A Second Chance

Rehearsal

"Alright girls," said Abby "It's time to rehearse the group number"

Abby explained the group number to us

"Maddie is representing a girl who is being bullied by Chloe. You are all bystanders, and you don't care what happens to Maddie. You don't care that she is getting bullied. Okay! Maddie starts in the middle in epaule facing the audience, and a big smile, with Chloe on her left in b-plus, also smiling, and the other girls behind them in the opposite b-plus..."

As we learned the group, Abby critiqued us, but it was less critiques, and more of just plain screaming at us when we messed up a kick or turn or missed a move.

"Feet! FEET!" "Kendall! FACE!" "Chloe! I do NOT need you a beat behind!"

After Chloe and Maddie had a section of dancing in sync with us, we started a difficult turn series of a la secondes and foutees, ending in a pirouette. I started the turn sequence and bobbled on my foot.

"ALYSSA! TURNS!"

I bit my lip as I chassed out of the turns. I was used to this since Abby had been my teacher for a while.

The next day we would come in to learn solos. I got into a blue sports bra and matching shorts, and put my hair in a high ponytail. I walked into the studio with Kendall and Maddie.

"Alright, girls," Abby said "we will start with Alyssa since she's new. Gia will choreograph your solos" Gianna started the music and glanced over "Alyssa, show me a pas de bourree into a front aerial and 3 chaine turns"

I stepped out 1! 2! 3! And leaped into the aerial 

"Good, energize those feet," Gia said, "now show me that into a back handspring step out and transition into 4 a la secondes ending in a double pirouette..."

After learning my solo, I rehearsed it in one of the empty studios. It was a difficult routine, with lots of precise movements. After I had finished, I watched Maddie and Kendall learn their solos. Kendall had a fast jazz routine, with a lot of tricks, and Maddie had a beautiful lyrical number with turns and tricky leaps. They would both be hard to beat.

After learning the solos, the other girls joined us to get our costumes and rehearse the group. My solo costume was a simple blue dress with a flower crown headpiece that had blue ribbons draping down. Kendall had a red sequined bra top with plain red booty shorts, and Maddie had a yellow top with a knee-length yellow skirt, and a yellow flower for her headpiece.

The group costume was grey dresses, but Maddie had a lavender dress, and Chloe had a black dress. "Of course, Chloe has to be the bad person" Christi mumbled.

We went over the group number a couple more times, and we all performed our solos for the moms and other girls. I would have to get a good sleep tonight, because the competition was tomorrow