When the applause dies down and the stage lights are turned off, the dancer takes a bus home to sit in a tub of hot water to soak aching muscles. In Third Swan from the Left, author Debbie Wilson makes it clear that life in the world of professional dance is not all champagne and tutus.

The stories in her memoir offer a synopsis of a rich journey-from beginning dance at age four, to aspiring student, through the performance years, and her travels around the globe. The narrative provides true insight into what it means to be a working dancer. Wilson’s keen awareness of world politics, social inequalities, bureaucratic bungling, and more provide a comical and critical look at the universe. Against the backdrop of dance, Third Swan from the Left offers a perspective on the world as Wilson sees it.

With anecdotes appealing to aspiring dancers, former dancers, families of dancers, and friends, Third Swan from the Left shows that dance is a primal connection to our emotional lives beyond the material world we live in-a combination of the physical movement and the creative input forces us to constantly connect with our true essence.