Dance With Me?

Chapter 4: The Way To Ballet

The way to ballet is a difficult topic to explain, some believe that ballet is nothing but fancy lifts and girls in tutus. Others believe that it's just old fairy tales being told through slow dancing by men and women wearing tight fitted clothes. However, if you asked Kurt Hummel what he thought ballet was, he would answer with one word.

Freeing.

Yes, Kurt loved the subtle glitz and glam that came with the dance costumes, he loved the show stopping numbers and the stories that they were able to tell by moving their bodies and expressing strong emotions but, his favourite part about it was the feeling of being free. Free to be himself, free to move the way he wants, free to try and fly.

Yes, Kurt wasn't stupid, he knew that gravity didn't allow people to just suddenly float up into the air like helium balloons and, he also knew that humans were physically unable to fly like birds, bugs, and fairies. In fact, he learnt that the hard way when he was five and tried to fly like the lilac fairy his mum use to tell him stories about, resulting in him breaking his arm. However, that didn't stop him from trying when he danced, weather by spinning so fast he moved the air around him or by leaping so high and so far a distance that, when he landed, it would seem as if the distance were too great to have been made without him having flew.

"And relivé! Lower!" Madam Holloway instructed, clapping her hands to the beat of the song, "Assemblé to the right! Assemblé to the right!" she continued, watching as her small group of nine repeated the moves back perfectly, well most of them did it perfectly anyway.

As she continued to yell out the moves of the new dance, Kurt did his best to do them while trying to keep his mind focused on the dance rather than Blaine.

Blaine...

'That damn boy!' Kurt cursed him in his thought as he did the two balancés that the madam shouted out. Why was he thinking about this boy so much? They had just met today and already, from talking to him twice, his friends had made a big deal about it and made the whole ordeal awkward. Who's to say Blaine was gay anyway? They didn't know, what if he was repulsed at the thought and there they were, "oohing" and smirking at them both as they shook hands.

Kurt's inner argument was cut off as the music came to a sudden stop causing him to drop his arms from third position and stand in the neutral first position as they had been taught to do.

"Now, relivé and hold!" the madam said annoyed, "I said relivé and hold!" she repeated, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Kurt looked around confused, they had, hadn't they? Or at least he had, he looked around and saw that the girls were all staring at Melanie.

Melanie was a petite blonde who had dashing green eyes. She was the newest to the group, having transferred from another studio in Canada. She was a beautiful dancer, when she knew the steps but, she lacked the knowledge of the moves and the dedication to learn them which often caused her to do something behind the rest or just completely wrong.

"Sorry madam, I can't stay up on my right leg that long" she admitted sheepishly earning a harsh sigh from the madam.

"Alright, everyone to the bar!" she instructed as she walked nearer to it, the group doing as told straight away.

"Now, relivé and hold for as long as you can" she told them, pulling a timer from her cardigan pocket, and setting it as everyone got in position; one hand on the bar and rising on to their right leg, the left tucked in at an out angle.

"Begin" she said, clicking the timer, the numbers rapidly climbing from zero.

As soon as she did this, everyone in the group let go of the bar and placed their arms in first position, in front of them. Doing their best to stay balanced, some occasionally having to grip the bar and push themselves back up. In this exercise, the madam didn't care if you pushed yourself back up. As long as you didn't lower completely she accepted it but, may god or whatever you believe in help you if you were the first to drop. The madam, while often a kind but determined women could hold a grudge for days.

Almost two minutes in, and only Kurt, Quinn and Brittany remained. The others watched while they took sips of water from their bottles, the madam continued to swap her attention from the dancers to the stopwatch. Kurt was behind his two friends and paid close attention to their ankles as he kept his balance, he had timed himself at home one and nearly got to five minutes before Finn burst into his room and knocked him over before claiming "You practice too much, come get dinner!" and then left the room with a satisfied chuckle as Kurt grumbled at him however, he had never told anyone as he didn't want to sound full of himself so, when he saw both Quinn and Brittany's ankles start to quiver, he timed it perfectly so that he lowered with them, rather than after.

The madam stopped the timer and sighed lightly as she looked upon the three, her gaze eventually landing on Kurt who was making light conversation with Brittany and Quinn about the exercise.

"Okay, everyone get a drink and then return to centre for a cool down and goodbyes" she told them, they all nodded and made their way to the benches, talking as they did.

As Kurt passed the madam however, she gently grabbed him by his wrist to stop him. Kurt stopped suddenly and put on a smile as he turned to face his teacher who looked less than amused.

"Is.. is something wrong, madam?" he asked shyly, he didn't want to believe he was in trouble. He hated being yelled at.

"Kurt" her features softened as she let go of the boy's thin wrist, "One day, you may have to complete against friends for roles" she started, looking him directly in the eyes, "And you will have to prove you're better than them if you want the part" she finished with a knowing nod and look.

Kurt knew she knew and, the madam knew that Kurt knew she knew and yet, all he said in reply was "Yes, I know madam" before nodding to her and heading over to the others to get a drink.

She watched as he left, walking gracefully even off pointe. 'A natural born dancer' she thought to herself with a small smile, 'Elizabeth would be so proud'.