Why I Wrote Dani Grace Dances

If you know me, you've probably heard me say it: "I'm putting that in my book."

For years — literally YEARS — every time something wild, funny, or just plain ridiculous happened, that was my go-to line. Friends doing something dramatic? "Putting that in my book." Overhearing the most unhinged conversation at the grocery store? "Oh, that's going in the book." My family still rolls their eyes when I say it.

Here's the funny part — I had absolutely no intention of writing a book. None. I loved to read. I journaled. I went through a Jewel-inspired angsty poetry phase that we don't need to discuss in detail. But fiction? I had never written fiction in my life. Not a short story, not a chapter, not even a scene. And yet there I was, walking around collecting material for a book that didn't exist, written by an author who didn't exist yet either.

Turns out, the book was coming whether I was ready or not.

Let me back up.

I grew up surrounded by mirrors and music with a paperback tucked in my dance bag. Dance was my everything. If you'd asked little Genise what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer was crystal clear: a Janet Jackson dancer, traveling the world, hitting every stage on the planet. That was the dream. No backup plan needed. (And honestly? I haven't fully given up on that one yet. Janet, if you're reading this — I'm available. Just putting that out there.)

College came along — where I studied Economics AND Dance, because pie charts and pliés are equally fascinating. Then career. Then family. And somewhere along the way, dance disappeared from my daily life.

But I knew I missed it. Every metro ride into work, I'd be choreographing in my head. Hearing music and my body wanted to MOVE. But between just starting a career and starting a family, there wasn't really a place for it. No time, no studio that fit, no "adult" classes that worked with my life.

Then things settled down a bit, and I got the courage to try a dance studio again. Found an adult/teen class. And this one stuck. I found great friends. A great teacher. A community that felt like home.

Those wobbly days coming back to the barre — relearning what my heart remembered but my body had forgotten — that's where the story lived. All those "I'm putting that in my book" moments? They finally had a home.

That story became Dani Grace.

She's ten, she's ambitious, she's quirky, and she is far from perfect (her words, not mine... okay, also mine). When her best friend leaves for an elite tennis academy, Dani Grace throws herself into ballet, determined to find her own spotlight. But becoming a dancer isn't all tutus and twirls — and Dani Grace has to learn that the hard way.

I wrote this book because I wanted the story I needed as a kid. The one that says: you don't have to be the best. You just have to show up. You don't have to be perfect to shine. And your dream might not look exactly like you planned — but it might turn into something even better.

In the meantime, I wrote a whole book about a girl who dances. That's pretty awesome-amazing, if you ask me. (If you know, you know.)

The Dani Grace Dances series explores a different dance genre in each book, following kids as they figure out confidence, creativity, friendship, and where they belong — on and off the stage. This is just the beginning.

So whether you found Dani Grace through a friend, a school visit, or you just stumbled in here — welcome! You're part of the journey now.

And if something wild happens to you today? Don't worry. I'm probably putting it in my next book.

~Genise