Don't Forget to Smile

Name: Don't Forget to Smile
Price: 19.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9781760645670

Ariane Beeston

$19.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Black Inc
30 June 2026

General fiction (Children's&YA); Dance, ballet (Children's&YA); Young Adult

You don't stop. You never stop. Not if you want to be the best.

Clara has been dancing since she was three and knows exactly what she wants- a place at the Australian National Ballet School and a career as a principal dancer.

Elle, who accidentally found herself TikTok famous after a #balletfail went viral, is new to the dance world, horrified at how racist, sexist and classist it is, and thinks ballet needs to grand jete itself into the twenty-first century.

Ben, Elle's best friend, just wants to be able to dance en pointe and have his pick of both male and female solos.

Clara thinks Elle is a bit much. Elle thinks Clara's uptight. Ben's a bit stuck in the middle.

All three want to win the International Ballet Grand Prix at the Sydney Opera House. But when a scandal involving a famous dancer threatens their futures, the trio must put aside their differences to confront ballet's damaging traditions - and demand it do better.

'Sensitive, nuanced and bittersweetly hopeful' -Ange Crawford, author of How to Be Normal

'The book so many of us needed as young dancers trying to find our place in ballet - and in the world' -Chloe Angyal, author of Turning Pointe

'Fun and feisty with a dash of intrigue, this story will dance its way into your heart.' -Clare Atkins, author of Between Us

'Ariane Beeston knows ballet - and it shows. Exquisitely written with insight, grace, humour and plenty of heart, this story goes beyond the beauty of ballet, shining a timely spotlight on one our most beloved art forms. It's a compelling, captivating must-read for dance lovers that's sure to spark some much-needed conversation. I couldn't put it down.' -Chenee Marrapodi, author of One Wrong Turn and Breaking Pointe

For ages 12-15+

By: Ariane Beeston
Imprint: Black Inc
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 1mm, Width: 1mm,
Weight: 298g
ISBN: 9781760645670
ISBN 10: 1760645672
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 30 June 2026
Audience: Children/juvenile , English as a second language
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Ariane began dancing before she could reliably speak in two-word sentences. She trained to a pre-professional level in ballet and contemporary dance, performing with the Sydney City Youth Ballet and appearing in the English National Ballet's Australian performances of Swan Lake. After a detour into psychology and media, Ariane began teaching ballet to toddlers, pre-schoolers and beginner adults. Ariane's debut memoir, Because I'm Not Myself, You See, was shortlisted for the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year in 2025. Don't Forget to Smile is her first book for young adults. She still wants to be a ballerina when she grows up.