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Ballet Theatre Chronicles #2
Outside the Limelight
Rising ballet star Dena Lindgren's dream career is knocked off its axis when a puzzling onstage fall results in a crushing diagnosis: a brain tumor. Looming surgery and its long recovery period prompt the company’s artistic director, Anders Gunst, to shift his attention to an overshadowed company dancer: Dena's older sister, Rebecca, with whom Anders once shared a special relationship.
Under the heady glow of Anders’ attention, Rebecca thrives, even as her recuperating sister, hobbled and unnoticed, languishes on the sidelines of a world that demands beauty and perfection. Rebecca ultimately faces a painful choice: play by the artistic director’s rules and profit, or take shocking action to help her sister.
Exposing the glamorous onstage world of professional ballet, as well as its shadowed wings and dark underbelly, OUTSIDE THE LIMELIGHT examines loyalty, beauty, artistic passion, and asks what might be worth losing in order to help the ones you love.
Under the heady glow of Anders’ attention, Rebecca thrives, even as her recuperating sister, hobbled and unnoticed, languishes on the sidelines of a world that demands beauty and perfection. Rebecca ultimately faces a painful choice: play by the artistic director’s rules and profit, or take shocking action to help her sister.
Exposing the glamorous onstage world of professional ballet, as well as its shadowed wings and dark underbelly, OUTSIDE THE LIMELIGHT examines loyalty, beauty, artistic passion, and asks what might be worth losing in order to help the ones you love.
390 pages, Paperback
Published October 30, 2016
About the author
Terez Mertes Rose
5 books194 followersTerez Mertes Rose is a writer and former ballet dancer whose work has appeared in the Crab Orchard Review, Literary Mama, Women Who Eat (Seal Press), A Woman’s Europe (Travelers’ Tales), the Philadelphia Inquirer and the San Jose Mercury News. She reviews dance performances for Bachtrack.com and blogs about ballet and classical music at The Classical Girl. The author of the Ballet Theatre Chronicles (OFF BALANCE, OUTSIDE THE LIMELIGHT, BALLET ORPHANS, OTHER STAGES) and A Dancer's Guide to Africa, she makes her home with family in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She loves good food, good wine, great books, and a good (but not too hard) adult ballet class. She's proud to announce that Outside the Limelight, Book 2 of the Ballet Theatre Chronicles, was named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
January 12, 2017
This is a very well written book about a ballet company. It is obvious that the author knows firsthand about life in the ballet world. Although the book is the second book in a series, I read it as a stand alone book and enjoyed it.
This book features two sisters who are members of the same ballet company in San Francisco. Dena is the younger sister who is very talented, she has a fire inside that comes out when she performs and is a soloist in the ballet company. Rebecca is the older sister who is very beautiful and dances in the corps de ballet. There is an element of sibling rivalry that comes out when Dena was promoted ahead of Rebecca. The sisters have completely different sets of friends in the ballet company and do not spend much time together. Most of their communication is about the who gets to usea car that they own together.
Everything changes for Dena when she is diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a type of brain tumor, which she has to have removed. After the surgery, she faces hearing loss on one side, a severed facial nerve that had to be grafted, and months upon months of rehabilitation. Her recovery is very challenging and slow but it gives Dena a chance to learn more about herself and what the world outside of ballet is like.
Rebecca is coming to terms with the fact that she may spend her career dancing in the corps without out ever being promoted. She is attending college so that she will have options when her ballet career is over. When her sister is diagnosed with the tumor, she betrays Dena's trust because it gives her a chance to get the attention of the company director who she is infatuated with. Rebecca has to work very hard at rebuilding her relationship with her sister and her parents after her betrayal becomes known.
The two sisters do manage find their way back to each other. They learn many things about themselves, their family, and about relationships on the journey. They both learn how to be strong women and think for themselves.
This book gives you a realistic look at the life of a ballet dancer both their daily life and their performances on stage. The physical toll that is behind the beautiful performances is amazing. The competitive nature of a ballet company also takes an emotional toll on the dancers and the rivalries and politics can become very toxic.
You are given insight about why dancers do what they do despite the difficulties which is that they all love what they do. Dancing is their joy in life.
I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in return for an honest review.
This book features two sisters who are members of the same ballet company in San Francisco. Dena is the younger sister who is very talented, she has a fire inside that comes out when she performs and is a soloist in the ballet company. Rebecca is the older sister who is very beautiful and dances in the corps de ballet. There is an element of sibling rivalry that comes out when Dena was promoted ahead of Rebecca. The sisters have completely different sets of friends in the ballet company and do not spend much time together. Most of their communication is about the who gets to usea car that they own together.
