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Terez Mertes Rose
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Outside the Limelight (Ballet Theatre Chronicles Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Terez Mertes Rose (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,243 ratings
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Named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews

Rising ballet star Dena Lindgren's dream career is knocked off its axis when a puzzling onstage fall results in a crushing diagnosis: a brain tumor. Complications from the extraction surgery kick off a long and difficult recovery, prompting the company’s artistic director, Anders Gunst, to shift his attention to an overshadowed company dancer -- Dena's older sister, Rebecca, with whom Anders once shared a special relationship.

Under the heady glow of Anders’ attention, Rebecca thrives, even as her sister languishes. While Dena’s strength returns, residual facial paralysis sidelines her indefinitely, amid a world that demands beauty and perfection. Rebecca soon faces a painful choice: play by the artistic director’s rules and profit, or take shocking action to help her sister.

Exposing the glamorous onstage world of professional ballet, as well as its shadowed wings and dark underbelly, OUTSIDE THE LIMELIGHT examines loyalty, beauty, artistic passion, and asks what might be worth losing in order to help the ones you love.
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  1. Book 2 of 4
    Ballet Theatre Chronicles
  2. Print length
    400 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    October 30, 2016
  6. File size
    3354 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Named one of the Best Books of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews

"Balanchine said dance is music made visible; Terez Mertes Rose's Outside the Limelight is dance made readable. She reveals both the beauty of ballet and its pain in a compelling, deftly written novel that unfolds like a series of perfectly executed chaîné turns. Not to be missed!"
-- Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of A Terrible Beauty

Outside the Limelight sweeps us backstage, through the wings, past the dressing rooms, and into the lives of its dancers, where we see them up close, flawed and beautiful."
-- Adrienne Sharp, bestselling author of The True Memoirs of Little K and White Swan, Black Swan

"A lovely and engaging tale of sibling rivalry in the high-stakes dance world."
-- Kirkus Reviews (Starred review)

"From the theater's spotlights and shadows comes a nuanced drama of pain and beauty without one false note. I didn't want it to end!"
-- Kathryn Craft, award-winning author of The Far End of Happy and The Art of Falling

"Outside the Limelight pulls readers into the lives of two sisters, both professional ballerinas. Through their challenges, obstacles and triumphs we are reminded that life is a complicated yet wondrous journey, and that love--artistic, romantic and familial--is one of the strongest forces of all."
-- Zippora Karz, former soloist, New York City Ballet, author of The Sugarless Plum and Ballerina Dreams

"Readers will relish this fresh, enlightened insider's look at two talented dancer sisters beset by professional rivalry and bound by love. This glowing novel is full of heart. Enchanting."
-- Sari Wilson, author of Girl Through Glass

About the Author

Terez Mertes Rose is a writer and former ballet dancer whose work has appeared in the Crab Orchard Review, Women Who Eat (Seal Press), A Woman's Europe (Travelers' Tales), the Philadelphia Inquirer and the San Jose Mercury News. She is the author of Off Balance, Book 1 of the Ballet Theatre Chronicles (Classical Girl Press). She reviews dance performances for Bachtrack.com and blogs about ballet and classical music at The Classical Girl. She makes her home in the Santa Cruz Mountains with her husband and son.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01M0NIIX0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Classical Girl Press (October 30, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 30, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3354 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,243 ratings

About the author

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Terez Mertes Rose

Terez Mertes Rose

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Terez Mertes Rose is the author of the Ballet Theatre Chronicles (OFF BALANCE, OUTSIDE THE LIMELIGHT, BALLET ORPHANS, OTHER STAGES) and A DANCER'S GUIDE TO AFRICA. Writing nonfiction as Terez Rose, her work has appeared in numerous journals, anthologies and online publications. She makes her home with family in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Visit her at The Classical Girl where she blogs about ballet, classical music and life, with twin dollops of humor and philosophy thrown in.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
1,243 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

RPurvis
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, complicated book.
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2017
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Outside the Limelight (Ballet Theatre Chronicles Book 2) by Terez Mertez Rose

