History Literature / BadNewsBallet

* SourOutsideSadInside: Gwen, along with being "plump", is a snarky-mouthed unfriendly girl to start. [=McGee=] initially hates the idea of spending more time with her as she thinks she's unfriendly (and they're mostly forced together because their mom's are friends) and she's constantly being compared to her, while Gwen thinks that [=McGee=] is pretty in looks and perfect compared to her red hair, glasses, and overall fatness and she's constantly being compared to ''her''. (They start to come around to each other along with making friends with the other three.)

* EverytownAmerica: The books are set in the town of Deerfield, Ohio which is near the Curtiss-Dobbs Air Force Base--both appear to be fictional, though there are many places called "Deerfield Township" and the real Wright-Patterson Air Force Base located in Ohio.

Compare the more well-known ''Literature/TheBabySittersClub'', aimed at the same demographic (and sometimes advertised in the back pages); ''Literature/SleepoverFriends'', which is centered on girls who bond at [[SlumberParty slumber parties]]; ''Literature/TheSaddleClub'', a PonyTale series; and ''Literature/TheGymnasts'', which focuses on another sport aimed at girls.

* SchoolForcedUsTogether: Ballet auditions and later dance school, but yes. The girls all meet each other after being taken to the autions for the dance academy's performance of the Nutcracker, and all of them but Mary Bubnik have taken some form of informal ballet class ballet prior to the auditions. They remain together afterwards in the class.

* DidAnastasiaSurvive: ''Blubberina'' has the gang introduced to--and later obsessed with--Miss Delacorte's "magical" Amber Stone of Anastasia, which Miss Delacorte says saved Anastasia from dying because [[ArtisticLicenseHistory when the Bolsheviks broke into the royal palace]] and murdered the Romanovs, the bullet meant for her heart glanced off the amber stone and she was the only one who lived.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Zan (Suzannah), Gwen (Gwendolyn), Rocky (Rochelle), and [=McGee=] (Kathryn). Mary's the only one who goes by her full first name.

* BreakTheHaughty: Zan and the others decide they need to make the Bunheads embarrass themselves. They decide to convince them to put detergent on their ballet shoes in place of rosin and to lace the ribbons up their calves. The Bunheads--who were cast as flowers--do so and end up ruining the floor of the dance studio by coating it in a layer of soap--''and'' get lectured by Mr. Anton for it and the bad lacing.

* BlackAndNerdy: African-American Zan is described as [[Bookworm preferring a book]] to ballet; she's read tons of books including the entire (fictional) Tiffany Truenote series, and at the audition is able to explain the plot of ''The Nutcracker'' excellently. She's this way in part because, [[HugeSchoolgirl as the tallest girl in fifth grade]], she feels that books let her be "any height" she wants. She's also a skilled speller with a large vocabulary, and in ''Blubberina,'' [[spoiler:wins the town's spelling bee]].

--> [[{{Bookends}} ''We'' love ''ballet!'']]

--> ''We'' love ''ballet!''

* BlackAndNerdy: African-American Zan is described as preferring a book to ballet; she's read tons of books including the entire Tiffany Truenote series, and at the audition is able to explain the plot of ''The Nutcracker'' excellently. She's this way in part because, [[HugeSchoolgirl as the tallest girl in fifth grade]], she feels that books let her be "any height" she wants. She's also a skilled speller with a large vocabulary, and in ''Blubberina,'' [[spoiler:wins the town's spelling bee]].

* HugeSchoolgirl: Zan is the tallest girl in her entire fifth grade and the whole of her elementary school, and is shy and embarrassed because of it, constantly comparing herself to a lanky, awkward giraffe.

* MilitaryBrat: Rocky lives on the fictional Curtiss-Dobbs Air Force Base with her military father, Sergeant Garcia. He's a strict father who always barks his orders and runs the house like a miniature branch of the military. When any of her or her four older brothers get in trouble, they all get punished, and this can result in being "confined to quarters" (sent to your room) or "KP", which means washing dishes for a week.

* SecretSnackStash: Gwen doesn't actually change clothes for her original ballet class she'd been taking--her canvas tote has snacks inside it as well as a decoy set of tights and leotard.
* SourOutsideSadInside: Gwen, along with being "plump", is a snarky mouthed unfriendly girl to start. [=McGee=] initially hates the idea of spending more time with her as she thinks she's unfriendly (and they're mostly forced together because their mom's are friends) and she's constantly being compared to her, while Gwen thinks that [=McGee=] is pretty in looks and perfect compared to her red hair, glasses, and overall fatness and she's constantly being compared to ''her''. (They start to come around to each other along with making friends with the other three.)

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: InUniverse; [=McGee=] is the only girl on her junior hockey team, the Fairview Express.

** Miss Jo establishes herself as this at the audition when Rocky and [=McGee=] start fighting--she coolly informs them that they are not in a boxing club and need to behave if they wish to stay. She doesn't even have to yell to get them to simmer down.
** Mr. Anton, the head of the academy, does not take playing around or shenanigans well. The Bunheads aren't immune to him either--when they coat their slippers in soap and end up wrecking the floor for practice, he gives them a ''stern'' talking to about it--and the fact they laced their slippers improperly up to the knee.

