a girl get ready to go on stage for a dress rehearsal, applying her makeup, straightening her costume, and making sure every hair is in place.

It's the stuff of which dreams are made, and the finest children's introduction to ballet ever published