This month, audiobooks officially became part of Spotify Premium subscriptions. Spotify added audiobooks, purchased through their website, as a feature in September 2022, but now premium listeners can use 15 hours a month of audiobook listening as part of their regular subscription. The books included in Spotify Premium include more than 200,000 titles, and we went digging to find some awesome dance titles to tune into.
1. Misty Copeland Look Back on Her Relationship with Raven Wilkinson
5 hours, 13 minutes listening time. Narrated By Misty Copeland!
From celebrated ballerina and New York Times bestselling author Misty Copeland, a heartfelt memoir about her friendship with trailblazer Raven Wilkinson which captures the importance of mentorship, shared history, and honoring the past to ensure a stronger future.
Misty Copeland made history as the first African-American principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre. Her talent, passion, and perseverance enabled her to make strides no one had accomplished before. But as she will tell you, achievement never happens in a void. Behind her, supporting her rise was her mentor Raven Wilkinson. Raven had been virtually alone in her quest to breach the all-white ballet world when she fought to be taken seriously as a Black ballerina in the 1950s and 60s. A trailblazer in the world of ballet decades before Misty’s time, Raven faced overt and casual racism, hostile crowds, and death threats for having the audacity to dance ballet.
The Wind at My Back tells the story of two unapologetically Black ballerinas, their friendship, and how they changed each other—and the dance world—forever. Misty Copeland shares her own struggles with racism and exclusion in her pursuit of this dream career and honors the women like Raven who paved the way for her but whose contributions have gone unheralded. She celebrates the connection she made with her mentor, the only teacher who could truly understand the obstacles she faced, beyond the technical or artistic demands.
A beautiful and wise memoir of intergenerational friendship and the impressive journeys of two remarkable women, The Wind at My Back captures the importance of mentorship, of shared history, and of respecting the past to ensure a stronger future.
2. A Novel About the Odd-Balance of Chasing Your Dreams and Growing Up
9 hours, 55 minutes listening time.
A ballerina at the height of her powers becomes consumed with finding her missing brother in this “striking debut” (Oprah Daily).
“A compelling novel about the spiritual and bodily costs of the dogged pursuit of art.”—Raven Leilani, author of Luster
At twenty-two years old, Cece Cordell reaches the pinnacle of her career as a ballet dancer when she’s promoted to principal at the New York City Ballet. She’s instantly catapulted into celebrity, heralded for her “inspirational” role as the first Black ballerina in the famed company’s history. Even as she celebrates the achievement of a lifelong dream, Cece remains haunted by the feeling that she doesn’t belong. As she waits for some feeling of rightness that doesn’t arrive, she begins to unravel the loose threads of her past—an absent father, a pragmatic mother who dismisses Cece’s ambitions, and a missing older brother who stoked her childhood love of ballet but disappeared to deal with his own demons.
Soon after her promotion, Cece is faced with a choice that has the potential to derail her career and shatter the life she’s cultivated for herself, sending her on a pilgrimage to both find her brother and reclaim the parts of herself lost in the grinding machinery of the traditional ballet world.
Written with spellbinding beauty and ballet’s precise structure, Dances centers around women, art, and power, and how we come to define freedom for ourselves.
3. A Story Where the Mean Girl Has to Grow and Earn Everyone’s Forgiveness
9 hours, 17 minutes listening time.
The first book from Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’-which is soon to be a major motion picture starring Danielle Macdonald and Jennifer Aniston.
For fans of John Green and Rainbow Rowell comes this powerful novel about a girl with cancer who creates a take-no-prisoners bucket list that sets off a war at school-only to discover she’s gone into remission.
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs. So she convinces her best friend, Harvey, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge as it is about hope.
But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission, and now she must face the consequences of all she’s said and done.
Contemporary realistic fiction readers who love romantic stories featuring strong heroines will find much to savor in this standout debut.
4. Competition and Drama Explode as a Group of Girls Aim for Prima Ballerina Status
13 hours, 12 minutes listening time.
How far is too far?
At one of Manhattan’s most elite ballet schools, wafer-thin ballerinas pull their hair into sleek buns and lace their pointe shoes high, waiting for their chance to shine. But beneath the pretty, polished surface, these girls are hiding some terrible secrets and telling some twisted lies.
Privileged Bette is tiny and beautiful-like a ballerina in a music box. But living forever in the shadow of her ballet-star sister and under the weight of family expectations brings out a dangerous edge in her.
Perfectionist June can turn a flawless plié and diligently keeps her weight below 100 pounds. But she’s never landed a lead role. Tired of always being the understudy, this year she’ll settle for nothing but the best-even if she must resort to some less-than-perfect means to get there.
And new girl Gigi isn’t your traditional ballerina. A free-spirited California girl, she’s not used to the fierce competition. Still, that doesn’t stop her from outperforming every dancer in the school. But even she is hiding a ticking time bomb, and the very act of dancing just might expose her secrets to everyone.
Being a prima isn’t all satin and lace; sometimes you have to play dirty. With the competition growing fiercer with every performance, and harmless pranks growing ever darker, it’s only a matter of time before one small spark ignites . . . and even the best get burned.
5. A NYCB Ballerina’s Advice on Tackling It All and Taking Care of Yourself
3 hours listening time. Narrated by Megan Fairchild!
Learn how to thrive in intense, competitive environments with these secrets from one of America’s premiere ballerinas–and get a sneak peek at what her life is really like.
Ballet may look glamorous and effortless to audience members, but it requires grueling discipline. It’s a competitive and physically and mentally demanding career that combines elite athleticism, artistry, and performance. Not only do dancers rehearse for six to eight hours a day before performing at night, but they also must make it all look easy!
As a principal ballerina with New York City Ballet and a one-time Broadway star–not to mention a mother of three and an MBA student–Megan Fairchild is all too familiar with these challenges. In The Ballerina Mindset, she shares all the wisdom she’s learned from her nearly two-decade career, drawing upon her own experiences to show us how she learned to overcome challenges ranging from stage fright to negative feedback to a packed calendar to weight management–and how we can do the same. Inspiring, warm, and revelatory, The Ballerina Mindset is the perfect how-to guide for dancers, athletes, artists, and anyone struggling to stay sane in a high-pressure environment.
6. A Classic Ballet Story About Finding Your Niche
6 hours, 3 minutes listening time.
In the tradition of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Little Princess come Noel Streatfeild’s classic Shoes books. In this story, three orphan girls vow to make a name for themselves and find their own special talents. With hard work, fame just may be in the stars!
Pauline, Petrova, and Posy are love their quiet life together. The girls are orphans who have been raised as sisters and when their new family needs money, the girls want to help. They decide to join the Children’s Academy of Dancing and Stage Training to earn their keep. Each girl works hard following her dream. Pauline is destined for the movies. Posy is a born dancer. And Petrova? She finds she’d rather be a pilot than perform a pirouette.
This beautiful children’s classic is perfect for girls who love to dream about ballet, friendship, and finding their own special talents. Adult readers may remember them as the “Shoes” books from You’ve Got Mail!
