Review: Taking Flight

Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina - Michaela Deprince

Taking Flight is the story of Michaela DePrince and her journey from being an orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone to an aspiring ballerina. Born Mabinty Bangura to an unusual family that allowed, and encouraged, her to learn to read and write, Mabinty's world changed when her father was killed by "debils" (rebels of the Revolutionary United Front) and her mother died of illness shortly after. Taken to an orphanage by an uncaring uncle, Mabinty soon found herself on the run with the other orphans when the debils took over the orphanage, Adopted and taken to the United States with her friend Mia, Mabinty's world changes again - this time for the better - as she becomes Michaela DePrince.

Going into the ballet world, Michaela had not only the disadvantage of being black, but also of having "spotted skin" - depigmentation caused by vitiligo - leaving her with patchy color on her chest and neck. Considered unattractive and worthless in her birthplace of Sierra Leona, Michaela has to learn to ignore the spots and accept herself as she really is - and to hope that others do as well. While Michaela doesn't rant about racism in the ballet world as some books have, it is clear that she struggled with it, being turned down for places in multiple ballet companies and even being denied an audition at one. She does mention the small number of black ballerinas, however it's just part of her and her story, and not the focus. The rest of her difficulties are echoed throughout the ballet world: worrying about money with the cost of pointe shoes and classes, missing her family when away from them for training, and having to give up so much of a "normal" life to achieve her dream of being a ballerina.

The real joy in this book is not only seeing a young woman who survived so much achieve her dream, but also the fact that she really had to work for it. Unlike other ballet memoirs that I have read recently, she didn't have everything handed to he: she wasn't a prodigy, she didn't receive numerous scholarships to every summer intensive and ballet program, and she didn't have someone rich paying for everything for her. She and her adopted parents and siblings had to deal with what they had, even re-dying old costumes to make new ones because it was too expensive to buy a new tutu for every competition. Everything she has, she worked for, and it's wonderful to see that she has gone through everything with grace and enthusiasm, not becoming bitter by her struggles, even with the odds against her. It was also refreshing to see a ballet memoir where the author did not battle an eating disorder - while Michaela mentions that at least one other student discussed "not eating" as a way to keep weight down, Michaela was starved and malnourished as a child and already knew that she didn't want to ever go down that path again.

It's unusual to see a memoir written by someone who is only now Twenty, however Michaela's mother encouraged her to write it, to show that you can overcome "abuse, starvation, pain, and terrible danger" - and that sometimes dreams are worth fighting for.

I'm really glad to see a positive story written by someone who I would view as a great role model for children and young adults, both in the ballet world and outside of it. This is a well-written story and while it may appear a little shallow at times, it is most likely because of the youth of the author. She may have gone through hell for her first four years, but a teenager is still a teenager in a lot of ways, no matter how adult she may seem.

*Library Copy*

 

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Source: http://www.amazon.com/gp/review/RMGCJPIVH8RJJ