Dancing Queen

Chapter 4

Frida finished tying the last slipper and stood up quickly, caressing Lynette's soft cheek and watching her run away towards her companions. The day of the dance recital had arrived and it looked worse than a theater premiere. Like every year, the recital took place in a small theater near the school, the owner one of her close friends, and every year the tension was always very high for her too.

Frida walked towards the dressing rooms where the first year girls were getting ready with the help of their mothers and some of her own collaborators. There were always last-minute unexpected events, an unstitched leotard, hair that didn't want to stay up... and in those moments, more hands quickly resolved any kind of hitch. Not to mention that it was the first ever recital for each of her little girls dancers and she feared there could be time for stage fright for many of them. Looking at her smiling and excited little girls, she inevitably began a melancholic little journey back in the years, when she was a professional dancer, when for the first time she went on stage when she was very little.

During her first recital, as soon as she entered, all those people before her, those eyes fixed on her, the dazzling lights... everything had sent her into a panic and she had spent most of the time of the performance crying her eyes out. When she returned running backstage, she had unexpectedly found her grandmother with her arms outstretched and thousands of words of encouragement whispered in her ear. But after that first, tragic start, everything had gone smoothly.

She had always loved to dance, get lost in the perfection that was music plus movements, she loved being in the spotlight.

Frida sighed, returning to her feet on the ground and looking around again. Now that was her life and she loved teaching, seeing the same passion burning and coming to life in the eyes of those little dancers.

She felt her knee touched and she immediately turned around, finding herself facing a scene that she wished she would not have to manage every time, but that it showed up inevitably.

"Heléne, darling. What's going on?" she knelt in front of the little girl, stroking her shoulder.

"Miss Frida... I'm scared" the little girl said with her voice broken by the tears that were already clearly visible in her eyes "I don't want to do this. I'll do something wrong and everyone'll laugh at me" she concluded, looking at her with her huge blue eyes and her trembling bottom lip.

"Heléne... Oh, dear, come here" Frida said to her in an affectionate tone, finding no resistance and taking her in her arms "You're going to be just perfect. As always. You've trained very hard and you're really good. Ok? And even if you make some mistakes, it will be fine anyway, the important thing is that you have fun. Trust me".

"Really?" Heléne murmured, looking straight into her eyes, almost as if her answer could be the end or the start of her dream.

Frida chuckled "Sure. Daddy is going to be so proud of you. More than other times" Frida reassured her.

"Mommy will be here too" Heléne added, looking down at her necklace and starting to play with it with her little hands.

"Oh, that's even better! You'll have two die-hard fans sitting out there who can't wait to cheer you on. And then you'll be doubly perfect" Frida encouraged her, touching her nose with a finger and finally making her laugh.

"Ok" Heléne finally decreed with a deep sigh and a small smile.

"Now go finish getting ready. You still have to put on your tutu and do your hair. I have to go do it too. We have to be perfect, princess. Ok?".

Heléne nodded and grabbed her hand when Frida stood up, walking towards the dressing rooms together.

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