Everything changes for Dena when she is diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a type of brain tumor, which she has to have removed. After the surgery, she faces hearing loss on one side, a severed facial nerve that had to be grafted, and months upon months of rehabilitation. Her recovery is very challenging and slow but it gives Dena a chance to learn more about herself and what the world outside of ballet is like.
Rebecca is coming to terms with the fact that she may spend her career dancing in the corps without out ever being promoted. She is attending college so that she will have options when her ballet career is over. When her sister is diagnosed with the tumor, she betrays Dena's trust because it gives her a chance to get the attention of the company director who she is infatuated with. Rebecca has to work very hard at rebuilding her relationship with her sister and her parents after her betrayal becomes known.
The two sisters do manage find their way back to each other. They learn many things about themselves, their family, and about relationships on the journey. They both learn how to be strong women and think for themselves.
This book gives you a realistic look at the life of a ballet dancer both their daily life and their performances on stage. The physical toll that is behind the beautiful performances is amazing. The competitive nature of a ballet company also takes an emotional toll on the dancers and the rivalries and politics can become very toxic.
You are given insight about why dancers do what they do despite the difficulties which is that they all love what they do. Dancing is their joy in life.
I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in return for an honest review.
January 13, 2017
I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dance is a big part of my life. I have been learning Indian Classical forms of dance since I was 4 years old and I still dance today. At one point in my life, I was just doing it for fun (and also because my parents were forcing me) but now, I can't imagine not doing it. I was very excited to read a story on the competitive and strenuous life of a ballet dancer, so thank you to the publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
Dena Lindgren's career as a ballet dancer is at its highest peak when disaster strikes in the form of a brain tumor. Following surgery, Dena discovers that half of her face is paralyzed. Her dreams of continuing to dance are marred by the long road to recovery, and the deficits she faces in presenting emotion. In light of this tragedy, Anders Gunst, the ballet company's artistic director, shifts his attention to Rebecca, Dena's older sister. Under Anders' heady attention, Rebecca makes her mark as an artist, while her sister languishes on the sidelines of a ballet word that demands beauty and perfection. Rebecca will have to make a painful choice: focus on her own career by playing by the rules of the artistic director, or risk it all to help her sister.
What a wonderful story that showed a glimpse into the dance world! This is definitely one of my favorite realistic fiction novels so far!
The rigors of the dance world and the toll it takes on the dancers was depicted so accurately. This novel makes even those who aren't entrenched in that world understand how a passion can drive a person to go to extreme lengths. I could connect with every single character in the story, the way they pushed themselves to keep going despite numerous injuries, their doubts as to whether they were good enough or whether they should just give it a rest. But most of all, the joy and the exhilaration that the dancers felt when they performed well... that was captured and explained beautifully. With every triumph they had, I shared in that feeling with them.
The sisters' relationship was both complex and simple at the same time, and in a way it reminded me of my own relationship with my little sister. It was complex because they are both in such a difficult environment, where one person's success means the other person failed. To still support your sister through that is a difficult task indeed. The sisters showed that even the strongest ties can be weakened by ambition, fear, and selfishness. But it can also be restrengthened through growth, consideration, and love for each other. Throughout the novel, we read about these sisters going through their own emotions and how that affects their interaction with each other. By the end of the novel, they feel at peace with their life and where they are at, which was just amazing to witness.
All of the other characters were equally strong, and were necessary to show other sides of the sisters' personalities. Their respective interactions with other characters showed how they managed to make it as individuals, while also highlighting the competitiveness and pettiness that can emerge in this industry. I'm not going to say more in case I spoil the story but every character played an essential role, and helped to make the story work.
I really enjoyed this book, with its insightful view of the ballet world. This novel explored relationships, ambition, and fate in a touching way, and I still feel the impact of it hours after reading the story. This novel will make you connect on an intimate level with Dena and Rebecca, and will show you that a tragedy can sometimes lead to a better place.
For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com
Dance is a big part of my life. I have been learning Indian Classical forms of dance since I was 4 years old and I still dance today. At one point in my life, I was just doing it for fun (and also because my parents were forcing me) but now, I can't imagine not doing it. I was very excited to read a story on the competitive and strenuous life of a ballet dancer, so thank you to the publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
Dena Lindgren's career as a ballet dancer is at its highest peak when disaster strikes in the form of a brain tumor. Following surgery, Dena discovers that half of her face is paralyzed. Her dreams of continuing to dance are marred by the long road to recovery, and the deficits she faces in presenting emotion. In light of this tragedy, Anders Gunst, the ballet company's artistic director, shifts his attention to Rebecca, Dena's older sister. Under Anders' heady attention, Rebecca makes her mark as an artist, while her sister languishes on the sidelines of a ballet word that demands beauty and perfection. Rebecca will have to make a painful choice: focus on her own career by playing by the rules of the artistic director, or risk it all to help her sister.
