The Story of One Girl

This book is about the childhood and youth of the famous ballerina Galina Ulanova. It tells the story of how the girl Galia sought her creative path, overcoming difficulties and fighting the temptation to turn back. How she went through all the most terrible trials with her country — wars and famine — and how she endured her own hardships in separation from her home in the challenging environment of a ballet school. From this book, the young reader will learn that art requires not only talent but also daily work and diligence, the cultivation of will and strong character.

This book tells about the childhood of the remarkable Soviet ballerina, People's Artist of the Soviet Union Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova. Her name is known in all countries of the world, everywhere people love and honor art, and both small and large love it. Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova told me about the years of her childhood and training in ballet school, and I later wrote this book based on her stories and partly on my own theatrical memories. I wanted my young readers to know how difficult and significant, how intense the work is that precedes the joyful art of dance, which we all love so much and which seems so light and cheerful.
True art requires unwavering and daily work throughout life, and the life of every artist is primarily devoted to their creativity. Thus, the life of Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova was devoted to her creative work, and that is why she became a great dancer and a remarkable actress, each appearance of whom on stage brings us such great joy.