1970s New York and Joan Joyce, a corps de ballet member, is watching her ex-lover Arslan Rusakov dance the star role with his new girlfriend. Joan is heartbroken, disillusioned with a life of striving for perfection and never attaining it. The baby growing in her is making her dance like never before but also rings the end of her life as a professional ballerina. We soon find her living a quiet life in Chicago with Jacob, a man who was devoted to her as a teen but whose affection she didn’t entirely return. Loyal Jacob was there for her through heartbreak and a demanding career, but now that he finally has her something feels off. He feels somewhat like she trapped him with the pregnancy, and he wonders at how his 20s could have gone without the commitment. They move to California and Joan teaches ballet. As their son Harry grows, he becomes obsessed with ballet (and, unfortunately, Arslan) and soon shows himself to have an innate talent for the art form. Joan engineered this life for him, but when it looks like her dreams for him might come true, is she ready to cede control of her son’s life to a career that spat her out?
We jump around in time throughout the novel, from the 1970s to the early 2000s. We see the fall out of Joan’s relationship with Arslan and later witness her role in his defection to the USA. The story feels rooted in true ballet history, and those familiar with it will note the similarities between some of the characters and real figures, but it feels as though you could enjoy it just as much without. Arslan’s defection and those of other dancers who follow suit are dealt with interestingly. From a relationship perspective we see how entwined Joan was with his initial escape, how essential she was to finding him somewhere to live and protecting him from the press, patiently conversing with him in English with the assistance of a dictionary. It doesn’t take too long for her to begin to feel sidelined. He takes other lovers, and she fears that perhaps seeing her dance, knowing she will never be a star, lessens her in his eyes. We never see events through his eyes but he tries to explain to her the enormity of his decision to leave the Soviet Union, the danger those he left behind would be in as a result of his escape. Joan never seems to fully comprehend this, always obsessed with their passion, his perceived rejection of her. Later in the novel we see yet more vulnerability in him behind the public facade, the dreams that never came true.
Relationships are the heart of the story. Their new neighbour in California, Sandy, befriends Joan but also doesn’t really like her, something she wishes weren’t true. She is jealous of Joan for having kept her figure after having a baby, of being the one who draws the attention of men, for the strange exercises she sees her doing in the garden. Jealousy is no stranger to Joan, who has often felt it herself toward more skilled dancers. It seems inherent in her chosen profession, the constant comparisons, the competition, the endless striving. We don’t see all that much of Sandy’s relationship with her husband directly, but we do see how she responds to the attention of others, how he is out of work but sees it as a bad thing if she works, and their eventual sad ending. It doesn’t feel like a fulfilling marriage for either of them. Jacob and Joan also don’t exude happiness. Joan expresses the feeling that she can sense Jacob falling out of love with her, while he has patiently waited for her to really love him. Their disagreement over having a second baby doesn’t help, nor does their son’s obsession with her former lover. For a relationship he felt so certain would be the one for him, believing always that eventually they would be together, it feels sad to see how unsatisfying the reality is. There is a discomfort that comes from reading these relationships, a reality to them that is not romantic but steeped in truth.
The next generation seems to repeat some of the same stories as Harry falls for Sandy’s daughter Chloe. She is very happy to spend time with him outside of school and at ballet, but as soon as they are around others she pretends they don’t know each other. He finds it fascinating to see how the other boys react to her, how they don’t really feel anything for her, just want to see how far she’ll let them go, to explore their sexuality. He also notes how her lithe body shaped by ballet makes her popular and desirable, yet for him it is a point of derision by his peers. He spends so much time with her, touching her in their dances, yet lacks of a different kind of intimacy. Their story may not be destined to play out as Jacob and Joan’s did however, as his talents at ballet may give him more opportunities, and boosts his confidence beyond what their local school has taught him to feel.
This is an interesting read with a tangle of romantic and platonic relationships. We see the tougher side of ballet and what it does to those in that world. It feels dysfunctional and harsh, yet causes obsession for many of the characters. Shipstead explores how the decisions we make impact not just our lives but those around us, and at what point our responsibility for others starts and ends. There are some genuinely moving passages, and although there are some slightly questionable plot points, overall it is an enjoyable read which brings to life the passion which makes great art at the expense of all else. A brilliant read for fans of ballet, but one that anyone could get a lot out of.
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