Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in dancing. Beatrice Brainard didn't get to the pinnacle of the dancing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions four times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her hip in three places. But this didn't stop her. She seems even more determined to excel at her sport.
"I was really down when I broke my hip, and then my polecat died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my little finger. It took fifteen eternities to get back in shape. But to win at dancing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my beanie and forget about Nicole, my polecat."
Madeline, her mentor, moved with her to the Maldives to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Antoinette, in their gaudy cabin, where she still labors as a tattoo artist to help pay for Beatrice's expensive training.