Review of Dances by Nicole Cuffy

*Dances* by Nicole Cuffy (2023). Published by One World.

One of my favorite ways to find new books is to wander the depths of my local library branch in search of something new to read. They recently switched up the layout of the interior, so it’s been a new kind of adventure to figure out how exactly this new setup fits my personal needs.

That said, I was in the new fiction section when I spotted this cover on display. What drew me in was the fact is was a ballerina, but Black. It also reminded me of an 1800s Degas painting from the stylistic details of the cover, but this is a cover that reveals some key facts: we know it’s about dance, and the main character is a Black ballerina.

I know a little bit about the ballet industry and know about its diversity problems, so I had an idea of what to expect from this book. I was not surprised when I read the synopsis because of that, but it made me more interested to read the book. I read it pretty quickly, over the course of two days.

Here’s my review!

Cece is 22, and has just been named the first Black principal dancer at the New York Ballet.

Our main character in this novel is Cece, is 22 and has just been asked to take over for a fellow dancer, who can’t do her role in this show. Cece has been training her whole life for this moment, so when she gets on that stage, she dominates and tries to show the world who she is.

That ends up getting her promoted into the first Black principal dancer at the New York Ballet, leading to tons of other opportunities being given to her. She has become a celebrity, and an icon to many other girls who look like her in the world.

Throughout the course of the novel, there are several different problems that are going to be complicated because of this. Cece has an on and off relationship with one of her fellow dancers, which leads to some tensions within the group, as another woman likes him too.

There’s also the fact she gets pregnant at some point, and she needs to make a major decision before it ends up ruining her career.

Cece also has a more complicated home life. Her mother doesn’t really believe in dance as a career, and her father has been out of their lives for quite a bit now. In certain chapters, we learn more about Cece’s brother.

He was supportive of her career and ambitions when her mother was not, but he has gone missing. At a certain point in the novel, Cece goes out to find him herself, trying to reclaim a lost part of her life that she feels went away when her brother disappeared.

I’d say this was a pretty quick read, as the writing flowed pretty well and I didn’t get tripped up with the plot. There are certainly a lot of major events throughout the course of the novel to sort through, but that doesn’t impact the reading experience.

Overall Thoughts

I really enjoyed this novel. I’m not a dancer myself, but I could sympathize deeply with Cece and her troubles as someone who chose to pursue a more creative lifestyle.

It’s hard, although I can’t pretend to understand how rigorous it is to be a dancer in one of the best companies in the world. That destroys your body and mind in so many ways. It’s even harder as a Black woman without much family support.

That said, I think the different components of conflict weave together well to create a comprehensive story that’s valuable. I highly recommend anyone who’s interested to pick this book up.

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