Katarina helps a fellow ballet dancer follow his dreams in this sweet second installment in the Katarina Ballerina series from New York City principal dancer and international prima ballerina Tiler Peck and Broadway and television actor Kyle Harris. After earning a spot in a prestigious ballet camp, Katarina is excited to meet other dancers from around the world! When she arrives, Katarina becomes fast friends with a boy named Ricky from London. He loves to dance, but also has a passion for soccer. As the camp comes to a close, Ricky struggles to embrace his identity and tell his teammates back home about his love for dance. Katarina encourages him via her letters as his pen pal, to own his gifts and share them with the world. But will it be enough to help Ricky chase his dreams beyond the soccer field and onto the dance floor? Tiler Peck is an international ballerina and has been a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet since 2009. She has been seen on Broadway in On the Town and The Music Man and originated the role of Marie in The Kennedy Center’s production of Little Dancer , alongside Kyle Harris. Ms. Peck performed for President Obama at the 2012 and 2014 Kennedy Center Honors. Ms. Peck has guested on Dancing with the Stars twice, and recently appeared on Julie Andrews’s Netflix series, Julie’s Greenroom . She is a recipient of the 2013 Princess Grace Statue Award and was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Hollywood/Entertainment. Most recently, she was the first woman to curate three performances titled Ballet Now at the Los Angeles Music Center and is the subject of a new documentary directed by Steven Cantor and produced by Elisabeth Moss for Hulu. She lives in New York City with her dog Cali. To learn more about Tiler, follow her on all social media platforms @TilerPeck. Kyle Harris is an actor in New York City. He recently starred in Freeform’s hit series Stitchers for three seasons and has appeared on Broadway in The Inheritance and Sondheim on Sondheim . Kyle toured the country as Tony in the Broadway National Tour of West Side Story and starred opposite Tiler Peck in the Broadway bound musical Little Dancer at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Kyle has also appeared on The Carrie Diaries and Beauty and the Beast on the CW, HBO’s High Maintenance , NBC’s The Blacklist Redemption , and God Friended Me on CBS. He has a BFA in musical theater from the University of Arizona and is the son of a second-grade teacher. If it weren’t for his mother introducing him to children’s books at a young age, he knows he wouldn’t be as well rounded and successful in the arts as he is today. To learn more about Kyle, follow him on all social media platforms @KyleHarris. Chapter 1 Chapter 1 “HAVE YOU GIRLS got everything?” Katarina’s dad asked as he unloaded the suitcases from the trunk of his car. Katarina did a quick check. She had her suitcase, with two weeks’ worth of clothes, including her ballet shoes and as many leotards as she had been able to jam inside. Her backpack held her journal, pictures to tack up on her dorm wall, and a couple of books. Her dance bag was slung over her shoulder. And tucked in her front pocket was the letter she’d received the week before and had already read so many times that the paper was beginning to fray at the edges. “I think so!” she said. Her friend Celeste nodded. “Sure do! Thanks again for driving me down here.” “My pleasure,” Katarina’s dad said. He pulled his daughter close and gave her a big hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her curly hair. “We’re sure going to miss you.” He got back into the car, where Katarina’s dog, Lulu, barked her goodbye. “I’m going to miss you both,” Katarina said, and scratched Lulu behind her ears, right in her sweet spot! “You be a good girl, Lulu! I’ll be back before you know it!” “Have fun, girls!” her dad said, and then he drove away. Katarina waved until he disappeared around a corner, and then she and Celeste made their way into the tall brick building. It would be home for the next few weeks, and Katarina couldn’t wait! After the girls registered, they made their way to the room they were assigned: 302. The room had two beds, a big window, and a small closet. Even though it wasn’t fancy, Katarina knew that with the help of the posters and pictures she had brought, it would resemble the feeling of her bedroom at home. Celeste glanced at her watch. “Ah! We’ve got to get moving. The shuttle is coming to get us really soon.” The girls were both excited and nervous for their first official day at camp. Katarina and Celeste had won their spots at the World Dance Camp months ago, and now they were finally here! Katarina changed into her favorite purple leotard with a yellow top patterned with stars and rainbow-striped leg warmers. She grabbed her dance bag and headed down into the lobby with Celeste, where the other dancers were waiting too. The shuttle pulled up, and all the da