LIFE IN MOTION An Unlikely Ballerina

Ballet is precision balanced with beauty. This audiobook has more than enough precision but lacks the beauty of spontaneity. As Lisa Renée Pitts haltingly delivers the story of the only African-American soloist in the American Ballet Theatre, her pauses are so pronounced that they become a distraction, and her enunciation can seem pedantic. Copeland's narrative has a healthy portion of egotism, and Pitts's chilly, choppy delivery exacerbates the distant tone. Whenever Pitts lets her guard down and engages with the spirit of the text, the listener can engage with the story, which is inspiring and easy to follow. In the spaces between those natural moments, though, the listener is kept at arm's length. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2014]