Thirteen years ago, Delphine Leger 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 thirty-six 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, 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 a magnetic cast of characters you won't soon forget.

Ballerinas are like pointe shoes: you have to break them down before they are any use. . .

About the Author
Rachel Kapelke-Dale is the author of THE BALLERINAS, and co-author of GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND (Penguin 2014), a memoir about the significance and nuances of female friendships. Kapelke-Dale spent years in intensive ballet training before receiving a BA from Brown University, an MA from the Universite de Paris VII, and a PhD from University College London. She currently lives in Paris.


Book Information
ISBN 9781250810113
Author Rachel Kapelke-Dale
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Saint Martin's Griffin,U.S.
Publisher St Martin's Press
Dimensions(mm) 210mm * 137mm * 21mm