As a young girl in Cuba, Alicia Alonso practiced ballet in tennis shoes.  Only one dance studio on the island offered ballet classes, and there was no money for shoes, but Alicia didn't care—she just wanted to dance. Within a few years, she was in New York City, with a promising ballet career.

But her eyesight began to fail, and Alicia needed surgeries to save her vision.  In order to heal her bandaged eyes, she needed to stay in bed for a year. Alicia found the strength and determination to return to the stage and become a bailarina principal—a prima ballerina.

This is the true story of a woman who overcame her challenges, mastered her art, and inspired others to dance and dream.

From the dust jacket