Dances

DEBUT In Cuffy’s engaging, elegantly written debut, Celine “Cece” Cordell, recently named the New York City Ballet’s principal woman dancer, battles both subtle and overt racial discrimination and paralyzing perfectionism as she performs on one of ballet’s most prestigious and competitive stages. Being the first Black woman to be a principal dancer at the famed company, Cece, just 22 years old, is completely overwhelmed by the constant media attention. As she tries to cope with, and perhaps even start to enjoy, her newfound stardom, she learns she is pregnant by her unfaithful lover, a fellow dancer in the company. When she seeks out her beloved older brother for support, he is nowhere to be found, and she is terrified that he has succumbed to his drug addiction. How Cece works through her wrenching personal and professional challenges in this intricately plotted, sophisticated work is both gripping and inspiring. Cuffy writes with such vivid prose that readers will feel as if they are onstage with the likable ballerina, whose struggles with self-doubt and body issues will strike a chord with many.