𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀 ➳ THE NEXT STEP, OZZY

6:0

"Please can I have number 183, Ophelia" Stacy said, glancing up from her paper and casting her gaze onto the dancers.

Either side of the girl, Ozzy and Kingston wish their friend good luck, which eases her slightly, but as she lifts herself up from her seat, the nerves refill her as it hits her that there was no turning back now.

She quickly masks her nerves by plastering on a smile and walking over to Stacy as if it was nothing.

"Hello Ophelia" Stacy said, smiling.

"Hi"

Ophelia felt her cheeks rise upon seeing Stacy smile at her some reason had that effect on her, it gave her some sort of confidence.

"You're only fifteen — Correct?" Stacy asks, making Ophelia nod. "That makes you one of the youngest dancers I've seen today" 

"Yeah" Ophelia responds, not knowing what else to reply with. To fill the awkward silence, she decides to add on to her previous statement "I'm actually the youngest on my dance team"

"That's interesting" Stacy says, then flashes a knowing smile "Right. I think I'd like you to dance about growth"

"Okay" Ophelia nods and steps back towards the wall.

Her mind starts to wander about the meaning of Growth. It was basically just her upbringing. Was there even a way to convey that through dance.

Ophelia's mind immediately blocked out the question though, since one of the first things she learnt in dance was that there was always a way to tell any story possible.

The meaning of growth, it confused Ophelia, however she quickly came to the conclusion that Stacy didn't mean the types of abnormal, benign growths that she leant about in biology.

The music began to play, Ophelia recognised it as a song called Full of Grace.

Everything seemed to fall into place when she heard the song, it felt as if she was writing a story. Each moves looked as if it had been maticulously  planned, but really it was being decided in the moment.

"So Ophelia, what was your story about?" Stacy asked

"It was about my own growth, that I felt like has happened to me, especially recently when I started at a new studio — I really felt like I have grown in confidence" Ophelia said, feeling slightly self centred as she gushed about herself to Stacy.

Ophelia continues to dance and amazes everyone in the room with her incredible array of tricks and stamina. Even, Kingston and Ozzy were surprised at her improvement.

"When I compare myself to what I was like thus time two years ago I'm always shocked at how much I've changed" Ophelia says, laughily.

The music ends with Ophelia neatly leaping out of her turn sequence. And the room immediately erupts into applause.

"But I am genuinely proud of myself" Ophelia finishes

Stepping off the ground, the cheering dies down. Ophelia looks at Stacy for some final critiques. Her breathing was slightly faster paced as she had tired herself out during her performance.

"Ophelia, you really surprised me. Great job"