Dancing on the Inside — Glen C. Strathy

Ever since her grandparents gave her a DVD of Swan Lake, twelve-year-old Jenny Spark has wanted to be a ballet dancer. But on her first day of ballet class, she suffers a crippling panic attack. She's too terrified to practice in front of the other kids. And as for actually performing for an audience? Forget it. Yet Jenny refuses to give up her dream of making dance part of her life. With determination and a little deception, Jenny figures out how to observe ballet class without actually participating, and she practices in the safety of her home. Then Jenny meets her polar opposite: Ara Reyes, a bold, spontaneous, and accident-prone girl who longs for the spotlight but is overlooked in favor of the school's star performer. The girls' friendship blossoms as they help each other find their real talents. Ara's dancing takes a leap forward, and Jenny discovers she has a hidden gift for choreography. With the support of the school's newest teacher, Jenny's original ballet might just make it on stage, but will she? Charming and inspiring, Dancing on the Inside shows how pursuing our passions can often lead to wonderful and unexpected results.

"Dancing on the Inside is a fine and very much recommended read for younger readers who may be facing stage fright themselves."
-- Midwest Book Review