1. A method for detecting and tracking a feature in an image, comprising the steps of: obtaining a set of training images clustered into clustered shape subspaces representative of at least one non-linear shape manifold in the training images; receiving an image in which identification of a feature in the image is desired and movement of the feature has occurred with respect to a previous image; creating an initial shape for identifying the feature in the image; searching through the clustered shape subspaces to find a potential matching shape which potentially matches the feature; deforming the initial shape into the potential matching shape; and continuing searching and deformation until a final shape indicative of the feature is obtained.