Mary Helen Bowers is a professional ballerina and the founder and CEO of Ballet Beautiful. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Mary Helen moved to New York City at age 15 to study at the School of American Ballet. She was invited to join the New York City Ballet the following year and danced 10 years with the company at Lincoln Center and on stages across the world.

After retiring from NYCB Mary Helen earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Columbia University. She launched Ballet Beautiful, a fitness and wellness program inspired by the grace and athleticism of ballet, in 2008. As a tech-savvy entrepreneur, Mary Helen developed one of the world's first online fitness studios. Today Ballet Beautiful has a global membership with a high profile following and impressive celebrity clientele. Ballet Beautiful and Mary Helen have been featured on CNN, ABC, the Today Show, the New York Times, Elle, Vogue, Women's Health, Harper's Bazaar and the Wall Street Journal.

For more information, to check out online classes and Ballet Beautiful videos, please visit www.balletbeautiful.com.

Ballet-inspired fitness for every woman! You don't have to be a professional ballerina to look like one! With Mary Helen Bowers' Ballet Beautiful, forget beating yourself up in the gym and suffering through starvation diets for some unattainable goal. You can achieve your ideal body and develop the strength, grace, and elegance of a dancer by following Mary Helen's proven program--one that's got everyone from celebrities to busy moms to executives raving! "Ballet Beautiful" is a fitness method that blends the artistry and athleticism of ballet with an easy, accessible eating plan that works for every "body" - and absolutely no dance experience is required. Created by professional ballerina Mary Helen Bowers, this transformative approach to fitness and health will reshape your body and your mind! "Ballet Beautiful"'s three-fold approach is not an extreme workout nor is it a radical diet for an overnight fix; it's a roadmap to achieving and maintaining your ideal health, shape and size--all with the elegance and strength of a ballerina. Part One of the book introduces the program's empowering mindset, the key to supporting and guiding you through lasting change. Part Two, the Ballet Beautiful Method, consists of challenging, effective, and fun workouts that sculpt and tone sleek ballet muscles and build beautiful posture. Whether you have a full hour or only 15 minutes, you can tailor the program to your own schedule and needs. Part Three shares the Ballet Beautiful Lifestyle, a healthy, balanced approach to nutrition. With meal plans, shopping tips and quick but delicious daily recipes that will satisfy and nourish your entire body, it's a stress-free, diet-free plan that will help keep you feeling as strong and healthy as you look.