Dr. Linda Hamilton's ground breaking book, The Person Behind the Mask: A Guide to Performing Arts Psychology, takes the reader on a vivid journey of the performer's private world, where personal insecurity often wages an unsuccessful battle against the stresses of the profession-whether these are unrealistic weight requirements, debilitating injuries, or stage fright. Intended for performers, teachers, and health-care workers, this is a book that describes the psychological problems of the stage, with a focus on education and prevention.

In the current dance scene, performers contend with choreography that involves extreme dance, multiple techniques, and acrobatic moves, exemplified in the popular reality television show, "So You Think You Can Dance." The dilemma for aspiring professionals is that dance class no longer provides sufficient preparation for performing at this level. Dancers who want to achieve their best, avoid injury, and perform at their peak will welcome the insight and advice in the pages of "The Dancer's Way."

The world-renowned New York City Ballet developed their proven wellness program to help dancers reach their potential without compromising their health. As one of the key designers of this program, former dancer and clinical psychologist Linda Hamilton, Ph.D. provides the essential principles of wellness that will help you achieve your goals in all levels and forms of dance. These include keeping yourself physically healthy, nutritionally sound, and mentally prepared as a dancer. New York City Ballet's celebrated program, here for the first time in book form, highlights every tool you'll need to stay in great shape.

Dancers experience pain, joy, frustration, rapture, failure, applause, and are above the worldly concerns of food, money, and financial security. They live only to dance.

Or do they?

The reality is dancers of all ages, types, and skill levels often experience incredible physical and psychological stress and have traditionally bore their pain in stoic silence.

In this much needed new book, Dance Magazine's Linda Hamilton offers dancers the same type of advice and understanding they have come to trust from her popular monthly column. Psychologist Hamilton--a former dancer with New York City Ballet under the legAndary George Balanchine--offers a complete resource for coping with the day to day pressures of being a dancer. Page after page is filled with the insight that can only come from a person who has been intimately involved in the world of dance.

Hamilton outlines strategies for dancers for dealing with a variety of common physical and psychological issues and shows how to be true to your passion and bring back the joy in dancing. The book is filled with answers to dancer's most often asked questions and offers practical methods for dealing with such difficult problems as eating disorders, substance abuse, ruthless competition, and performance anxiety. Advice for Dancers will teach you how to:

• Achieve you physical potential and select the dance technique that's right for you
• Find out which teaching practices you can trust and why
• Learn how to reach your optimal weight without compromising your energy, health, and career
• Develop healthy relationships both inside and outside the dance studio
• Use a variety of resources to get work, roles, and promotions
• Perform technical feats in front of an audience even when you are frightened

Advice for Dancers is a result of Hamiltion's extensive research and years clinical work with dancers and includes information for a survey of more that 1,000 dancers from across the country.

Dr. Linda Hamilton's ground breaking book, The Person Behind the Mask: A Guide to Performing Arts Psychology, takes the reader on a vivid journey of the performer's private world, where personal insecurity often wages an unsuccessful battle against the stresses of the profession-whether these are unrealistic weight requirements, debilitating injuries, or stage fright. Intended for performers, teachers, and health-care workers, this is a book that describes the psychological problems of the stage, with a focus on education and prevention.