Instead of Me

∆7∆

Who would want to follow that group dance? There was absolutely no dance that was able to receive the same reaction as Annie's group dance that she choreographed. Body Love would go down in history in Mrs. Phan's dance studio. Not only was it beautifully executed, but it's powerful message brought the audience to tears. Annie really outdid herself. 

However, Annie's solo dance was even better. Maybe it didn't pass a powerful message to the entire audience, but I felt it in my soul. The story she told ripped through me, and as she danced, I felt as though I understood her completely. 

Mrs. Phan introduced Annie to the audience before her final solo. She claimed that my best friend was the most promising student she had met in all her years of owning the company. Annie blushed and smiled, showing the small gap between her front teeth. Mrs. Phan then left the stage and the spotlight shined on Annie as she took her starting position. 

Annie looked marvelous. Her hair was pulled back in a loose, braided up-do, and she wore a flowing blue dress that reached about mid-thigh. I snapped a quick photo before the music started. I was immediately captivated, as soon as she started her first move.

Her favorite thing to dance to was poetry put to music. She believed it had a more powerful effect than dancing to a song. She liked the crisp words and language that poets used, helping her tell a story to move her audience. I remembered that she was extremely excited about the poem she found for her solo. She had talked about for weeks on end. As she leaped into the air, the first line began:

I remember that day you decided brown eyes just weren't for you.

My heart felt like it sank to my knees.

I wanted to cry, but tears eluded me.

You told me about the perfect pair of blue eyes you saw.

You told me about the rushing waters and powerful waves.

You told me about her autumn sky.

You told me about the silk, fashioned into an iris.

But that pair of blue eyes was a mistake.

Because her calming water deceived you. 

And once she got you to sail through it,

The Storm Came. 

She no longer resembled the sky in the Autumn afternoon,

But the disastrous clouds before a hurricane.

She swept up your ship and left you on the shore.

And as you laid there in the sand, you realized the grains were the same as my brown eyes.

Annie ended the dance with some floor work. She sat at the center of the stage, holding hands against her face, spacing out her fingers so that all you could see were her big, chocolate brown eyes. Once again, the crowd was silent, but this time, it was Heath who stood up clapping. 

The story Annie told through her dance seemed all too familiar. I was too busy thinking that I completely missed the standing ovation and Mrs. Phan's final speech, ending the recital. The entire dance company ran out onstage to bow. I smiled, shrugging off my thoughts and applauded the dancers. "Go Annie!" I yelled, cupping my hands over my mouth. She laughed as she gave her instructor a hug. 

"She did amazing," Heath said as people began making their ways into the aisles to leave. "Definitely newspaper worthy." His notebook was filled with notes. I noticed how he always capitalized Annie's entire name when he wrote it. "What do you think, Finn?"

My first instinct was to ignore him once again, but then he might actually suspect that I don't like him. "Yeah, she was phenomenal." I pursed my lips together and held my camera tightly against my body as I made my way backstage again. This time, however, I waited for Annie instead of going in. I waited outside of the dressing room while the seniors undressed and walked out, chatting about how they thought they did. One or two of them gossiped about how they thought the whole recital was tailored to show off Annie and I had to hold my tongue. Annie seemed to show off simply because she was just that much better than the others.