An incisive exploration of ballet’s role in the modern world, told through the experience of the author and her classmates at the most elite ballet school in the country: the School of American Ballet.

As a child, Alice Robb devoted herself to the storied art of ballet. She loved its rich history and its hyper-feminine trappings, but eventually, the impossibly high standards took their toll.

When she finally quit, she thought she had escaped ballet’s strict codes for good. However as an adult, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the same laws that governed the dance world still applied in the regular one. Certain bodies hold more value than others, and men often hold the most power of all. Pain is best left concealed, along with sexuality, in all of its messiness. Obedience and conformity are rewarded, while standing out comes at a cost.

Profound, nuanced, and passionately researched, Don’t Think, Dear is Robb’s excavation of her adolescent years as a dancer, and an exploration of how those days informed her life for years to come.

As she grapples with the pressure she faced as a student at the School of American Ballet, she investigates the fates of her former classmates as well. From sweet and innocent Emily, whose body was deemed thin enough only when she was too ill to eat, to precocious and talented Meiying, who–despite her success–had to contend with the fact that she was one of the only Asian-American dancers in her program.

Theirs are stories of heartbreak and resilience, of reinvention and regret. Along the way, Robb weaves in the myths of famous ballet personalities past and present, from the groundbreaking Misty Copeland to the legendary George Balanchine.

By examining the psyche of a dancer, Don’t Think, Dear grapples with the contradictions and challenges of being a woman today.