Jessi's made it into the Dance New York program! For three weeks, she'll study with one of her heroes, dancer David Brailsford. And she'll stay in the city too.
Before long, Jessi's happier than she's ever been. She's making great new friends, she's enjoying the city, and she's totally loving Dance NY. In fact, the only cloud on her horizon is the approaching end of the program.
Then Jessi learns she has a chance to blow that cloud away — and join Dance NY full-time. Doing that would mean leaving Stoneybrook...and the BSC. Jessi knows dancing is her destiny. But is she ready to go for it now?
Main Plot[]
Jessi gets a 3 week scholarship with Dance New York (DNY). When she is offered a full time job with DNY she turns it down because she is not ready.
In this book, Jessi says that John Kishi is a banker. In most of the other books, he is a partner in an investment firm in Stamford.
Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]
Dear Reader,
In Jessi’s Big Break, Jessi has the adventure of her ballet lifetime. Not only does she get to attend a prestigious ballet school but she gets to live in New York City with a group of new friends with whom she has a lot in common. Jessi finds she loves living in Brooklyn and that being a kid in New York is not as different from being a kid in Stoneybrook as she had thought it would be. She can visit her friends at their apartments. They can order pizza and have a party. She also finds that, unlike in Stoneybrook, she can order in any kind of food at any hour of the day. Plus, she can go to a movie — or she can go to a Broadway show, a jazz club, a museum, or an art gallery. Instead of being driven in a car when she wants to go somewhere, she can take the subway.
Being a kid in New York is exciting! Jessi loved every minute of her visit. You can see why she had a hard time deciding whether to leave Dance NY!
Jessi's aunts and uncles on her father's side is Charles, Arthur, and Cecelia.
Mr. Ramsey tells jokes that embarrass Jessi.
Aunt Cecelia is uncomfortable with answering machines.
Throgs Neck Bridge is a real bridge that goes to New York.
This is the last book Jessi narrates.
Quint's parents call Jessi the dance angel.
Jessi and Maritza with their friends created a video called Ballet is Murder.
Real places Jessi visited in New York include: The Blue Note, Carnegie Hall, Statue of Liberty, Twin Towers, Chinatown, Little Italy, Penn Station, Greenwich Village, Empire State Building, Sylvia's Restaurant.
Janine calls Claudia's art "play therapy."
The triplets help out on sitting jobs sometimes.
The Pikes makes Jessi a cassette telegram with Becca.
Claire tells her about her class rabbit
Byron wants to read her his English report
Becca suggests everyone sings.
Jessi doesn't think she'd be ready for a boyfriend until she's thirteen or fourteen.
All the shops in Stoneybrook close at 9.
Mallory would never want to work in New York.
This is one of the few mentions of e-mail in the main series.