What a wonderful story that showed a glimpse into the dance world! This is definitely one of my favorite realistic fiction novels so far!
The rigors of the dance world and the toll it takes on the dancers was depicted so accurately. This novel makes even those who aren't entrenched in that world understand how a passion can drive a person to go to extreme lengths. I could connect with every single character in the story, the way they pushed themselves to keep going despite numerous injuries, their doubts as to whether they were good enough or whether they should just give it a rest. But most of all, the joy and the exhilaration that the dancers felt when they performed well... that was captured and explained beautifully. With every triumph they had, I shared in that feeling with them.
The sisters' relationship was both complex and simple at the same time, and in a way it reminded me of my own relationship with my little sister. It was complex because they are both in such a difficult environment, where one person's success means the other person failed. To still support your sister through that is a difficult task indeed. The sisters showed that even the strongest ties can be weakened by ambition, fear, and selfishness. But it can also be restrengthened through growth, consideration, and love for each other. Throughout the novel, we read about these sisters going through their own emotions and how that affects their interaction with each other. By the end of the novel, they feel at peace with their life and where they are at, which was just amazing to witness.
All of the other characters were equally strong, and were necessary to show other sides of the sisters' personalities. Their respective interactions with other characters showed how they managed to make it as individuals, while also highlighting the competitiveness and pettiness that can emerge in this industry. I'm not going to say more in case I spoil the story but every character played an essential role, and helped to make the story work.
I really enjoyed this book, with its insightful view of the ballet world. This novel explored relationships, ambition, and fate in a touching way, and I still feel the impact of it hours after reading the story. This novel will make you connect on an intimate level with Dena and Rebecca, and will show you that a tragedy can sometimes lead to a better place.
For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com
November 4, 2016
Rebecca and Dena are sisters and each must face the biggest challenge of their life. Will it be enough? Will they meet all the demands of life and succeed on and off the stage.
Parts of this story leave you breathless with anticipation and parts leave you wanting more. There are some places where the dialogue needs a little fine tuning. However, the story and the characters are very well put together. I did really dislike Dena though. I wanted to jerk her baldheaded in places. This kept the story entertaining.
I always enjoy stories about ballet. I like to see if the author really knows anything about the craft. I have had many years of ballet training so, it is always interesting to see if there are any mistakes. I did not find any in the novel. The author hit it square on. The practicing, the terminology and the competition are very well done and true to form.
Parts of this story leave you breathless with anticipation and parts leave you wanting more. There are some places where the dialogue needs a little fine tuning. However, the story and the characters are very well put together. I did really dislike Dena though. I wanted to jerk her baldheaded in places. This kept the story entertaining.
I always enjoy stories about ballet. I like to see if the author really knows anything about the craft. I have had many years of ballet training so, it is always interesting to see if there are any mistakes. I did not find any in the novel. The author hit it square on. The practicing, the terminology and the competition are very well done and true to form.
February 25, 2018
Great book about ballet! Heartfelt and informative for the people who never danced ballet. The story follows two sisters Rebecca and Dena through years of their careers as professional ballet dancers. The characters are believable, interesting and complex. There is plenty of siblings rivalry, sweat and tears. The plot kept surprising me, there was a lot going on. The dances were beautifully described and the description of life at the ballet company was realistic and engaging.
March 4, 2021
This book was fine for what it was supposed to be. I enjoyed the dynamic between the two sisters, but so many books about dancers have a lot of the same archetypes and characters and after a while they start to blend together. There was nothing amazing about this book, it wasn't super diverse, but it was an enjoyable read.
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March 29, 2021🎁Books 2 & 3 in the Series are FREE on Amazon today (3/29/2021)! 🎁
May 7, 2018
Two sisters who are professional ballerinas are also rivals. The story revolves around their problems as they try to get leading roles in the ballets. I believe anyone who is a ballerina or loves the ballet will enjoy all the insights in this profession. Just a bit too long.
December 30, 2016
We all know about ballerinas whose stories are exceptional. But what about those are aren't principal dancers? What about the ones who don't struggle up from unusual circumstances to become household names? What about the ones who do everything by the book and dedicate their lives to ballet only to remain in the corps for their entire careers?
"Outside the Limelight" is the story of two sisters, Dena and Rebecca, who dance in the same company. Rebecca is the older and more beautiful of the two, while Dena is the younger and more talented, and is promoted over Rebecca. Until she has to undergo a potentially career-ending surgery.
