Dancing in the Dark

Dancing in the Dark

A dramatic and moving story about a girl who follows her dreams and finds herself questioning everything she believes in.

Ditty Cohen is secretly watching TV at her friend's house when she flicks the channel and is enthralled by a classical ballerina dancing the Nutcracker. She falls instantly in love, but when she asks her parents if she can learn to dance she is told that it is out of the question. The rules of conduct for girls in her community are very strict and ballet is considered immodest; it doesn't make her a better person and good Jewish girls don't go on the stage.

But Ditty can't help herself- she defies her parents to take lessons in secret, and it soon becomes apparent that her passion for dance is matched by an extraordinary talent. Ditty continues her deception for almost five years, during which time she is led to question her faith, the nature of truth itself and her parents' authority.

As she is gradually exposed to the way other people live, she begins to break many of the rules that define her as a Haredi Jew, and she finds it harder and harder to cope with the lies and the moral dilemmas of her double life.

When Ditty's deception is inevitably discovered, she is forced to choose between her family and her dream of becoming a professional dancer.

Robyn Bavati has taught English conversation to non-native speakers, taught creative dance in schools and worked as a shiatsu therapist. Her published work includes feature articles for Israeli magazines and newspapers and the Australian Jewish News. Robyn has completed a diploma in Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT. She lives in Melbourne with her family.



Dancing in the Dark
Penguin Australia
Author: Robyn Bavati
Price: $17.95