First Position — Melanie Hamrick

A dancer's fall from grace ignites a dark ambition in this propulsive novel about the seductive, cutthroat world of professional ballet by debut author Melanie Hamrick.

Five years into her career at the North American Ballet, Sylvie Carter has come a long way from the girl she once was -- the young, driven ballerina who dutifully kept a list of rules for how to succeed. But as her star in the company rises, every rule gets broken and she becomes a version of herself she no longer recognizes.  When a tumultuous, troubling relationship erupts into a devastating scandal for which she alone is blamed, she loses everything. Her reputation is destroyed, her best friend is now her fiercest rival, and the dream she's worked for her entire life -- becoming a prima ballerina -- will never be realized. She vows not to ever make the same mistake again.

But when renowned dancer Alessandro Russo graces the stage at NAB for this season's performance of Swan Lake, Sylvie is magnetically drawn to him. Torn between fear and attraction, she finds herself mentally unraveling but also artistically blossoming as she taps into emotions she'd buried long ago. Caught in a bewildering spiral, she can either let the wounds of the past destroy her or find a way to be reborn.