Reading guide for Dances by Nicole Cuffy

Reading Guide Questions

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. "I stood out because of my blackness," Cece says. "And I was determined then to obliterate it, to render my blackness irrelevant with perfection." Why does Cece feel she has to "obliterate" her blackness in order to succeed in the world of ballet? How does this shift throughout the book?
2. Throughout the narrative, Cece's perception of herself seems at odds with the way the media, the public, and younger dancers see her. Why is it so hard for her to see herself as influential and successful, even after Kaz promotes her and she becomes the first black female principal in the New York City Ballet? What—if anything—helps her to finally believe it?
3. Cece says, "I am not conditioned to see myself as a damsel in distress. I am not conditioned to see myself as fragile, precious. I am not conditioned to see myself as worth saving." How does she work against this conditioning? What would you identify as the turning point in her journey?
4. Discuss Cece's relationship with her mother. What is at the root of their tension? How does this compare to Cece's relationship with Paul, and her mother's relationship with Paul?
5. "It is ballet that chose me. But I chose it back, and sometimes I wonder if it wasn't, in part, a small act of rebellion," Cece says. Explain what she means by this. What and who is she rebelling against?
6. Discuss the different ways the ballerinas push, test, strain, and ravage their bodies. What do you think Dances is trying to say about the physical pressures of dance?
7. What other themes did you notice in this book?
8. What does Cece gain from Luca and Galina that she doesn't get elsewhere? How important do you think it is to have the support of parental figures who aren't one's parents?
9. Explore Cece's relationship with Jasper. Why does she stay with him for so long, despite signs that he isn't the most devoted partner? What does Jasper provide for her? What does Cece provide for him?
10. What did you make of Cece's pregnancy and abortion? Is she satisfied with her choice? Do you think she should have told Jasper? How did this book's treatment of abortion compare to other portrayals of the procedure in literature?
11. Why does Cece resist Irine's offer to join her company? What choice would you have made?
12. How much did you know about the world of ballet before reading this novel? What, if anything, were you compelled to research further?
13. What did you think about the end of the book? Do you believe Cece and Paul will reunite someday?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of One World. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.