Although they both address issues of artistic and sexual obsession, Schabas chooses subtlety over psychodrama and realism over sensationalism. It is a shame that Various Positions was released shortly after Black Swan, a far less compelling and nuanced work of art. However, as Georgia and her charismatic instructor, Roderick, become suspiciously close, Georgia begins to blur the lines between artistry and sexuality, and she soon discovers that she is just as corruptible, just as fallible, just as human, as those around her. Appalled by her parents' dysfunctional relationship and her friends' obsession with boys, Georgia tries to distance herself from sexuality by diving into the world of professional ballet, a supposedly pure and passionate realm, driven by aesthetic splendour instead of desire. When Georgia, a talented but shy teenaged dancer, is accepted into the prestigious and cutthroat Royal Ballet Academy, she savors its disciplined commitment to excellence. The pages in between these two darkly comic images suggest that the various positions of ballet, sex and morality are intimately linked, and frequently inseparable. What kinds of positions does Various Positions have in mind? Dance positions, sex positions, moral positions? The novel's tantalizing front cover depicts a ballerina (from behind) taking a bow on the back cover, her legs dangle in the air, as if she has just been hanged.
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