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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Marie grow upset with Derek in Part II?

2. What does Dara see that shocks her when she arrives early at the dance studio in Part II?

3. Who are Derek's sub-contractors?

4. How does Marie break in toe shoes?

5. What habit do Dara, Marie and Charlie share?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Dara think about as the major differences between herself and Marie?

2. Why does Dara refuse to touch students past a certain age?

3. How do the parents at the school of dance generally interact with Dara?

4. What has Marie done recently, before the start of the book, that Charlie and Dara are stung by?

5. What was the third floor of the dance studio originally for?

6. What does Dara's, Charlie's, and Marie's house look like?

7. How do dancers' feet usually look and feel?

8. How do Charlie, Dara and Marie make the choice to not only repair, but expand, the studio?

9. What does Marie do to prepare her own pointe shoes for wear?

10. What does Dara notice about Marie when she is around Derek, the contractor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How and why do Dara, Charlie, and Marie decide to expand their dance studio instead of just repairing Studio B after the fire there? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Dara believe that she is the strongest of the three of them, herself, Charlie, and Marie, and in what ways does Dara assert her dominance between the three of them? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How do the other students treat Bailey Bloom after she is cast as Clara in The Nutcracker, and what does this behavior reveal about the nature of ballet and its students, in Dara's opinion? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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