Dani Grace Dances: First Position, Second Thoughts

by Genise A. Jordan

290 pages, Hardcover

Published July 21, 2026

About the author

Genise A. Jordan grew up surrounded by mirrors and music, often with a paperback tucked inside her dance bag. She later studied Economics and Dance (because pie charts and pliés are equally fascinating!).

After college, dance disappeared from her life for many years. When she finally returned to the barre, those wobbly first classes—when her heart remembered what her body had forgotten—sparked the idea for a story about dance through the eyes of a young girl.

*Dani Grace Dances: First Position, Second Thoughts* is her debut middle-grade novel.

Genise lives in Georgia with her family. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading middle-grade stories, taking dance classes, and watching Hallmark mysteries.

Reviews

[MiddleGrade YA Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, what a cutesy and magical story. Assuming that Dani Grace was partly inspired by Jessica Ramsey of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-sitters Club, her friends too are reminiscent of BSC like her friends Kayla (an artist like Claudia Kishi) and Spencer (a blonde like Stacey McGill). But Dani Grace’s story stands on her own such as her being the star of dance instruction-videos for her ballet class and having parents that are skilled in cooking various cuisines and teaching astronomy at the local college.
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Furthermore, it comes with a tote bag of ballet terminology for those who are interested in the dance. Some of them include pirouette; pas de deux; arabesque; barre; etc. There is a glossary in the back.
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I greatly recommend this gem to young readers who love a book with a spunky and fearless MC like Dani Grace. Some lessons I got from it include being honest, having true and supportive friends, and of course, diligence. It is author, Genise A. Jordan’s debut middle grade book. Sparkles to her! Parents! This is your little princess’s next great read!

[Ameliessa Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! Dani Grace is ambitious, funny, a little messy, and very much still figuring things out. 😂 I especially liked the part about returning to something you used to be good at and realizing that starting again is harder than you expected. Add friendship drama, a competitive classmate, a few questionable decisions, and ballet, and Dani has plenty to deal with. The science-meets-dance angle caught me off guard in the best way. With lots of ballet, humor, friendship, and a very relatable lesson about mistakes and second chances, this is a fun choice for young readers who like stories about finding their own rhythm.

[Thomas Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a dad, I really enjoyed reading Dani Grace Dances. It is a great story about a young girl finding her confidence, working through challenges, and learning that it is okay to keep trying even when things do not come easily. I loved the positive message and the way the story encourages young readers to believe in themselves. It is a sweet and inspiring book that children and parents can enjoy together. Our newest bedtime read.