Written by a former ballet dancer, this lovely book takes us inside of a dancers life; two actually, sisters Rebecca and Dena who dance for the San Francisco Ballet. The story show the beauty and grace, the endless effort to be just a little better and a little stronger, and with that beauty comes the sacrifice of constant pain and frequent injuries. For those of us who have had no personal connection with the world of ballet, the descriptions are a glimpse into a world that most will never know. Within the constant stresses of professional ballet, we meet sisters who are torn by competition and misunderstandings. The love between siblings is, as the author points out, complicated. The novel explores a number of struggles -- between parents and children, between siblings, between couples, and between friends. Most of all, we come to understand the compulsion and desire to conquer all obstacles in order to perform; to gift an audience with great beauty and receive in return their recognition and applause as a reward for the years of study and work.

This is a beautiful book and I could have approached a review in many ways. My way was to talk about the beauty and pain of the art and the difficulty of living with such a demanding mistress. I could just as easily written about the characters and their individual struggles, all which were intimately shared, or I could have written about what goes on behind the scenes of a great ballet company. All of this was included in the book, flowing seamlessly from one aspect to the other. I was quite honestly awed by the writing and the knowledge behind it. I can wait to read number 1 of this series. This us a setting that I enjoy and the author writes characters that I care about. All in all, an excellent book.
7 people found this helpful
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B. Pattison
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2018
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This was a very enticing book about the complexities of the relationship between sisters (in the ballet dance world) and also between the sisters and their parents. It was also a love story. I really enjoyed it! It kept me totally engaged!
One person found this helpful
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Rachel Vaughn
5.0 out of 5 stars Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK :)
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2016
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I got so lucky with this one!! I had just finished Terez' first book of the Ballet Chronicles "Off Balance" just a few days before "Outside the Limelight" was released. I was ecstatic! Haha! I pre-ordered it and started reading on the 30th. At first I was missing Lana and Alice, but moments later I grew attached to Dena and Rebecca and the intricacies of their stories as well as the other characters. I have a sister I dearly love and I also know sisters who do not get along. Family is so delicate and she portrayed this beautifully. While there were certain tragedies within the story, it is dramatic but on the edge of your seat, what's going to happen in a good way dramatic - the overall message is fantastic and "Outside the Limelight" is a very compelling read. I really loved this book and it's characters (so well developed) just as much as her first book!Also, you wouldn't have to read the first book to read the second (not sure why you would do that) READ THEM BOTH! I loved entering the fiercely competitive world of professional ballet dancers lives and cannot wait to read a 3rd book! Wink. Wink!!!
5 people found this helpful
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ed1219r
3.0 out of 5 stars Well developed characters
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2018
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I think this had a few places where anger was misused in the story development. Relationship development needs further thought.
2 people found this helpful
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Jeffrey Allan
5.0 out of 5 stars Blood is thicker than water. I love this story.
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2017
Verified Purchase
"Outside the Limelight" is Volume 2 of the 'Ballet Theatre Chronicles' written by Terez Mertes Rose, a former ballet dancer. Terez has taken her ballet expertise and coupled it with her creativity, giving readers two fabulous fictional stories.

I was half-expecting Volume 2 to be a direct continuation of Volume 1. It's more of an indirect continuation. That is to say, the main characters of Volume 1 are in Volume 2, but they're mostly cameo appearances. The workplace in Volume 2 is still the same ballet company, but the storyline centers around two sisters.

Many of us can relate to sibling rivalry...always needing to outdo one's brother or sister...being the apple of mom and dad's eyes. The battlefield between these two sisters, however, is a bit different: They're both ballet dancers working for the same ballet company; thus they're competing for the higher ranks in ballet casting. The parental situation is also contentious: mom and dad are divorced...and mom favors one sister while dad favors the other. And so, there's a lot of baggage for the journey through this book.

