Dance, Dance, Drama?

T i m e T o D u e t

It was competition day, and as always no one was ready. No one except Abby, who had an easy week. She hadn't had to choreograph, teach, source costumes, nothing! She was having the time of her life! Even better was she got to watch all the mothers be stressed about everything that would normally fall on her shoulders. Watching the mothers get frazzled would always be Abby's favourite pastime. It was competition day and Abby was loving the chaos that went along with it.

It was clear that none of the parents, nor the kids, were having a good time. But at least they had more time to prepare because no one had a solo. They could take a minute to get settled. To just breathe before they exploded from stress. That was until Abby took out the program. 

|| Nothing good ever happens when Abby brings out the competition program! || - Sarah Georgiana

|| Everytime Abby brings out that damned book you know what hits the fan! Can't we have a calm week? Just once? || - Ashley Hosbach

|| I think she likes watching us get uncomfortable || || Don't be silly! I know she does! || - Amelia and Sandy Hatchet

Abby pulled a mock shocked face and pulled Gianna close to her and whispered in her ear with a wide grin on her face. Once she pulled away, she cleared her throat and started speaking, "Okay, everyone! Listen up!" If anyone wasn't paying attention before, they certainly were now. Abby waited until all eyes were on her before starting again, "So it appears that this Showstopper competition runs things a little differently," Abby was fighting the smile on her face, to try and appear concerned, but was failing miserably.

The dressing room fell quiet, not knowing what she meant. Different wasn't really a thing that happened at dance competitions. Most dance competitions were the same. Not this one apparently. It was Tricia who spoke up after a beat of silence, "Different how, Abby?" It was a fair question, different could mean a million different things!

|| I don't know what's happening, but I don't like it! Not one bit! || - Joanne Paolantonio

"Well, instead of just having a duet category, they separate it into smaller categorgies based off of the dance style and then the top scoring duet from each style goes against each other for overall highest scoring duet," And for a second the room was dead quiet. No one was really sure what to do. What were they supposed to do? This was crazy.

|| I think I may have screwed up! || - Stacey Ketchman

|| Oh my lord! I've never even heard of a dance competition being run like this! || - Ann Colin

|| This is going to be really interesting! || - Gianna Martello

It was once again Tricia who asked the question on everyone's lips, "So what category is everyone competing in? Are age divisions even considered here?" The tension in the room was at an all time high. Depending on how Abby answered those questions could make or break most of these dances. And Abby was more than pleased to answer, which was never a good sign.

The older woman smiled smugly before pretending to consult the program, as though she didn't already have it memorised back to front. She looked up, making eye contact with all the dancers before starting, "Well, Tricia, this competition doesn't even have age categories, which just means that we all have to push harder," Abby knew that wasn't the important question. Everyone knew she was toying with them. And she was enjoying it.

"And as for where everyone's entered, it's the same as the start of the week! For contemporary we just have Max and Amelia, in lyrical it's Sarah and Pressley and for jazz we have Hannah and GiaNina, as well as Brady and Lilli!" There was a brief pause before she finished with, "Why would I change anything?"