"I don't even know if I'm following the choreo. I'm moving without worrying about being good, without obsessing about getting every move right. All the frustration and disappointment I jammed down every time I was passed over for a role, all of my yearning to be seen bursts out of me in a torrent of unfettered emotion. Ballet is Aisha's life. So when her mental health suffers after she's denied yet another opportunity at her elite academy because she doesn't "look the part," switching to her BFF Neil's art school seems like the perfect plan... until Aisha discovers Neil has been struggling with his own issues. Overwhelmed, Aisha enlists the help of a disarmingly cute musician who makes it a little less scary to open up when she needs support. But when discrimination in her new ballet class awakens old traumas, Aisha must find strength in herself and place her trust in others to make her next move." -- Back cover. - (Baker & Taylor)

After being denied yet another lead because she doesn’t “look” the part, Black teen ballet dancer Aisha switches high schools where she faces the same issues, which affects her mental health, until she finds the strength inside to dance on her own terms. - (Baker & Taylor)

A Black teen dancer with dreams of landing a spot in a prestigious ballet company must learn to dance on her own terms in this explosive debut about the healing power of art and friendship, perfect for fans of Euphoria and Tiny Pretty Things.

Ballet is Aisha’s life. So when she’s denied yet another lead at her elite academy because she doesn’t “look” the part, she knows something has to change–the constant discrimination is harming her mental health. Switching to her best friend Neil’s art school seems like the perfect plan at first. But she soon discovers racism and bullying are entrenched in the ballet program here, too, and there’s a new, troubling distance between her and Neil. And as past traumas surface, pressure from friends and family, a new romance, and questions about her dance career threaten to overwhelm her. There’s no choreography to follow–for high school or for healing. Aisha will have to find the strength within herself–and place her trust in others–to make her next move.

MAYA AMEYAW is a Toronto-based YA author and mental health advocate. A former bookseller, Maya currently works for InkWell Workshops, a writing group for people with lived experience of mental health issues. With InkWell, she has edited and contributed to four mental-health themed anthologies. Maya also runs the Youtube series and blog Plotting and Scheming, where she interviews YA authors about their writing journeys.
Follow @MayaAmeyaw on Twitter!