This book is about ballet, and balletomanes like myself will find the detailed and life-like descriptions of company class, rehearsals, performances, and the crushing grind of exhaustion and injury that all dancers face, to be reason enough to read this book. However, readers who wouldn't know the difference between Sleeping Beauty and the Sugarplum Fairy shouldn't be put off: mainly this is a story about sibling rivalry (and love), and the toll that being in a highly competitive profession, where hard work can't substitute for talent and stars peak young and fade early, takes on your body, mind, and spirit. Dena has to deal with months of rehab and the possibility that her promising career might be cut off before it's even truly gotten underway (as someone dealing with my own health problems right now, I found this aspect of the novel particularly compelling), while Rebecca has to face the fact that she's never going to be promoted out of the corps or gain the love of the older, powerful man she has a crush on. Dance may be their life for both of them, but both of them come to understand that there's more to life than dance, and they need to transform from submissive and confused little girls to assertive women who can fix the problems in their lives, including their own broken relationship. The ending is bittersweet but still hopeful, and the reader is left with the feeling that these two women will find fulfilling lives no matter what happens with their ballet careers.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
"Outside the Limelight" is the story of two sisters, Dena and Rebecca, who dance in the same company. Rebecca is the older and more beautiful of the two, while Dena is the younger and more talented, and is promoted over Rebecca. Until she has to undergo a potentially career-ending surgery.
This book is about ballet, and balletomanes like myself will find the detailed and life-like descriptions of company class, rehearsals, performances, and the crushing grind of exhaustion and injury that all dancers face, to be reason enough to read this book. However, readers who wouldn't know the difference between Sleeping Beauty and the Sugarplum Fairy shouldn't be put off: mainly this is a story about sibling rivalry (and love), and the toll that being in a highly competitive profession, where hard work can't substitute for talent and stars peak young and fade early, takes on your body, mind, and spirit. Dena has to deal with months of rehab and the possibility that her promising career might be cut off before it's even truly gotten underway (as someone dealing with my own health problems right now, I found this aspect of the novel particularly compelling), while Rebecca has to face the fact that she's never going to be promoted out of the corps or gain the love of the older, powerful man she has a crush on. Dance may be their life for both of them, but both of them come to understand that there's more to life than dance, and they need to transform from submissive and confused little girls to assertive women who can fix the problems in their lives, including their own broken relationship. The ending is bittersweet but still hopeful, and the reader is left with the feeling that these two women will find fulfilling lives no matter what happens with their ballet careers.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
February 6, 2017
Dena Lindgren's ballet career is starting to fall into place – but a fall transforms her life, when it's discovered she has a brain tumour. As she begins the long road to recovery, her older sister, Rebecca, begins to receive extra attention from the artistic director, Anders Gunst, perhaps once again heading towards a promotion to soloist. Both sisters are forced to confront what they really want from ballet and life.
Out of the Limelight was absorbing enough to be a page-turner, but it wasn't something that I felt particularly gripped or enchanted by. I feel a bit odd about the book – I can't deny that I read it in a matter of hours, but I don't feel like I actually, unreservedly, enjoyed it.
The detail of the plot and characters feels to be the bones of a fantastic read. It's a complicated story, dealing with ideas of family, loyalty and competition against the backdrop of a career as demanding and absorbing as ballet. For Dena and Rebecca, ballet is not just their career, but their dream and their life – what happens if they are pushed to move away from that world?
But it felt a bit superficial to me – while there was that complexity in the detail, it didn't seem to have been communicated in the actual meat of the story. I also wondered if Outside the Limelight was a bit too clinical, in how it handled the medical and dance side of things – I certainly felt I learned a lot about ballet and brain tumours, believed that the author did a lot of research, but I don't know if the level of detail enhanced the story. This was also not helped by the writing, which felt a bit pedestrian.
I don't feel that I liked Outside the Limelight, but I don't feel like I disliked it either. 2.5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy to review from the publishers via Netgalley.
Out of the Limelight was absorbing enough to be a page-turner, but it wasn't something that I felt particularly gripped or enchanted by. I feel a bit odd about the book – I can't deny that I read it in a matter of hours, but I don't feel like I actually, unreservedly, enjoyed it.
The detail of the plot and characters feels to be the bones of a fantastic read. It's a complicated story, dealing with ideas of family, loyalty and competition against the backdrop of a career as demanding and absorbing as ballet. For Dena and Rebecca, ballet is not just their career, but their dream and their life – what happens if they are pushed to move away from that world?
But it felt a bit superficial to me – while there was that complexity in the detail, it didn't seem to have been communicated in the actual meat of the story. I also wondered if Outside the Limelight was a bit too clinical, in how it handled the medical and dance side of things – I certainly felt I learned a lot about ballet and brain tumours, believed that the author did a lot of research, but I don't know if the level of detail enhanced the story. This was also not helped by the writing, which felt a bit pedestrian.
I don't feel that I liked Outside the Limelight, but I don't feel like I disliked it either. 2.5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy to review from the publishers via Netgalley.
April 12, 2019
After reading this I kind of feel like I need to soak in an ice bath to soothe my aching joints and feet.
