Pas de Deux

o1

⊱ ✿ ⊰

Pronunciation guide!

Shen Yuxing - Shun Yü-shing
Zheng Huiying - Jung Hway-ying
Li Qingling - Lee Ching-ling
Cao Zihan - Chow Jih-han
Bai Mingsheng - Bye Ming-shung
Song Lihua - Song Lee-hwa

୨ ♡ ୧

In the heart of Shanghai, there lies a prestigious ballet academy for the sons and daughters of the wealthy. The pristine campus crawls with conglomerate owners' and former prima ballerinas' children, every parent hoping that their child will one day dance on a big stage, and bring home a fat cheque, along with fame and recognition. Admission is hardly ethical, with an entrance exam where hopefuls from all over the country fly in to take part. Only a sliver of auditionees actually make the cut, crushing the dreams of thousands in the process. It's not the highest-ranking ballet institution in the country and one of the top in the world for nothing.

So what exactly was Shen Yuxing, a sixteen-year-old girl who came from a humble upbringing, doing hidden away in the practice room furthest down the hall?

Well, that's obvious; practising. Practising her heart out until her feet bled and her heart wept because she, more than anyone, knew that she couldn't afford to be here.

Her parents didn't live in the big city with her, they were a few hours away by drive, in the town Yuxing had grown up in. They weren't by any means poor, but they couldn't afford to move and find new jobs just for the sake of their daughter chasing her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina. They were simple upper-middle-class office workers, for the love of God. Yuxing grew up comfortably, never hungry and able to get most of the things she wanted. But, this? Ballet? She was here on pure skill, especially because her parents weren't exactly the most supportive. They still wished she'd stay in their hometown and pursue a more stable field.

During the final year of her junior secondary education, Yuxing dedicated a lot of her time to not only maintain high grades, but also to practice ballet at a local studio outside of school. She knew she had to study hard because she didn't think she'd ever have a future in ballet. She'd even turned down a sweet boy who had confessed his feelings to her because she had no time for young puppy love. With a heavy heart, she had already planned to give up ballet for her senior secondary education after this term. She put on a smile for the childhood friends she'd known since she started ballet all those years ago and cheered them on as they applied to a big, prestigious ballet school in Shanghai. Because they could afford it. And she couldn't. But that was fine. Her grades were high enough and she trusted she could easily pass the entrance exam to continue her education. Perhaps other occupations were better suited for her. The end-of-year ballet showcase was what she had thought would be her last show before she picked some boring area of study to dedicate her life to.

Oh, how she had absolutely dreaded the day, because after that day, it would be over. Dance, ballet, the gruelling hours spent practising, it'd all be over. Like a dream that slipped through her fingers.

Or so she had thought.

On the small, dinky stage, she had put on her best show. She gave it her all, thinking she'd never feel the thrill of being on stage and telling stories with her body ever again. And she was absolutely breathtaking. Her body moved with fluidity and conveyed a thousand emotions she'd never be able to with words.

How was she to know there would be some big-shot associate in the audience watching her? How was she to know that they would fund a full-ride scholarship for her to finish her senior secondary education at the Shanghai Academy for Ballet Arts if she made it past the auditions? How was she to know her life was about to change overnight?