Dance Your Troubles Away

Chapter Three - Storme

Chapter Three

Storme

"I don't want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance." - George Balanchine

Lily doesn't come to dance today, and after yesterday I think we both know that's it. The end of an era... to put it dramatically. The end of the one thing we had in common.

I step off the bus, shielding my eyes against the heavy rain. My long hair is soaking by the time I get to the door of Atlas. The lights are on inside, and Lyss, Jean, Emma and Saskia are waiting for me, already in their dance clothes. They drag me inside and Lyss says excitedly,

"There are some important people here! We haven't been told who they are, but Miss Rachelle says it's crucial that we dance our best today."

My stomach jumps with butterflies as soon as I hear that, and I look down at my wet, bedraggled hair and laddered tights.

"I'd better go and get changed then," I laugh, but in reality I'm nervous as hell. People never really come to watch classes at Atlas, especially not important people. This might be a chance for me to get a good record with people in the industry. Make contacts early - that's what we've always been told. In the dance world everything is a gamble, and it's good to have people to back you up. And it's also good to jump at every chance you get to begin your journey to the top.

Jean gives me a push in the general direction of the changing rooms and I hurry off. This evening entails showcase rehearsals for our musical theatre and hiphop dances, Cabaret and Lemonade. Hiphop has never been my strength, so this is not the best day for anyone to be watching me dance. We also had to put in an extra rehearsal for Lemonade, since it's apparently not performance standard yet. After that I have a private to practice my contemporary solo, Light Up The Sky, but I'll be in one of the smaller studios at the back of the building, and I highly doubt the people will come to watch. I'll just have to do my best.

I grab my jazz shoes and ankle boots, then pull on my galaxy leggings and a black crisscross strap crop top and run to join the queue of twenty girls outside Studio B. Everyone's talking loudly and I join in, trying to cover up my nerves. They don't seem to be nervous. Why aren't they nervous? This is a huge thing! Miss Rachelle opens the door and we crowd in, taking our usual places for warm up. I sneak peeks at the window of the gallery, but there's nobody there, and nobody that I don't know in the studio.

"Storme! Focus! I know you can go lower than that!" Miss Rachelle calls in her strong Irish accent. I push myself a little further down into my left leg oversplits on the blocks, feeling my already taut hamstrings and quads stretching. Left leg has always been my worse leg. I push until the bottoms of my thighs are resting on the floor, and then hold it for three seconds, silently screaming. Then I take my legs off the blocks and sit on the floor, feeling my knees and calves protesting.

"Across the floor," Miss Rachelle announces. Knowing the drill, I grab my blocks and go to stack them up in the corner. Lyss nudges me as we add them to the pile.

"Impressive oversplits!" she says, sounding almost surprised. To be honest, I didn't know I could go that far either. I guess all it takes is determination.

"Thanks," I grin. We join the line for across the floor. That's when the door swings open, and three people come in. A man in black jeans and a black shirt, looking very professional. A blonde woman with a pencil skirt and a briefcase, with a haughty expression on her face. And a boy, about fifteen years old I would say - my age - hovering in the background.