61 pages • 2 hours read
Nicola YoonInstructions for Dancing
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2021A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 35-41Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 35 Summary: “Bachata Monday”
X is pleased that Evie made up with her friends; they hug in the dance studio, and she admits he was right. Fifi teases them about getting too close, so they jump apart. With Danceball six weeks away, Fifi leads them through tough, long practices. A few hours later, she tells them that their chemistry has improved greatly, but they still need to improve to win. She insists they need three days—Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays—to practice the tango, since it’s the most difficult of their dances.
Chapter 36 Summary: “Salsa Tuesday”
Evie and X text about Fifi’s ridiculous schedule and how she repeats “more caliente!” when they salsa (179). X writes that he’s reading Cupcakes and Kisses, joking that he didn’t expect it to be so dirty. Evie texts that he’s reading the first bakery scene, a steamy scene in which the characters have a food fight and then get intimate. She laughs at their banter, as X makes comments about how frosting only belongs on cake and asks what “gorgeous mounts of flesh” are (179). Evie can’t respond faster since he’s making her laugh too much.
Chapter 37 Summary: “West Coast Swing Wednesday”
Evie’s phone rings and wakes her up in the middle of the night. X apologizes for waking her, but his father called after the band’s set that night, and they fought again. Evie talks him through the fight, with X sharing that he feels he’s “betrayed” his father’s idea of him going to college and majoring in “something practical” (182). He tells Evie that once you find what you love, you don’t have time for anything else. Evie understands, but wishes to say something as long as he doesn’t get mad. X agrees, and Evie says he should finish high school.
X jokes that he poured his heart out to her, yet she agrees with his parents. Evie assures him that he’s made to be a musician, but that he only has one semester left of high school, and if he finishes, his parents will probably be less upset with him. X takes his turn to tell her an unpleasant truth—that she should work through her conflict with her father and go to his wedding.
Evie wonders how X could suggest this, given her father’s affair. X explains that after Clay died, he often pictured all the memories they were supposed to have. Evie does miss her father, and promises to consider going to her father’s wedding.
Chapter 38 Summary: “Hustle Thursday”
Evie and X text about their dance practice, joking that the hustle is like disco, but with a partner. X invites Evie and her friends to another one of his shows on Saturday night, and she assumes they’ll come. A few hours later, Evie and X have a text thread about their thoughts on high school and Evie’s father’s wedding.
Later that night, X texts that he’s reading Cupcakes and Kisses again, and Evie responds that he’s “addicted.” X says that the author is clearly interested in scents. The female lead states her love interest smells like “cinnamon chocolate buttercream,” so X asks Evie what he smells like (186). She jokingly responds that he’s odorless, but then X says he’s a mix of man sweat, rock and roll, and the blood of enemies, which makes Evie laugh.
Chapter 39 Summary: “Argentine Tango Friday”
Fifi instructs Evie and X that the tango is seductive, sorrowful, and sensual. She positions them in a closed stance, with their chests touching. Evie’s heart hammers, but the pair learn the dramatic, gliding steps. Fifi tells X that he must seduce Evie’s mind with his body, and she must give in to him. Evie retorts that this idea is sexist, and Fifi says such is the tango.
At the end of the long, grueling practice, Fifi teaches Evie and X that the tango is a dance of desire and that they must let go, that Evie must belong to X for the whole dance. She states that to be desired is powerful, which makes Evie think that she is holding back, that she’s afraid to fully acknowledge her feelings for X.
Chapter 40 Summary: “Declarations”
Evie and her friends attend X’s band’s gig. They cheer and compliment the band members afterward, with Evie falling into X’s embrace. She contemplates that despite her visions, she’s dating X, and declares that their relationship is getting serious.
The group leaves the club and heads to Cassidy’s outdoor entertainment area, with a lazy river, palm trees, couches, and a fireplace. Martin asks Evie if she wrote the “Black Box” song, like X said on stage, and she replies only partially. X gives her credit, telling the group that she wrote most of the lyrics.
Martin rises with a “declaration” that the next time Danica is single, he’s finally going to ask her out. Evie feels worried, but suppresses it, knowing she herself is testing the unknowns of romance with X. To her friends’ surprise, she tells Martin that she hopes Danica agrees to date him. Sophie declares she’ll be on the International Space Station one day, Cassidy declares a thumb war, and Evie declares she’s going to her father’s wedding—to which they all respond with pride. X declares he’ll join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and finish high school soon. When Evie’s friends beg her and X to dance, the two give impromptu lessons on bachata, the hustle, and more. Everyone laughs and dances the night away.
Chapter 41 Summary: “Joy Emoji”
Evie texts her father, and he asks if something’s wrong. She writes that she’s fine but has something to say, but can’t talk or she’ll likely cry. She texts her decision to attend his wedding, and he responds with excitement. Her father asks if it’d be too much for her to attend Shirley’s bridal shower next weekend, and Evie says it would, but she’ll go. He texts exclamation marks and says he loves her.
Chapters 35-41 Analysis
Evie and X’s relationship develops into a healthy, uplifting romance. They support each other by being honest and kind—qualities of the greatest romances. Their shared trust and encouragement of each other contrast with Grace and Evie’s father falling out and Danica’s surface-level romances. Evie and X grow closer by helping each other tackle their respective challenges—Evie forgiving her father and learning to give in to love, and X finishing high school before pursuing his dream. Both hurdles involve their relationships with their parents, particularly their fathers. They share a mutual understanding, since they’re in similar situations. Their offering advice—like living life to the fullest and finishing things they started—and taking an interest in each other’s hobbies—like X reading Cupcakes and Kisses and Evie watching his band play—provide a solid foundation for love.
The tango, Evie and X’s most difficult dance, symbolizes how Evie needs to let go. She must give her heart fully to X if she wants to reach the vulnerability and sensuality that the tango requires; she must let go of her inhibitions and fears that she’ll get hurt like her mother. Chapter 40 comprises its characters’ declarations to overcome their personal challenges. Evie exhibits tremendous growth when she decides to attend her father’s wedding. Her declaration surprises everyone but X, who knows how hard this decision is for Evie. By making this decision, Evie shows she’s capable of change, making her a dynamic character, rather than a static one. She’s become more empathetic and forgiving, despite the wedding being uncomfortable for her; importantly, this decision doesn’t signify that she’s forgiven him. Her complicated emotions are realistic for a teenage character, especially one who witnessed her father cheating on her mother.
In terms of the novel’s structure, the plot is designed to naturally lead up to the Danceball competition in the spring, the end of Evie’s senior year. With Evie preparing for college and starting to believe in love again, this structure provides a clear timeline—with a natural momentum and deadline. Although winning the competition isn’t the heart of the novel, Evie’s climactic moment will occur on the dance floor, when she at last admits her love for X and sees their vision—which will send her spiraling.
In this section’s texts, tone is addressed. Yoon makes it possible to “hear” her characters’ personalities via texts, despite it often being difficult to do so. For example, when Evie texts her father about her decision to attend his wedding, she writes that she doesn’t want to call him because she doesn’t want to cry. Her father’s intellectual word choice and refusal to use emojis fit his character; he explicitly says “texting is a poor medium for conveying joy” and a “poor medium for communication” (196-97).
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By Nicola Yoon