Dena, a 20 something ballerina was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Complications with surgery led to paralysis of the left side of her face, partial deafness, and ultimately sidelined her career. She was a fighter, who lived and breathed ballet, and it seemed she couldn't really catch a break in terms of her recuperation. Already isolated because of being promoted to soloist, when she was hit with her diagnosis, her support system comprised of her mother whom she had a conscientious relationship with, her father who lived many states away, and her older sister who secretly loathed her upward mobility in the company.
Rebecca was kind of a gray character to me. She wasn't the stereotypical older evil sister, however she was definitely an opportunist. She garnered sympathy because of her beauty and talent and she used tears as a weapon. I was geared not to like Rebecca after she wasted no time disclosing her sister's diagnosis to their boss Andres, whom she called herself being in love with. That also after tricking the info out of their father. But she did grow into the older, protective sister role towards the end, and my attitude toward her changed as her ex-boyfriend and his cronies (who had the maturity level of high schoolers), began harassing Rebecca in their own way.
There were some issues I had with the book. As another reviewer pointed out, when it came to describing the performance sequences the writing became clinical and also technical. It did illustrate the author's firsthand knowledge of the ballet world, and offered a bird's eye view into the life, but for me I still felt like I was standing outside of a bubble.
I also didn't like how Dena was essentially bullied by her eye doctor to get a painful and ultimately unflattering surgery to prevent her from losing sight in her left eye. Added on, that he didn't consider reversing it and trying another method until a man stepped in on Dena's behalf and he ended up listening to someone he had known for all of ten minutes. Not even in a fictional world do doctors listen to their female patients.
And finally, there was a lot of summarization of conversations characters had and their actions. Too much telling what such and such talked about or did and not getting to experience it for yourself.
Was there romance? No. Did love develop for either of the sisters? Yes. But it was secondary to the plot. This is a clean novel. No sensuality or raw, bareback sex of any kind. This is a book that focuses primarily on the competitiveness of professional ballet, the intracices of sisterhood, and how to find yourself when your purpose and passion is almost snatched from you due to circumstances beyond your control.
Dena, a 20 something ballerina was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Complications with surgery led to paralysis of the left side of her face, partial deafness, and ultimately sidelined her career. She was a fighter, who lived and breathed ballet, and it seemed she couldn't really catch a break in terms of her recuperation. Already isolated because of being promoted to soloist, when she was hit with her diagnosis, her support system comprised of her mother whom she had a conscientious relationship with, her father who lived many states away, and her older sister who secretly loathed her upward mobility in the company.
Rebecca was kind of a gray character to me. She wasn't the stereotypical older evil sister, however she was definitely an opportunist. She garnered sympathy because of her beauty and talent and she used tears as a weapon. I was geared not to like Rebecca after she wasted no time disclosing her sister's diagnosis to their boss Andres, whom she called herself being in love with. That also after tricking the info out of their father. But she did grow into the older, protective sister role towards the end, and my attitude toward her changed as her ex-boyfriend and his cronies (who had the maturity level of high schoolers), began harassing Rebecca in their own way.
There were some issues I had with the book. As another reviewer pointed out, when it came to describing the performance sequences the writing became clinical and also technical. It did illustrate the author's firsthand knowledge of the ballet world, and offered a bird's eye view into the life, but for me I still felt like I was standing outside of a bubble.
I also didn't like how Dena was essentially bullied by her eye doctor to get a painful and ultimately unflattering surgery to prevent her from losing sight in her left eye. Added on, that he didn't consider reversing it and trying another method until a man stepped in on Dena's behalf and he ended up listening to someone he had known for all of ten minutes. Not even in a fictional world do doctors listen to their female patients.
And finally, there was a lot of summarization of conversations characters had and their actions. Too much telling what such and such talked about or did and not getting to experience it for yourself.
Was there romance? No. Did love develop for either of the sisters? Yes. But it was secondary to the plot. This is a clean novel. No sensuality or raw, bareback sex of any kind. This is a book that focuses primarily on the competitiveness of professional ballet, the intracices of sisterhood, and how to find yourself when your purpose and passion is almost snatched from you due to circumstances beyond your control.
March 29, 2018
As a non-dancer I have a real love for dance and watch a lot of movies about dance and fall down the You Tube rabbit hole with startling regularity. However, I haven't really read much set in the dance world so when I came across this set in the rarefied world of Classical and Contemporary Ballet I had to give it a go. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by the book and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Author has managed to strike the right balance between the day to day realities of being part of a large Ballet Company (the relentless rehearsing, the day to day pain and the jealousies) with the private lives of the dancers. In this case we are focused on the lives of two sisters - Dena and Rebecca Lindgren - both of whom dance for the same company but have very different experiences within it. It is so tempting to give a full breakdown of the plot here as it is rich and the arc is exceptionally good. I will refrain from doing so as that would spoil your enjoyment of the book.
