Leap by Simina Popescu
A coming-of-age graphic novel following two dancers at a conservative performing arts school—exploring friendship, first love, and what it means to fall out of step with your own dreams.
Ana has been studying contemporary dance since she was little, but her heart isn’t in it anymore. Instead her focus is on Carina—a beautiful, ambitious ballerina whose fear of being outed keeps Ana in the closet and their fragile relationship from seeing the light of day. Risking her own career, Ana gives up more and more in order to fit into the shadows of Carina’s life.
Sara, on the other hand, is fielding whispers she may be the best dancer their school has produced in years. Much of that is thanks to her mentor and instructor, Marlena, who plucked Sara from the classical track and encouraged her to blossom as a contemporary dancer. Sara has always been in awe of Marlena, but recently, that admiration has sparked into something more, and Sara’s not sure what to do about it.
As junior year at their performing arts school begins, Ana and Sara are assigned as roommates. What starts off as a tentative friendship soon becomes a much-needed anchor.
Specs:
304 pages | Paperback
flaps; full color illustrations throughout
8.5 in H | 6.1 in W | 1 in T | 1.4 lb Wt
ISBN: 9781250838308
A coming-of-age graphic novel following two dancers at a conservative performing arts school—exploring friendship, first love, and what it means to fall out of step with your own dreams.
Ana has been studying contemporary dance since she was little, but her heart isn’t in it anymore. Instead her focus is on Carina—a beautiful, ambitious ballerina whose fear of being outed keeps Ana in the closet and their fragile relationship from seeing the light of day. Risking her own career, Ana gives up more and more in order to fit into the shadows of Carina’s life.
Sara, on the other hand, is fielding whispers she may be the best dancer their school has produced in years. Much of that is thanks to her mentor and instructor, Marlena, who plucked Sara from the classical track and encouraged her to blossom as a contemporary dancer. Sara has always been in awe of Marlena, but recently, that admiration has sparked into something more, and Sara’s not sure what to do about it.
As junior year at their performing arts school begins, Ana and Sara are assigned as roommates. What starts off as a tentative friendship soon becomes a much-needed anchor.
Specs:
304 pages | Paperback
flaps; full color illustrations throughout
8.5 in H | 6.1 in W | 1 in T | 1.4 lb Wt
ISBN: 9781250838308
A coming-of-age graphic novel following two dancers at a conservative performing arts school—exploring friendship, first love, and what it means to fall out of step with your own dreams.
Ana has been studying contemporary dance since she was little, but her heart isn’t in it anymore. Instead her focus is on Carina—a beautiful, ambitious ballerina whose fear of being outed keeps Ana in the closet and their fragile relationship from seeing the light of day. Risking her own career, Ana gives up more and more in order to fit into the shadows of Carina’s life.
Sara, on the other hand, is fielding whispers she may be the best dancer their school has produced in years. Much of that is thanks to her mentor and instructor, Marlena, who plucked Sara from the classical track and encouraged her to blossom as a contemporary dancer. Sara has always been in awe of Marlena, but recently, that admiration has sparked into something more, and Sara’s not sure what to do about it.
As junior year at their performing arts school begins, Ana and Sara are assigned as roommates. What starts off as a tentative friendship soon becomes a much-needed anchor.
Specs:
304 pages | Paperback
flaps; full color illustrations throughout
8.5 in H | 6.1 in W | 1 in T | 1.4 lb Wt
ISBN: 9781250838308
Simina brings her hometown, Bucharest, to life in her beautiful illustrations -- readers take in the architecture, the arts scene, the night life, and the complexities of being queer in a conservative, post-communist Romania.
"Pivotal and transformative. . . . a fluidly illustrated work that gracefully captures the ups and downs of first love, ambition, and friendship." —Publisher Weekly
Simina Popescu (they/them) is an author, illustrator, and cartoonist. They’re passionate about LGBTQIA+ representation in contemporary media and stories about queer friendship, intimacy and intense emotion. They live in Bucharest, Romania with a mean cat named Fredi. Leap is Simina's debut graphic novel. Siminapopescu.com
