Review: The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Fiction 

ISBN: 9781250274236
Release Date: December 7, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Thirteen years ago, Delphine abandoned her prestigious soloist spot at the Paris Opera Ballet for a new life in St. Petersburg––taking with her a secret that could upend the lives of her best friends, fellow dancers Lindsay and Margaux. Now 36 years old, Delphine has returned to her former home and to the legendary Palais Garnier Opera House, to choreograph the ballet that will kickstart the next phase of her career––and, she hopes, finally make things right with her former friends. But Delphine quickly discovers that things have changed while she's been away...and some secrets can't stay buried forever.

Moving between the trio's adolescent years and the present day, Rachel Kapelke-Dale's The Ballerinas explores the complexities of female friendship, the dark drive towards physical perfection in the name of artistic expression, the double-edged sword of ambition and passion, and the sublimated rage that so many women hold inside––all culminating in a twist you won't see coming, with magnetic characters you won't soon forget.

The Ballerinas is a study in duality; it’s beautiful and ugly, strong and fragile, perfect and messy. Rachel Kapelke-Dale brings her world of the Paris Opera Ballet to life, showing the stunning highs, the athletic perfection, along with the cost and the all-consuming nature of ballet. At the center of it all are the titular ballerinas, women of immense power who appear fragile, women who are objectified by one and all.

After thirteen years away, Delphine has returned to Paris. The former ballerina turned choreographer is eager to be reunited with her best friends, Margaux and Lindsay. Kapelke-Dale takes readers between past and present, through the blood, sweat, and tears as the students turned professional ballerinas strive to become the best of the best. The past is filled with triumph, ambition, friendship, and pain; the present with strained relationships, broken dreams, and Delphine’s desperate hope for more, though hanging over her is a secret that could ruin everything she holds dear.

The Ballerinas is atmospheric, Kapelke-Dale’s writing sucking me in even though I will admit the first half of the book is rather slow. I loved the descriptions of ballet, the beautiful and the painful moments that make up everything. The author’s love of the subject is there, even though she doesn’t shy away from the realistic moments which break the fantasy you see on stage. The objectification of women, the rampant misogyny, the imbalance of power is all given it’s due attention and it was fascinating to watch Delphine’s understanding of these topics deepen as she grows older. Even when I wondered where the plot was going, Kapelke-Dale’s writing was beautiful. Halfway through the story hits its stride and from there it’s an intense, interesting read. The characters aren’t likeable, but they’re engaging and I wanted Delphine in particular to break free and claim her power. I didn’t know where the story would take Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay, but I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down until Kapelke-Dale spun everything together at the end.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.