I'd Rather Be Dancing

by Mary E. Ryan

Leaving her old boyfriend behind in Brooklyn when she moves to Manhattan and enrolls in a summer progam at a prestigious dance academy, sixteen-year-old Katie finds painful romance and difficult career choices

Genres: Young Adult

149 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1988

Reviews

[Reading with Cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Thirteen-year-old me would've loved this. Adult me read in horror as 20something creeper Chris preys on young teenage girls. The squick factor, it is high in this one.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 10 year old self loved this book. The main character gets to attend SAB, or some fictional school that is supposed to be modeled after SAB. I remember the descriptions of the main character waiting around for classes to start, her embarrassment when she realizes that having old, broken in shoes and leg warmers is more of a status symbol than the brand new gear she bought in her excitement for the new year of classes beginning.
From the Goodreads description, it sounds like there was some romance stuff in the book as well, but I have no memory of that whatsoever. All I remember is the descriptions of dancing and the work it involves and the insecurities young dancers can feel about being compared to others.
I guess that says something about me. I'd be interested to read this again now that I am an adult.

[Thaifoodliteweight]

I don't know what happened to my copy of this. Probably went with all my other childhood books when I moved several years ago (still makes me want to cry). I remember the romance was really mature, probably too mature for a child, but I was mature for my age. Anyways, I'd like to revisit it just for kicks. I was strangely obsessed with ballet books as a preteen even though I was never (thanks to my parents) nor probably ever will be a dancer :s

[Crystal Jimenez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really weird book and it wasn't that good. It was really boring and stupid. That's all I have to say about this lame book. :)