We Came To Dance

Dance Moms. Soccer Moms. Volleyball Moms. Surely we never expected we’d drive so much, dedicate so much time, or spend so much money on our children’s pursuits — or that we’d get into struggles with overbearing coaches and jockeying team parents, and then waste countless hours either conspiring or reeling over it. But we’ll do just about anything for our children; some will even bribe, lie, and steal to make sure their kid stands out. We Came To Dance. A Novel. No one is more excited than Jamie Clark when her ten-year-old daughter, Danni, receives an invitation to her studio’s competitive dance team. Jamie suspects the commitment will be demanding, but she is unprepared for everything else. Her role is reduced to driving, watching, and writing checks, and when the team director, Cynthia Richardson, makes it clear that she calls the shots, Jamie also starts to lose control. Once dance competition season begins, Jamie and her husband, Owen, question not only the proportion of time and money spent, but also the long-term impact the increasingly provocative environment will have on their daughter — all for the short-term rush of another trophy. Dance becomes less about personal expression and more about how much time, money, and sacrifice one is willing to put in for the higher award. The pressure mounts when Vanessa, a recent college graduate, returns to help lead the team. She promises to push the girls to new heights, but her method of “winning” may come with a price. With no one else willing to speak up, Jamie struggles to keep her values in focus and her daughter’s life in a joyful balance — all while watching the small and nurturing studio that has been Danni’s second home for most of her life turn into something she never expected.