Sweat dripping down my forehead as the music fills the studio. I push myself harder delving into the range of emotion the song, "Nobody Can Save Me" by Linkin Park. I feel a tear slip out of my eye. This song seemed like an anthem for me as of recent. Being able to freestyle choreography to it gave me a sense of freedom. At the end of the song, I find myself curled into a fetal position as the music ends with, "Been searching somewhere out there, For something right here" I heard clapping from around me. I pick myself up and run back to the line.
"That is the emotion I want us to draw on! Emotion is a key act everything out," The instructor deemed. I had just joined this studio for a fun change. My childhood studio was still my primary, but I could not do what I just did here because they were family. Hell, I worked there, how could I show that much freedom at my job? "I want you all to start choreographing a piece that speaks to you in such a way that I will feel what you feel. Any genre any music," the instructor ordered. Okay so it wasn't a studio it's a college course on choreography. I was a freshman dance major at New York University.
"Such a showoff," one of the girls muttered as the instructor dismissed us to start our choreography. I ignore it grabbing my phone and headphones to start finding a song and hopefully a genre. I flip to an old playlist of songs I wanted to dance to from my home studio. I groaned not one song was real. I flip to another playlist of songs that makes me feel something. I couldn't find anything that spoke to me like Heavy. I sighed walking up to the instructor.
"Sir, do you mind if I chorography a piece to Heavy? If it must be a solo, it's the only song that speaks to me deeply enough. I have a couple for a duet but nothing like Heavy," I explain.
"That's fine to use Heavy," he nodded.
I smiled putting my earbuds in to start choreographing. I grab my notebook to write it down as I test each phrase's movements.
I sit on the floor knees up grabbing the side of my head as the lyrics start.
"I don't like my mind right now," I bring my elbows in towards my knees and out.
"Stacking up problems that are so unnecessary," I take my hands and slam them onto my knees pushing my body back and pulling myself forward.
"Wish that I could slow things down," I scrunch my face and push the air in front of me my hands twisting.
"I wanna let go but there's comfort in the panic," I let my body fall to the ground with let go and back up to sitting by panic
"And I drive myself crazy," placing one hand on my head at a time, I hold my head squeezing. I roll my head in a circle on crazy.
Thinking everything's about me," I place one hand at a time on my chest and push my chest back hunching my shoulders forward.
Yeah, I drive myself crazy," I slam my hands to the ground feet going behind me in a plank. My knees bent and a bit more than shoulder length apart. I roll my head in another circle on crazy.
Cause I can't escape the gravity," my body collapses to the floor as I try to crawl forward repeatedly
I'm holding on," I push myself up on my knees
Why is everything so heavy?" I fall to my back legs extended straight out. I bring my legs back in on heavy.
Holding on," I reach forward pulling myself back up to my behind and swing my knees under me.
So much more than I can carry," I stand up almost dropping to the floor once standing.
I keep dragging around what's bringing me down," I walk forward dragging my feet then turn to stage right stopping on down holding my hand to my chest facing stage right.
If I just let go, I'd be set free," I throw my hands down shaking my head walking backward
Holding on," I turn towards stage left I do an axel turn.
Why is everything so heavy?" I pull my right arm back almost as if someone pulled it turning me to stage right. I place a curled right hand near my temple and left and curled with my right forearm above my head and face the ground.
You say that I'm paranoid," I throw my arms down as if they are being pulled down my eyes closed with face scrunched. With a deep breath, I raise my hands slightly.
But I'm pretty sure the world is out to get me," I do an exaggerated run forward towards stage right. I stop suddenly at 'world' to do a quick turn to the right ending in the front with a body jolt.
It's not like I make the choice," I step my right foot rocking my body over to it then to my left with the same body motion then cross my feet, right over left, into a plie by choice.
During the small instrumental break, I pop into a lunge with my arms as if I was stretching waking up shoulder leading the pop to the left. I pop back to the right standing upright my right arm curled up hand by my face.
To let my mind stay so fucking messy," I scratch at my head and kick my legs as a walk back almost as if I was trying to climb out of my skin.
"Okay, that's the end of class today. Have your piece ready by next Monday," The instructor clapped as I pulled my earbuds. We had a week to finish our pieces. I packed my bag and left to head to the coffee shop on campus to hopefully write a tentative choreography. As I entered the shop, I saw a poster of a nearby bar's concert tonight. It was a rock concert of some not quite famous touring band. I grabbed it and pocketed it knowing I'd go to hopefully drown my stress away. The coffee shop was busy, and it was too loud to choreograph so I listened to music the best I could. I spent hours at the coffee shop listening to music and finding new songs I want to dance to.
YOU ARE READING
Like No One is Watching
Teen Fiction"We are actors, storytellers. Unlike singers, we must use our bodies to tell what we feel. Our own emotions can influence this." "Don't ever think you need to run. Use whatever you're running from," he whispered against my lips and neck. Juliet W...
