Description
You don't stop. You never stop. Not if you want to be the best.
Clara has been dancing since she was three and knows exactly what she wants- a place at the Australian National Ballet School and a career as a principal dancer.
Elle, who accidentally found herself TikTok famous after a #balletfail went viral, is new to the dance world and thinks ballet needs to grand jete itself into the twenty-first century.
Ben, Elle's best friend, just wants to be able to dance en pointe and have his pick of both male and female solos.
Clara thinks Elle is a bit much. Elle thinks Clara's uptight. Ben's a bit stuck in the middle.
All three want to win the International Ballet Grand Prix at the Sydney Opera House. But when a scandal involving a famous dancer threatens their futures, the trio must put aside their differences to confront ballet's damaging traditions - and demand it do better.
Review
This wonderful story centres around a top ballet school and some of its dancers.
Clara has been dancing forever, and is literally brilliant. But life isn’t as easy as it seems - she lost her dad in a horrific car crash, and suffers from an eating disorder because of the constant pressure to not gain weight.
Elle started dancing only a few years ago. She is a natural and became famous because of a TikTok post showing her falling during a routine. She was trying a particularly difficult move and people loved her bravery and determination. This has given her a voice, and she often uses it to highlight the shortcomings of elite ballet schools - particularly gender role modelling, racism, and body shaming. Hopefully, this won’t get the stuffy ballet world against her...
Then there is the extravagant and brilliant Ben, who would rather be able to dance the female lead role, but of course that can't happen.
They each make it through to the Ballet Grand Prix, which is like the ballet Olympics for juniors. It has dancers competing from all around the world, and this year it is at the Sydney Opera House. To be chosen is incredible, but to be competing against each other will be hard. Can any of them win?
This is a terrific book that delves into the problems that can come with elite level competition. It contains themes of nepotism, racism, sexism, body shaming and eating disorders. It also explores grooming, and the use of social media to post inappropriate semi-nude photos. There are lots of big issues tackled very well in this book, and it leaves you with a lot of respect for the main characters, and hoping for a positive outcome for them in the end. I loved the story line, and highly recommend it for readers aged from 13 years and older.
