Raising the Barre: Big Dreams, False Starts, and My Midlife Quest to Dance the Nutcracker

Lauren Kessler is a journalist and the author of several books, including Raising the Barre, Counterclockwise, and the Oregon Book Award winner Stubborn Twig. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times Magazine, and O: The Oprah Magazine. She lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her family.

Hollis McCarthy is an actor based in New York City, working in theater, film, TV, audiobooks, and voice-overs. Her many stage roles include appearances off-Broadway, at The Old Globe, and in Shakespeare festivals nationwide. She has also appeared in episodes of The Good Wife and House of Cards, as well as in feature films.