The main characters in the book are very vivid and leap in to life on the page. Even the secondary and tertiary characters are well fleshed out and you get an inkling of their personalities despite not "seeing" them enough to really get to know them. Nobody in this book is all good or all bad and the emotional changes within that are often masked by the worldly face are particularly well drawn. The misunderstandings between characters are believable and this is clearly shown between the sisters themselves when past jealousies colour their interpretation of actions.
The only real let down for me was the Social Media side of things, which is surprising as the Author is a blogger herself. The repercussions of which are pretty realistic and I know the HR department at my office would go in to melt down if I posted what is posted about the Company and it's Artistic Director and we don't rely on public support to keep in business.
A thoroughly enjoyable novel that I raced through and genuinely could not wait to get to the next page of. This may have been to get to all those gloriously depicted dance sections, whether in rehearsal, in Company Class or during a performance they are just so evocative and enjoyable. The fact that the pain of a dancer's life is shown, blisters, bunions and throbbing joints and all, in a relistic way is the icing on a quite decadently enjoyable cake. So much so I have now bought the previous book in the series and can't wait to start it.
The Author has managed to strike the right balance between the day to day realities of being part of a large Ballet Company (the relentless rehearsing, the day to day pain and the jealousies) with the private lives of the dancers. In this case we are focused on the lives of two sisters - Dena and Rebecca Lindgren - both of whom dance for the same company but have very different experiences within it. It is so tempting to give a full breakdown of the plot here as it is rich and the arc is exceptionally good. I will refrain from doing so as that would spoil your enjoyment of the book.
The main characters in the book are very vivid and leap in to life on the page. Even the secondary and tertiary characters are well fleshed out and you get an inkling of their personalities despite not "seeing" them enough to really get to know them. Nobody in this book is all good or all bad and the emotional changes within that are often masked by the worldly face are particularly well drawn. The misunderstandings between characters are believable and this is clearly shown between the sisters themselves when past jealousies colour their interpretation of actions.
The only real let down for me was the Social Media side of things, which is surprising as the Author is a blogger herself. The repercussions of which are pretty realistic and I know the HR department at my office would go in to melt down if I posted what is posted about the Company and it's Artistic Director and we don't rely on public support to keep in business.
A thoroughly enjoyable novel that I raced through and genuinely could not wait to get to the next page of. This may have been to get to all those gloriously depicted dance sections, whether in rehearsal, in Company Class or during a performance they are just so evocative and enjoyable. The fact that the pain of a dancer's life is shown, blisters, bunions and throbbing joints and all, in a relistic way is the icing on a quite decadently enjoyable cake. So much so I have now bought the previous book in the series and can't wait to start it.
January 26, 2019
Classical Girl Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Outside the Limelight. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.
Outside the Limelight is the second book in the Ballet Theatre Chronicles, which is a series surrounding a fictitious ballet company. This book is more of a companion novel than a direct sequel, so readers will not be missing much if they are new to the series. Written by a former ballet dancer, Outside the Limelight is a look beyond the graceful dancer to the hardworking athlete that is behind the curtain.
Dena Lindgren has always been in the shadow of her older sister Rebecca, especially in the world of dance. When the artistic director hands a coveted soloist position to Dena, will the relationship between the sisters survive the fallout? Four years later, nagging health issues increasing affect Dena's job performance. When the dizziness and hearing loss are compounded with balance issues, Dena has no choice but to seek professional help. When Dena's world comes crashing down around her, will her sister be there to pick up the pieces?
As a former ballet dancer myself, although admittedly not even close to the same caliber as the artists described in this book, I understand the pain and sacrifice that it takes to be a dancer. The author has done an excellent job of bringing the reader into her world, behind the curtain of the beautiful ballet productions. Terez Mertes Rose created a great story, with characters that are relatable. The sisterly bond, with its double sided coin of rivalry and love, is well developed in the book, giving the characters depth beyond the medical and professional plot lines. Outside the Limelight will appeal to readers who are fans of ballet, but also to those who like a good story about the struggles to maintain meaningful familial relationships.
Outside the Limelight is the second book in the Ballet Theatre Chronicles, which is a series surrounding a fictitious ballet company. This book is more of a companion novel than a direct sequel, so readers will not be missing much if they are new to the series. Written by a former ballet dancer, Outside the Limelight is a look beyond the graceful dancer to the hardworking athlete that is behind the curtain.
Dena Lindgren has always been in the shadow of her older sister Rebecca, especially in the world of dance. When the artistic director hands a coveted soloist position to Dena, will the relationship between the sisters survive the fallout? Four years later, nagging health issues increasing affect Dena's job performance. When the dizziness and hearing loss are compounded with balance issues, Dena has no choice but to seek professional help. When Dena's world comes crashing down around her, will her sister be there to pick up the pieces?
