What Does Beyonce and Her New Album 'Lemonade' Have to Do with a Book?

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Many of us watched Beyonce on the television this past Sunday when she unveiled her new album "Lemonade". Now your probably wondering why I mentioned, that both Beyonce and the album were associated to a book. Well sort of, let me explain. If you watched Sunday night, then you saw when Beyonce sang her song 'Freedom' which featured Ballerina Michaela DePrince in the music video.

Now your probably wondering, who Michaela DePrince is right? Well let me tell you all about her and her memoir TAKING FLIGHT.

Not only is Michaela an amazing dancer but she wrote an extraordinary memoir TAKING FLIGHT (Ember Paperback/ On sale January 19, 2016 / Ages 12 up)—an inspiring story of a young girl who escaped war-torn Sierra Leone for the rarefied heights of American ballet.  Below is a description and praise for Michaela’s engaging, moving, and unforgettable memoir that she wrote with the help of her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince.

TAKING FLIGHT 

(Ember Paperback/ On sale January 19, 2016 / Ages 12 up)

By Michaela and Elaine DePrince

Michaela DePrince was known as girl Number 27 at the orphanage, where she was abandoned at a young age and tormented as a “devil child” due to a condition that makes her skin appear spotted. But it was at the orphanage that Michaela would find a picture of a beautiful ballerina en pointe that would irrevocably change the course of her life.

At the age of four, Michaela was adopted by an American family, who encouraged her love of dancing and enrolled her in classes. The 2012 feature documentary First Position recorded Michaela’s journey as she became a finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix in New York City and was awarded a scholarship to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of the American Ballet Theatre in 2010. Michaela has since appeared on Dancing with the Stars, Good Morning America, Nightline,the BBC, and more. The Huffington Post named her one of their “18 Under 18: HuffPost Teen’s List of the Most Amazing People of the Year” in 2012, and she was one of Newsweek/The Daily Beast’s “125 Women of Impact” the following year.

In this engaging, moving, and unforgettable memoir, Michaela, with the help of her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince,shares her dramatic story from orphanhood in West Africa to becoming one of ballet’s most exciting rising stars.

MICHAELA DEPRINCE graduated from the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York and is a dancer with the Dutch National Ballet. She travels between Amsterdam and Atlanta, where she lives with her family. Visit her at michaeladeprince.com or follow her on Twitter at @michdeprince

“Readers will be moved by her grit and passion.”

—New York Times Book Review

“For every young dancer TAKING FLIGHT by ballerina Michaela DePrince and Elaine DePrince, is a must read.”

—Misty Copeland

“A story so inspiring you might want to become a ballerina yourself.”

—Teen Vogue

“So inspiring!”

—J-14 magazine

“Her dramatic journey from African orphan to one of ballet’s most exciting new stars will warm the heart of your friends who love inspiring real life success stories like The Blind Side.”

—Justine magazine

“There are moments that will leave you in tears – yet her inspiring story is one you’ll never forget.”

—Dance Spirit magazine, Pick of the Month

“Michaela’s ability to speak out about her tough childhood and the prejudices that she still faces today is fascinating. And what’s even more inspiring is she continues to encourage everyone to go after their dreams.”

—GirlsLife.com

“Powerfully poignant yet incredibly inspiring, TAKING FLIGHT may be earmarked for youth, but adult readers will benefit from and be equally moved by Deprince's eye-opening read.”

—Teenreads.com

« “The book’s strong thread is Michaela’s lifelong passion for ballet and her candid depiction of the physical and emotional struggles of becoming a black classical ballerina.

—Publishers Weekly, Starred