First Position

DEBUT In this novel, retired American Ballet Theatre dancer Hamrick reveals the competitive behind-the-scenes world of ballet from the vantage point of having lived it. Young and driven, Sylvie Carter is determined to be a prima ballerina. She joins the North American Ballet and endures five years of intense, even bloody, rehearsals, every movement minutely scrutinized. Ambitious as she is, everyone wants more than she can seem to give. The close-knit corps of her fellow aspiring dancers includes friends and rivals. But when a destructive relationship is put on full public display, the resulting scandal alienates Sylvie from the rest of the corps, and as the troupe travels the world, Sylvie begins to destructively use alcohol and erotic encounters to cope. When famed dancer Alessandro Russo joins the NAB for a highly anticipated performance, Sylvie finally faces the extreme anxiety and emotional confusion that have the power to derail her aspirations. As she falls from grace and spirals out of control in her private life, a new opportunity could fulfill her dreams.