Growing up in the early 2000s meant navigating a very specific kind of emotional landscape in YA literature. We had the glossy, high-stakes drama, but then we had the books that felt like they were actively trying to break your heart. Among the most enduring is Davida Wills Hurwin’s novel, A Time for Dancing. It isn't just a book about ballet; it’s a brutal, honest look at what happens when your identity—the very thing you’ve built your life around—is stripped away by something as indifferent as cancer.
If you haven’t read it or watched the 2002 film adaptation, here is the basic deal. It follows Samantha "Sam" Kirshner and Juliana "Jules" Weinberg. They’re best friends. They’re dancers. They are essentially two halves of a whole until Jules is diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. It’s heavy.
The Reality of Ewing’s Sarcoma in A Time for Dancing
Most teen dramas treat illness like a plot device. They make it look cinematic. Pale skin, maybe a stylish headscarf, a few coughing fits, and then a tragic goodbye. Hurwin didn’t do that. Because she was writing from a place of proximity to real-life tragedy, the medical details in the story are harrowing.
Ewing’s sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in bones or in the soft tissue around the bones. It mostly hits kids and young adults. In the story, Jules feels a pain in her leg. As a dancer, she ignores it. Dancers are taught to push through. Pain is just part of the job description, right? That’s where the tragedy starts. By the time it’s caught, it’s already entrenched.
The book captures the clinical coldness of treatment. The "red devil" (Adriamycin/Doxorubicin) is mentioned—that’s a real chemo drug known for its intense toxicity and the way it turns your urine red. It’s brutal. Hurwin describes the nausea, the metallic taste in the mouth, and the way the body begins to feel like an enemy. It isn't "sad" in a poetic way. It's exhausting.
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Why the Friendship Between Sam and Jules Matters
Honestly, the romance in this story is secondary. That’s rare. Usually, these books are about a dying girl finding love before she goes. But A Time for Dancing focuses almost entirely on the platonic bond between Sam and Jules.
They share everything. Their bodies are trained to move in sync. When Jules gets sick, that synchronicity breaks. Sam’s guilt is a major theme that people don't talk about enough. How do you keep dancing when your partner can't walk? How do you talk about your auditions when your best friend is counting white blood cells?
Sam’s struggle with "survivor’s guilt" while Jules is still alive is one of the most authentic parts of the narrative. She feels like a traitor for having a functional body. She starts to pull away because looking at Jules is like looking at a version of herself that is being erased. It's messy. It's ugly. It's human.
The 2002 Movie vs. The Book
Let’s talk about the movie. Directed by Peter Gilbert and starring Larisa Oleynik (of Alex Mack and 10 Things I Hate About You fame) as Sam and Shiri Appleby as Jules.
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The movie has a bit of a cult following, mostly because it was one of those "Direct-to-TV" or limited release gems that people stumbled upon on Lifetime or late-night cable. While it softens some of the book's sharper edges, the performances are genuinely solid. Appleby, in particular, captures that frantic, desperate need to stay connected to her craft.
There is a scene—no spoilers—where the dancing becomes a form of prayer. It’s not about technical perfection anymore. It’s about movement as a last act of defiance.
The "Dance" Metaphor Isn't Just for Show
In the world of A Time for Dancing, the title comes from Ecclesiastes: "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."
It’s about the seasons of life.
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For Jules, the "time for dancing" was her entire identity. When she can no longer perform, she has to figure out who "Juliana Weinberg" is without a leotard and a barre. That identity crisis is something anyone who has faced a career-ending injury or a major life shift can relate to. You spend 15 years being one thing, and then, suddenly, you aren't.
What People Get Wrong About the Ending
People often misremember the ending as a total "downer." It is sad, yes. But it’s actually a book about legacy. It’s about how we carry the people we love into the things we do. Sam doesn’t just stop dancing because Jules is gone; she dances because Jules was there.
It’s a subtle shift. It moves the narrative from a story about death to a story about integration.
Actionable Takeaways for Readers and Writers
If you’re revisiting this story or looking for something similar, here is how to process the heavy themes without getting bogged down in the "sadness" of it all:
- Audit your "Body Identity": Like Jules, many of us tie our self-worth to what our bodies can do (work, sports, appearance). Take a moment to consider who you are if those things change. It's a scary but necessary exercise in mental resilience.
- Acknowledge "Caregiver Burnout": If you identify more with Sam, realize that your guilt is a natural byproduct of empathy. Supporting someone through a terminal illness is a marathon, and "caregiver burnout" is a documented clinical state. You aren't a bad person for feeling tired or wanting to live your own life.
- Support Ewing’s Sarcoma Research: Since this is a real and devastating disease, look into the Sarcoma Foundation of America. They fund research specifically for these "orphan cancers" that don't get as much funding as more common types.
- Watch the Film with Context: If you find the 2002 movie, watch it through the lens of early 2000s indie filmmaking. It’s low-budget, but the emotional core is surprisingly sturdy compared to modern "sick-lit" movies like The Fault in Our Stars.
The reason A Time for Dancing stays in your head isn't the tragedy. It’s the realization that life is just a series of rooms we walk through, and sometimes the music stops before we’re ready to sit down. You just have to keep moving while you can.