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If you’ve ever been to the ballet, you’ve most likely been captivated by the poise, the control, and the movements of the dancers. But behind the grace and beauty on stage, there’s a very different world—one that author Rachel Kapelke-Dale explores in The Ballerinas.
The story follows 36-year-old former dancer Delphine as she returns home to Paris—and to the Paris Opera Ballet—after spending the last 13 years working with her choreographer boyfriend in St. Petersburg. Though she hopes to pick up where she left off with her best friends, Lindsay and Margaux, life has changed. Now in their last years as dancers, Margaux is ready to move on and start a family, while Lindsay is still chasing stardom. And though she gave up dancing for choreography, Delphine still carries a secret that threatens their friendship.
Weaving together scenes from the dancers’ past and scenes from their adulthood, The Ballerinas offers an eye-opening look at the life of a top dancer. These women didn’t have the youth that most people do. Instead of going to a school with future teachers and plumbers and lawyers, they’ve learned and lived and worked with the same people for almost as long as they can remember. Instead of going to school dances and getting a part-time job, they trained, always well aware of their bodies, their strength, their movement—and the need to compete with their classmates for those few coveted positions at the ballet. Theirs has been a life of shaping and moving and managing their bodies in a way that’s acceptable to those around them. And now that they’re nearing the end of their careers, they’re struggling. Margaux drinks to cope. Lindsay is killing herself to achieve her goals before it’s too late. And Delphine finds herself coming to some difficult realizations.
More than just a story of the challenges of life as a ballet dancer, though, it also explores what it’s like to be a woman. The author focuses on the three main characters and their friendship—their devotion to each other, the challenges of competing for the same roles, and the changes in dynamics through the years. She examines Delphine’s relationships with the men in her life—her desire to find happiness and love and how she eventually learns to stand up for herself. And all of the work and dedication, the friendships, the dreams, and the years of pent-up frustrations build into an unexpected conclusion—and a story that’s both fascinating and heartbreaking.
While The Ballerinas will definitely open readers’ eyes to life in pointe shoes, it also explores more about the challenges of being a woman. Don’t expect something light and fluffy here. It’s an often dark and haunting story of friendship and dance.
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