Dances: A Novel by Nicole Cuffy

A ballerina at the height of her powers becomes consumed with finding her missing brother in this “striking debut” (Oprah Daily).“A compelling novel about the spiritual and bodily costs of the dogged pursuit of art.”—Raven Leilani, author of LusterAt twenty-two years old, Cece Cordell reaches the pinnacle of her career as a ballet dancer when she’s promoted to principal at the New York City Ballet. She’s instantly catapulted into celebrity, heralded for her “inspirational” role as the first Black ballerina in the famed company’s history. Even as she celebrates the achievement of a lifelong dream, Cece remains haunted by the feeling that she doesn’t belong. As she waits for some feeling of rightness that doesn’t arrive, she begins to unravel the loose threads of her past—an absent father, a pragmatic mother who dismisses Cece’s ambitions, and a missing older brother who stoked her childhood love of ballet but disappeared to deal with his own demons.Soon after her promotion, Cece is face