First Position

by Melody Grace

[inlibrisveritas]

First Position is the first novella in the contemporary romance serial, Dirty Dancing. The main character Annalise is a ballerina, and is in Rome to try and finally break into the professional ballet scene. The program is intense and her mother is very much forcing the lifestyle on her. I liked the ballet parts, because I’ve always found it to be a passionate type of dance despite the rigid practice schedules and forms. She meets Rafael, a street dancer, and her inhibitions sort of fly out the window. I had some issue with their relationship because of how mindless she became as soon as she laid eyes on him, and how she immediately puts her position in the company in danger just for a bit of time spent with him. I totally get that he’s dreamy and moves like some sort of sex god, but some stuff made me roll my eyes because it wasn’t a good idea to begin with. That a long with the “I’m totally innocent, teach me everything” angle made some of this sort of cliche. However there was plenty of steam and I’m really curious to see how her time with the ballet company plays out, and I’m hoping to see some positive body image dialogue in the future. I definitely see the promise in this one.