One Wrong Turn by Chenée Marrapodi (published by Fremantle Press)
Chenée Marrapodi is an Australian writer and podcaster who has just launched her first book for middle readers, One Wrong Turn.
She writes with insight and clarity about One Wrong Turn for Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog:
Guest author post by Chenée Marrapodi about One Wrong Turn:
‘Aren’t you a little old to be doing ballet?’
A colleague asked me this question about five years ago. At the time, I was working as a television journalist and taking dance classes recreationally in the evenings. Occasionally I would compete or perform in my dance school’s end of year concert.
The question struck a nerve. Dancing was something I had done since I was five years old. It was a huge part of my life. I was never going to become a professional, but that had never been the goal. I simply loved it. I also hated the gym, so it was a great way of fooling myself into working out.
The thing I found most interesting about the question was the fact that plenty of adults, this colleague included, play in recreational sport teams and no one ever bats an eye lid. Ballet is different though. For a lot of people, the word ‘ballet’ conjures up images of little girls prancing around in tutus and tiaras. It’s graceful, so it must be easy, right? In reality, my muscles are usually on fire within the first 10 minutes of a barre warm up.
The funny thing about dance, is that once you start, it’s very hard to stop. ‘Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost,’ – it’s a quote by German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch, and I think it sums it up perfectly. To this day, nothing grounds me quite like a dance class does.
Unbeknownst to me, that simple comment from my colleague had planted the seed of a story idea and over the next couple of years, that story would grow into my debut novel, One Wrong Turn.
One Wrong Turn is set at an elite ballet school and follows two dancers as they go head-to-head for the lead role in Cinderella. There’s a lot of ballet in this novel, but there’s so much more to it than tutus and tiaras. These dancers are athletes, with more talent than I could ever dream of. They are also incredibly dedicated and determined to prove themselves. Expectations are high – none higher than their own.
I slowly choreographed my way through the novel, learning more about my dancers page-by-page. Just like I did each time I prepared for a performance, I went over and over the words, polishing to perfection. For a while, I actually thought I’d achieved that, but if dance has taught me anything, it’s that perfection is a moving target and you’ve always got to be prepared for a last minute change…or in this case, a background character who was misbehaving.
This character was hogging the limelight and screaming for more attention. I don’t know why I was surprised. Afterall, I’d written a book about elite young dancers who were determined to be the best they could be. Very few ballerinas are satisfied with spending their entire life dancing in the background. My character was no exception. She wanted to take centre stage.
With butterflies in my stomach and shaky hands, I made the terrifying decision to start again. I brought Valentina forward to share the spotlight with my other leading lady, Amelia.
All of a sudden, One Wrong Turn came to life. My hands danced across the keyboard, as Valentina’s story pirouetted across the pages. I could see her and her family more clearly than any of my other characters. I had seen glimpses of them in different forms throughout my own life.
I was born in Australia, but my dad’s side of the family comes from a little town in southern Italy, very similar to the one Valentina has migrated from. I understand the Italian culture because I’ve grown up amongst it. The language, the big family lunches, the traditional values, the religious customs – I know them well. I might not have immigrated to Australia like Valentina, but in my early twenties I moved to Italy for a while by myself. I know the fear and excitement that comes with moving to a foreign country and the challenges of making yourself understood. Just like Valentina, I found ‘home’ when I joined a dance school.
I often hear the recommendation ‘write what you know’. It’s solid advice, particularly for newer writers like myself. This story came to life when I let little pieces of myself venture onto the page. I share the passion and determination of my characters – in reality, they’re the same traits I needed to get this book published. I might not have had the natural facility to entertain the idea of becoming a professional ballerina, but I definitely know the blood, sweat and tears that are synonymous with dance. The pull of muscles as limbs are extended into unnatural positions. The pain of blisters popping up on your toes and the mental strength needed to carry on dancing as if you don’t have a care in the world.
Dancers are artists, but they’re also athletes. I hope One Wrong Turn captures that.
Oh, and for the record, I’m not too old to be doing ballet. There are still women in their 80s and 90s who attend classes, some even perform. All I can say is watch this space!
Chenée Marrapodi is an Australian writer and podcaster. She has worked in media for many years, currently for Channel Nine News, and formerly as a reporter for Channel Seven’s Today Tonight, as well as online news and radio. Chenée’s love of words is rivalled only by her love of dance. Combining the two, One Wrong Turn published by Fremantle Press is her first novel.
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