** Rocky is rough and tumble and the toughest girl in her grade, but likes to try on her mother's formal gowns and dress up. (She's sure her [[BigBrotherBully bullying older brothers) would make fun of her if they ever found out she likes pretty clothes.) One of her hopes--before they're cast as mice--is that maybe they'll get to wear nice costumes in their ballet roles.

* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Mary Bubnik--the only one of the girls with blonde hair--is sweet, bubbly, and friendly to everyone--even if they don't truly deserve it.

* IAmBigBoned: Mrs. [=McGee=] describes Gwen politely as "plump," but [=McGee=] ([[WeightWoe and Gwen]]) considers her to be fat.

* BreakTheHaughty: Zan and the others decide they need to make the Bunheads embarrass themselves. They convince them to put detergent on their ballet shoes in place of rosin and to lace the ribbons up their calves. The Bunheads--who were cast as flowers--do so and end up ruining the floor of the dance studio by coating it in a layer of soap--''and'' get lectured by Mr. Anton for it and the bad lacing.

''Bad News Ballet'' is a series of [[MiddleGradeLiterature middle grade]] books published first in 1989 and written by Jahnna N. Malcolm (the PenName of married couple writers Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner), focused on a set of five girls who are misfit dancers in their beginner--and more professional--{{Ballet}} lessons in the fictional town of Deerfield, Ohio.

* HugeSchoolgirl: Zan is the tallest girl in her entire fifth grade and the whole of her elementary school, and is shy and embarrassed because of it.

* ArtisticLicenseArt: Part of Mary's [[TheKlutz clumsiness]] in ballet class initially is that her ballet slippers are too big for her feet, since her mother hopes she'll grow into them. However, she wouldn't be allowed to dance at ''all'' in oversized slippers--ballet slippers, even for beginners, must be snug to the foot. She would be expected to get a properly sized pair by the dance teachers.

* WeightWoe: Gwen constantly worries about being fat, drinks diet cokes, and frets that she looks stuffed and overweight in her ballet leotard and tights. She frequently sucks in her stomach to look smaller and insists on dieting, making a big deal of her size. Granted, so does almost everyone around her.

* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Mary Bubnik, who has recently moved to Deerfield after her parents' divorce, is desperate to make new friends--in part because she's worried that if she doesn't find a way to fit in, she'll be sent back to live with her dad--and his new wife--in Oklahoma.

''Bad News Ballet'' is a series of [[MiddleGradeLiterature middle grade]] books published first in 1989 and written by Jahnna N. Malcolm (the PenName of married couple writers Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner), focused on a set of five girls who are misfit dancers in their beginner {{Ballet}} lessons in the fictional town of Deerfield, Ohio.

* BlackAndNerdy: African-American Zan is described as preferring a book to ballet; she's read tons of books including the entire Tiffany Truenote series, and in the first class is able to explain the plot of ''The Nutcracker'' excellently. She's this way in part because, [[HugeSchoolgirl as the tallest girl in fifth grade]], she feels that books let her be "any height" she wants. She's also a skilled speller and in ''Blubberina,'' [[spoiler:wins the town's spelling bee.]]

* TheKlutz: Mary Bubnik [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduces herself]] by tripping over her feet in too-big dance shoes and falling across the floor. She's frequently described as the most klutzy student in class--even by her friends--and didn't make it in gymnastics or cheerleading. She was last in the tryouts for cheer.

* LastNameBasis: [=McGee=] goes by her last name; she hates her first name, Kathryn. This results in the ballet teacher, Miss Jo, referring to her as "[=McGee=] [=McGee=]" in her first ballet class, which she has to then clarify.

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The five main girls--each for a different reason--do not mesh well with the snooty Bunheads or ballet initially. By the end of the first book they've bonded to the point they all want to remain in ballet class--even if only for each other's sake.
* SecretSnackStash: Gwen doesn't actually change clothes for her original ballet class--her canvas tote has snacks inside it as well as a decoy set of tights and leotard.

* ShrinkingViolet: Zan, who is tall and shy and hates being the center of attention. She doesn't speak much to the others until she warms up to them, preferring books to people. She's sent to ballet class because her mother thinks she needs fresh air and friends outside of books.

* SternTeacher: Miss Jo establishes herself as this in the very first class when Rocky and [=McGee=] start fighting--she coolly informs them that they are not in a boxing club and need to behave if they wish to stay. She doesn't even have to yell to get them to simmer down.

** [=McGee=]--who goes by her last name, [[EmbarrassingFirstName as she hates her first name of Kathryn]]--is a massive tomboy who starts the series off by stating she hates ballet and much prefers hockey. By the end of the first book (having bonded with her fellow misfits) she's a bit more accepting, and--though she retains her tomboy ways--she remains part of the class through the full run.
** Rocky likes to try on her mother's formal gowns and dress up--but she's sure her bullying brothers would make fun of her if they ever found out she likes pretty clothes. One of her hopes--before they're cast as mice--is that maybe they'll get to wear nice costumes in the ballet.

* AlphaBitch: Courtney Clay, a skilled dancer and most prominent of the Bunheads. She's snotty to all the other misfits and thinks she's better than them because she's a skilled dancer who's studied for years, is one of Miss Jo's best students, and her mother sits on the Board of Directors.