I love learning about Jennifer’s life and the history of the Rockettes! I think it is a nice reminder that firsts have to endure so much for those that would follow in their footsteps. Jennifer has a clear and engaging voice and I would be interested to know what she makes of the organization now but this was an interesting read.

I was so excited to see this title pop up on NetGalley. Like Jennifer, I grew up in anew Jersey and was a dancer, so I was no stranger to The Rockettes and their Christmas Spectacular, so I was excited to know a lot of the references geographically and within the dance world like Broadway Dance Center and Frank Hatchett.

I appreciated this view and couldn’t believe how frustratingly and infuriatingly a long and overdue time it took to diversify the line and that even when it started to happen, it was barely a trickle and those dancers breaking barriers had a lot to tackle. Jennifer shares her unique experience in an easy to read way that tackles heavy issues and movements in a light and fast paced way without skirting around important facts. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything. It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies and she paints a great message that someone has to be first and often that person is simply just trying to do something that they love and didn’t start out trying to overcome some obstacle or challenge. I was astonished by the behavior of some of the fellow dancers and staffers of the organization and their reactions and am glad they are being brought to light.

My only qualm was the breakdown of the book which was quite literally 30% personal background, 40% time getting to and performing with the rockettes, and 30% life and jobs afterwards. I wish it had delved deeper into her time on the line, the issues she faced, maybe interviews with other dancers who faced similar treatment or better (hopefully!) treatment down the road. I was expecting the rockette focus to be heavier or would want the title and overview to be broadened to preview more about Jennifer and her career and life as a whole.

I was excited to read Becoming Spectacular by Jennifer Jones, intrigued by the story of the first African American Rockette and her groundbreaking journey. While her story is undeniably inspiring, I found myself struggling to stay engaged and ultimately couldn’t finish the book.

One of the challenges for me was that the memoir often veered into self-help territory, with frequent “if I can do it, you can too” messages about hard work and determination. While these sentiments are uplifting, they became repetitive and detracted from the storytelling for me.

Additionally, the level of detail in the book felt overwhelming at times. While I can appreciate the effort to provide a thorough account, it often slowed the narrative and made it difficult to maintain my interest.

Despite these challenges, Jennifer Jones’ story is an important and courageous one, and I admire her strength and perseverance in breaking barriers. Readers who enjoy deeply detailed memoirs and motivational narratives may find more to appreciate here than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Amistad Publishing for sharing this copy with me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Jones, and Amistad Publishing Company for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for a honest review.

Jennifer Jones, the first African American Rockette, just had a dream of being a dancer. In her book, Being Spectacular, Jones chronicles the trials and tribulations of becoming a Rockette. This firsthand account pulls back the curtain on the dance trope like never before with raw, searing honest. This memoir serves as a reminder that trailblazers journey are often far more difficult than given credit for; however, without trailblazers there would not be so many shattering ceilings. Thank you Ms. Jones for sharing your story and opening the eyes to possibilities with a fair amount of determination.

The book Becoming Spectacular was very good reading. It was interesting to learn more about the Rockettes and especially about the authors adventure in becoming the first African American rockette The entire story kept my interest all through her life story. I would definitely recommend this book

I enjoyed getting to read this memoir and learning about what was happening with Jennifer Jones. It was a great peek in the Rockette world and thought the stories were really well done. It kept me reading and was glad I got to read this.