As a former ballet dancer myself, although admittedly not even close to the same caliber as the artists described in this book, I understand the pain and sacrifice that it takes to be a dancer. The author has done an excellent job of bringing the reader into her world, behind the curtain of the beautiful ballet productions. Terez Mertes Rose created a great story, with characters that are relatable. The sisterly bond, with its double sided coin of rivalry and love, is well developed in the book, giving the characters depth beyond the medical and professional plot lines. Outside the Limelight will appeal to readers who are fans of ballet, but also to those who like a good story about the struggles to maintain meaningful familial relationships.
January 28, 2024
Dena and Rebecca are two sisters dancing in the same ballet company.
Dena the younger sister is an up and coming talent that has made soloist in the company. She unfortunately has a brain tumor that makes dancing too much for her. She has a surgery that paralyzed her face.
Rebecca the older sister used to be the company favorite. She had a relationship with the company leader Anders. Her career starts to excel in the wake of her sister's illness.
I liked this story about two sisters and their complicated relationship. While Rebecca does some scandalous things she eventually learns to be a good sister. If you like stories about sibling relationships you'll love this one. I especially loved the dancing aspects and thought this book a well written story about ballet in general.
Dena the younger sister is an up and coming talent that has made soloist in the company. She unfortunately has a brain tumor that makes dancing too much for her. She has a surgery that paralyzed her face.
Rebecca the older sister used to be the company favorite. She had a relationship with the company leader Anders. Her career starts to excel in the wake of her sister's illness.
I liked this story about two sisters and their complicated relationship. While Rebecca does some scandalous things she eventually learns to be a good sister. If you like stories about sibling relationships you'll love this one. I especially loved the dancing aspects and thought this book a well written story about ballet in general.
August 1, 2018
A great read into the insights of the ballet world with some interesting family drama along the way. The characters are well developed and Rose takes her time to slowly establish relationships which help to create depth to the story. As Rose has a personal connection to the protagonist and her difficulties, the detail in which the acoustic neuroma was written in helped to convey the hardships of the protagonist which aided in getting emotions across.
June 1, 2017
Enjoyed this much better than the first book. You don't need to read the first book in order to read this one. The characters just appear but their stories from the first book aren't relevant to this one. If you like ballet and family drama, this is a great easy read.
July 30, 2018
Good book about the inner workings of a ballet company
I enjoyed this book a lot. There were complex characters and very interesting insights into the world of ballet. The parts about a brain tumor were a whole other set of thoughtful and interesting experiences.
I enjoyed this book a lot. There were complex characters and very interesting insights into the world of ballet. The parts about a brain tumor were a whole other set of thoughtful and interesting experiences.
May 26, 2017
Very light. Enjoyable.
August 5, 2018
I swear different people wrote book 1 and book 2 of this series. I was going to not even read book 2 when I discovered it was about Dena and Rebecca. So glad I did. They were great main characters and I loved their storylines.
August 5, 2018
Second book better than the first.
I thought this book was better than the first. The characters were better developed and more believable. I liked that it focused so much on the relationship of the two sisters.
I thought this book was better than the first. The characters were better developed and more believable. I liked that it focused so much on the relationship of the two sisters.
May 23, 2017
I enjoyed this book
I enjoyed this book. I read the first book some time ago so I went back and read the last chapter again, but it wasn't necessary as this could have been a stand alone story.
I enjoyed this book. I read the first book some time ago so I went back and read the last chapter again, but it wasn't necessary as this could have been a stand alone story.
April 28, 2018
I enjoyed the first book in this series very much and eagerly looked forward to the second. In most ways it did not disappoint. The author's love of ballet and her extensive knowledge of the subject informed the story at every turn. I also appreciated the complexity of the relationships she delineated in this book. I have grown weary of stories that always hew to a formulaic hero's journey or romance, and I appreciated that this book dealt with other kinds of human relationships: siblings, parents, divorce, failed mentorship, work colleagues and teams, professors and students, and friends.
That said, I think the author may have taken on too much in this volume, and it ended up losing focus. The medical details of Dena's tumor, operation, and recovery went on too long, as did the development of her relationship with Misha. The parallels between Dena and her sister and Misha and his brother did not need to be spelled out and dramatized in this much detail, especially because much of this quiet and somewhat dull post-tumor part of the story came at the expense of dramatizing the arc of Rebecca's relationship with Ben. The denouement to that part of the novel was dramatic but confusing. I was glad all the characters got their happy endings but while I could see Dena/Misha coming a mile away, Rebecca/Ben came totally out of the blue for me. There had been so little sexual tension or chemistry between Rebecca and Ben throughout most of the story that I had assumed Ben was gay.
