A review by lilyrich
Don't Think, Dear: On Loving and Leaving Ballet by Alice Robb

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

I don’t know if I should be relieved or angry about not having grown up in a pre professional ballet setting. This book was incredibly readable and had engaging writing, but I occasionally got lost. I also didn’t like that she gave directions on getting eating disorders. Like girl. I think I’ve accepted that I wish I had gone the professional performing dancer path, but I also know myself enough to be able to let go. I love how she connects her and her peers’ experiences to the larger ballet world and world in general. I will hopefully be reading some of the works she mentioned. The ballet world sucks and it seems like the solution is to tell people that it’s never that serious and then also tell them to stop bullying children. Seems simple enough. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.