Twin sisters compete against one another in Soviet-era ballet world
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April Austin Weekly Deputy Editor, Books Editor
Elyse Durham’s debut novel, “Maya & Natasha,” hooked me with its premise: Twin sisters vie for a single spot at the famed Kirov Ballet in Leningrad.
It’s the height of the Cold War, and the Soviet Union and the United States are locked in a battle of wills. It’s not a stretch to say that the two sisters, like the two superpowers, both need and resent each other.
The twins are 18 years old when we meet them, in their final year of training before auditioning for the Kirov. Durham skillfully builds the insular world of a top Russian ballet school, and the atmosphere bristles with competition, flirtation, and intrigue. She uses supple language to convey how bodies move and connect with music.
Why We Wrote This
Creative expression thrives when people trust and rely on each other. But in repressive societies, faith in others often erodes, as individuals compete for limited freedoms.
Maya and Natasha depend on each other; their mother, a dancer, died by suicide shortly after their birth, and they don’t know who their father is. The absence of family affects them differently: Maya initially comes across as self-pitying and needy, envious of Natasha’s talents. Natasha seems headstrong and careless of her sister’s feelings.
The stakes are high. National fame and travel opportunities accrue to a Kirov dancer, while anonymity and isolation await the sister left behind – or at least that’s what each one thinks. The Soviet Culture Ministry has ruled that only one member of a family can accept a position at the Kirov, which sends touring companies overseas. This is to discourage defections, which have become a PR nightmare for the Kremlin.
Durham taps into the desperation of artists hemmed in by an authoritarian system that provides for their training but warps their humanity. A rupture occurs that sends the two young women spiraling into different orbits. Reconciliation seems nearly impossible.
With verve and drama, Durham draws us into the swirl of Soviet dancers, defectors, filmmakers, and politicians. “Maya & Natasha” is an eloquent and timely reminder about the toll of authoritarianism, the corrosive effect of selfishness, and the hunger for forgiveness.