Rebecca is the older sister and the younger is Dena. I suppose from competitive ballet dancers' perspectives, both sisters can commiserate together about having to work for Anders Gunst, the company's artistic director. He's a bit arrogant, usually gets no retaliation when he speaks rudely to his dancers, and has the occasional outburst in his native Danish language. One of the sisters, readers will learn, does have a bit of an unusual relationship with the normally unapproachable Anders.

Dena receives some horrible medical news about herself which threatens her ballet career, but, oddly enough, rewards her with a close relationship. Rebecca has enough insight to know that she can't dance forever; therefore she also takes college courses. Her biology teacher is a medical school dropout and is very interested in Dena's condition and seems to have full-knowledge of what to expect with her condition, as well as treatment options. He is the one who gets close to Dena...and really, becomes her best medical advocate...and her best friend.

The author tapped into something very personal to me: the mysticism of classical music. Mahler's Andante Moderato #6 is one example cited. Give it a listen on YouTube...well worth the time. With my eyes closed, I could visualize ballet dancers gracefully moving around on a stage. The musical piece influenced Dena too, but for her the images were sensuous...which I can also understand.

There's a lot going on in this book...and for me personally, there's one thing about it that usually turns me off: there's a lot of characters in this book. Maybe my reading comprehension is challenged because running into various co-starring characters every couple of chapters or so usually causes me to forget who they are; and then I have to go back and find their introduction and re-learn what they're all about. I tip my hat to the author of this book...I didn't have that problem here; and I think it might be due to the characters' uniqueness: that annoying back-stabbing dancer; or the dancer who's a nice guy, etc. And then there's the occasional running into the characters from Volume 1...and they're kind of unforgettable.

There's also a great deal of ballet nomenclature in this book...but fear not...there is a 'Glossary of Ballet Terms' at the end of the book...and some of it is quite whimsical.

Through all the happenings in this book, for me, one conclusion can be reached: Even in gut-wrenching competition among siblings...blood is always thicker than water. As I anxiously wait for the author's next literary performance...to her I say...Merde!
18 people found this helpful
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Darlene Mattox
4.0 out of 5 stars GoodRead
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2017
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Interesting and educational. Kept my attention during travels for a vacation. I enjoyed the plot and subplots, and the familiar locale.
2 people found this helpful
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Alexandrine
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book about ballet!
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2018
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Heartfelt and informative for the people who never danced ballet. The story follows two sisters Rebecca and Dena through years of their careers as professional ballet dancers. The characters are believable, interesting and complex. There is plenty of siblings rivalry, sweat and tears. The plot kept surprising me, there was a lot going on. The dances were beautifully described and the description of life at the ballet company was realistic and engaging.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Avid Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written story
Reviewed in Canada on April 7, 2018
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A beautifully written story of loss, love and sibling rivalry. You don't need to read the first novel to understand the story or characters of this one but it's also wonderful and worth reading.
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Becky Brooks
5.0 out of 5 stars Dena and Rebecca's story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2018
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Two sisters at the same ballet company whose lives are changed when Dena becomes ill. Great descriptions of life backstage, the work and pain involved in the ballet productions and their love lives and friendships. I really enjoyed the book and will look for more from this author.
One person found this helpful
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PS
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read.
Reviewed in India on June 22, 2018
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It's a good book. Very detailed about the lives of the ballet dancers and there struggles. Besides it is also an absorbing narrative of the Human relations developing, breaking, rephasing. I couldn't put it down once I started. Must read
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juliet
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful heart wrenching and heartwarming tale
Reviewed in Australia on October 17, 2017
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Beautifully written tale of sisters Dena and Rebecca, immersed in the world of ballet, whilst maturing into adults. The story is beautifully woven, with family rivalry, love and angst crafted into a book you don't want to put down. I must admit I had tissues nearby a couple of times!
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Brigitte
4.0 out of 5 stars This was an enjoyable, detailed journey into the world ...
Reviewed in Canada on December 29, 2017
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This was an enjoyable, detailed journey into the world of ballet. An exploration of the stresses that its competitive nature puts on families and relationships.
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