Rebecca's on-again, off-again relationship with Anders formed the tight core of this novel for me. It takes place in 2010-11, just on the precipice of the current re-imagining of mentor relationships between powerful men and young ambitious women in the arts (and many other fields). One wonders if Anders Gunst's career would survive the #MeToo movement. And even if so, how his life and those of the dancers under his tutelage would be forever changed.
This book strikes me as transitional in other ways too. It shows the beginnings of a new path by which dancers can open up the closed, insular ballet world and take charge of their own careers and lives via social media. What can happen in this brave new world is the story I really want--really need--to read now.
That said, I think the author may have taken on too much in this volume, and it ended up losing focus. The medical details of Dena's tumor, operation, and recovery went on too long, as did the development of her relationship with Misha. The parallels between Dena and her sister and Misha and his brother did not need to be spelled out and dramatized in this much detail, especially because much of this quiet and somewhat dull post-tumor part of the story came at the expense of dramatizing the arc of Rebecca's relationship with Ben. The denouement to that part of the novel was dramatic but confusing. I was glad all the characters got their happy endings but while I could see Dena/Misha coming a mile away, Rebecca/Ben came totally out of the blue for me. There had been so little sexual tension or chemistry between Rebecca and Ben throughout most of the story that I had assumed Ben was gay.
Rebecca's on-again, off-again relationship with Anders formed the tight core of this novel for me. It takes place in 2010-11, just on the precipice of the current re-imagining of mentor relationships between powerful men and young ambitious women in the arts (and many other fields). One wonders if Anders Gunst's career would survive the #MeToo movement. And even if so, how his life and those of the dancers under his tutelage would be forever changed.
This book strikes me as transitional in other ways too. It shows the beginnings of a new path by which dancers can open up the closed, insular ballet world and take charge of their own careers and lives via social media. What can happen in this brave new world is the story I really want--really need--to read now.
May 11, 2018
Part of the charm of this book is the authors knowledge of the ballet world as well as knowledge of the pathology of the acoustic neuroma that befalls one of the lead characters. Countering this charm is the petty relationship of the 2 sisters who dance and there seems to be a need to find one superior or more sympathetic than the other. One is closer to the mother, one to the father. The parents seem to be caricatures of parents.
The injured dancer goes off to sob at the other sister's teacher/friend who happens to be a med school drop out who knows all about medicine and speaks to the neurologist letting him know what it what. (Can you say knight in shining armour?) So it is clear where this goes romantically.
The ballet part of the book and the interactions between dancers and mentors and career choices is very well done.
The injured dancer goes off to sob at the other sister's teacher/friend who happens to be a med school drop out who knows all about medicine and speaks to the neurologist letting him know what it what. (Can you say knight in shining armour?) So it is clear where this goes romantically.
The ballet part of the book and the interactions between dancers and mentors and career choices is very well done.
May 6, 2018
I really enjoyed this story. I don't know anything about ballet and the descriptions and situations were fascinating. Along with that, we had the medical situation of one of the sisters which was also very interesting. Overall, a great novel.
July 4, 2018
Liked this book alot. Relationships; sisters; competition; unexpected turns in life and how we deal with them.
December 22, 2016
I must admit-I am a sucker for all things ballet. I can't get enough of all the backstage drama, and Outside the Limelight certainly did not disappoint. While I haven't read book one in the Ballet Theatre Chronicles (though I plan on reading it ASAP now), I never felt lost or confused by the plot in book two. I loved every aspect of this book, from the characters to the dancing and the behind-the-scenes drama. A must read for anyone who loves the arts.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
June 18, 2017
I was really excited about this book. It sounded like the author was knowledgeable about ballet and would give a glimpse into that world. The prologue and first few chapters were great.
Then one of the dancers needed surgery and it got clinical, literally and figuratively. I applaud the precision of the medical terms but it made the story very dry. It never improved after that. The biggest problem was that the author was describing actions mostly and I never got the emotions of the characters.
Then one of the dancers needed surgery and it got clinical, literally and figuratively. I applaud the precision of the medical terms but it made the story very dry. It never improved after that. The biggest problem was that the author was describing actions mostly and I never got the emotions of the characters.
November 1, 2016
Very entertaining, well written, and a fun look at the world of Ballet.
Review -
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Review -
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January 13, 2017
Great Read, an emotional roller coaster from begining to end and throughly enjoyable. Totally worth a re-read someday.
February 8, 2017
Loved the first one and now this!!
I so loved the first book in this series and this installment did not disappoint. Anxiously awaiting the next one!!!
I so loved the first book in this series and this installment did not disappoint. Anxiously awaiting the next one!!!
October 4, 2020
Liked this way more than I expected although some of the characters really annoyed me and the plot at the end was also incredible frustrating. Kinda ruined the book at the end for me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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