BalletTok, blackface and nudes: Inside the world of professional ballet

After writing a powerful memoir about motherhood and mental illness, Ariane Beeston has published a YA novel set in the world of dance. (Supplied) Link copiedShareShare article"It felt like a pleasure to be able to make things up," Ariane Beeston says of writing her first work of fiction, the young adult novel Don't Forget to Smile. Beeston had previously written an acclaimed non-fiction work, Because I'm Not Myself, You See, about her experiences with postpartum psychosis. "Following such an intense, traumatic memoir, it was nice to stop and go 'This isn't going the way I want it to, I can just change it'," she says. "It was quite freeing in that way." Don't Forget to Smile may be fiction, but it's a story close to Beeston's heart. Don't Forget to Smile follows young dancers vying to compete in an elite ballet competition. (Supplied: Black Inc) Inspired by her time as a dancer, teacher and choreographer, it follows Clara and Elle, two teenage ballerinas at a prestigious academy, who are vying for a place in the International Ballet Grand Prix at the Sydney Opera House. Clara has grown up in ballet, while Elle is a relative newcomer, a naturally talented dancer who recently shot to viral fame on TikTok. Elle initially thinks Clara is cold and standoffish, while Clara resents Elle for skipping the years of hard work to make it in ballet. As these two rivals develop a grudging respect for each other and become friends, we gain an insight into the incredible levels of dedication and physical exertion that go into making ballet look beautiful and effortless. While Don't Forget to Smile is a fun read that recalls the soapy tone of the much-loved ABC TV show Dance Academy, it doesn't shy away from the dark sides of the ballet world. The story opens with a flash forward to nude photos of young dancers being shared in a group chat. It then picks up in the present, following Jason Manning, an older ballet star, as he preys on a teenage dancer he calls Lilac Fairy, promising to help her break into the exclusive world of professional ballet companies. Ariane Beeston worked as a child protection officer, the vicarious trauma of that work impacted her when she had a child of her own. Beeston says this storyline was partly inspired by the story of Alexandra Waterbury, a former dancer at the New York City Ballet, who filed legal action against the company after she said male dancers had shared nude photos of her. "I remember thinking what a brave thing that was for [Waterbury]," Beeston says. "I talk in the book about how difficult it is for dancers, and in particular young women, to speak up about this stuff because it's so competitive; there's always someone waiting in the wings to replace you." The novel also reflects on ballet's often outdated notions of gender. As the competition approaches, Elle's friend Ben wants to express himself by dancing en pointe (a notoriously demanding technique in which a dancer wears special pointe shoes and supports their weight on their extended feet), which is normally reserved for female dancers. The stuffy ballet school rejects this plan, unable to abide by any break with tradition. Throughout the story, Elle voices her criticisms of the ballet establishment on her TikTok account, @HardCorpsTruths. Elle tells her followers about the routine body shaming, the culturally insensitive behaviour of some ballet companies (such as the Bolshoi Ballet's use of blackface in the not-so-distant past) and the often prohibitive cost of learning ballet. This month's best books include an Irish saga by Maggie O'Farrell, a gritty memoir by Ralph Jackman and a comic Italian romp by Andrew Sean Greer. Beeston says she was inspired by an online movement of young dancers holding the ballet world to account. "I watched so many TikToks about this — these kids coming through love ballet and everything about it, but they can also want to change it," she says. "They're able to hold both of those truths at the same time and do it in a way that is starkly funny and intelligent. Beeston says she can see herself in both the book's main characters, the serious, poetry-loving Clara, and the more irreverent Elle. "Clara is a lot like me, so I drew on my own experiences of training in the 90s, looking at how much has changed but how little has changed at the same time. "There are parts of Elle that bring another perspective. I feel like there's a lot of me as I am now with her. I was that traditionalist and then [went] on that journey of looking at the ballet world more critically through Elle's eyes." Beeston, pictured with her beginner ballet class, says dance has been an important part of her recovery from postnatal psychosis. (Supplied) Beeston originally quit ballet because she was deemed too short, an experience she says is all too common. "I think there are still quite stringent requirements around height and body shape. It's one of the harsh realities that you can burn out and f

BalletTok, blackface and nudes: Inside the world of professional ballet

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