Jessica Ribera
Jessica grew up learning ballet and chili cooking in Amarillo, Texas. At 17, she moved to Seattle to train and perform with the Pacific Northwest Ballet. She holds a BA in Business Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. In between births of her own children, she trained and worked as a doula in the Seattle area. Jessica’s work has appeared on Scary Mommy, The Mighty, Red Tricycle, The Brevity Blog, Fathom Magazine, and her own blog, jeskybera.com. Her four children and husband are her greatest joys.
Available for readings, discussions, and ballet teaching.
jessica@thealmostdancer.com
The Almost Dancer
Climbing canyon walls in Texas, young Jessica dreams of becoming a real ballerina. Hours, auditions, and bloody toes later, she finds herself dancing professionally as a trainee of the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Then one moment on stage sends her spinning. A memoir rich with vulnerability, humor, and an insider view of the ballet world, The Almost Dancer unpacks the effects of ambition, faith, education, and trauma on artistic life. Through spiritual insight and deep theological questions, Jessica recovers an identity that was never truly lost. The Almost Dancer is for anyone who needs to know that dreams don’t always come true but are always worth having.
Available for purchase on Amazon.
“More than a tale of loss, The Almost Dancer is simultaneously a tender coming-of-age story set in the rarified world of elite ballet training and a nuanced, hopeful look at the power of nurturing dreams into adulthood. Jessica Ribera deftly balances grief and grace in her compelling memoir; with a sharp eye for detail and overflowing hunger for life, she poignantly recounts the journey from dance student, to almost dancer, to dancer once more. Her love for ballet is palpable on every page, and her earnest reflections on faith, pain, and meaning resonate long after the final chapter.”
Laurel Simon,
Dancer, Instructor, Choreographer
“Life is a dance. But not the one we expect. Jessica gracefully guides us to this truth through her own unexpected journey, and we are blessed to have such a good instructor.”
Scott Erickson
Visual Artist and Author
