Attitude!

the long version

"Katharine Davis Fishman follows eight young dancers through a year of study at one of our nation's premier dance schools. At an age when many kids flounder, what does it actually mean to follow a passion? Fishman reveals how, at the Ailey School, it's about attitude - a ballet term that dates back several hundred years, but also a reference to that precious mettle we all need a little bit of in order to survive but had better not have too much of in order to succeed." "Providing a window into their worlds, she traces the intricate connection between fierce commitment and innate ability. It is during the adolescent years that young people's ideas about their place in the world begin to crystallize. How is the experience different for teenagers who have organized their lives around honing a talent? Attitude! is for anyone interested in the world of dance, the psychology of talent, and the nature of adolescence in contemporary America."--BOOK JACKET.