"tighter! i'm not seeing the lines i want to be seeing ladies! move together, don't give me fake cohesion!" for such a tiny woman, rachel had a positively booming voice.
and if that wasn't intimidating enough, she was the creative director of the studio. the absolute number one.
her list of credentials was long and distinguished, and despite being fifty two, her posture and technique was leaps ahead of any other ballerina.
she always strove for absolute perfection, and while lola appreciated that, her body really didn't.
her muscles were aching, and every inch of her was covered in sweat - she'd need at least five ice baths to ever recover.
as the music drew to a close, rachel gave a small nod.
"very good today ladies. a little rusty, but a few more practices and you'll be back at the top in no time. this piece will be in the showcase, and i have no doubt you'll all be ready. thank you girls."
the other three girls thanked her quietly, leaving with shaking legs.
lola felt her heartbeat speed up slightly as rachel approached her. despite being on fairly friendly terms with her, nobody could deny how intimidating rachel was.
"it's good to have you in practice again lola. i hear your beginners classes are going very well."
lola's cheeks flushed pink at the compliment, and she smiled at the mention of the twice weekly class she had been given the permanent position of teaching.
"thank you, it's good to be back. i'm really enjoying teaching the classes, the kids are so sweet." seeing rachel's perfectly made-up face was making lola hyper aware of the fact she was drenched in sweat and still panting slightly.
in her defense, their practice had been five hours of intensive dancing, not to mention the stretching and warm-ups that had preceded it.
"good. now i know you already have your own choreographed duet in the showcase, but i was conferring with jonathon, and we both felt that your black swan solo deserves to be included in this showcase. we wanted to position the dance we just rehearsed as the show opener, the black swan solo as the last dance before intermission and your own choreographed duet with matthew as the closing number." lola swallowed thickly at rachel's proposition. it was a massive honour to not only have two solos, but to have one closing the showcase?
a showcase with talent agents, investors and some of the creative heads of the most prestigious ballet schools in the country?
she couldn't quite wrap her head around it.
"oh my gosh i - thank you so much rachel, that's a massive honour." rachel smiled warmly, and took lola's hand between her own.
"you deserve it my dear. this studio is free for the rest of the day if you want to practice at all - just don't work yourself too hard."
"i won't." they exchanged smiles, and rachel exited gracefully, pulling the door shut behind herself.
lola turned towards the mirror, shaking her ankles and rolling her neck.
"thirty two fouettes." she mumbled, wanting to cry at the sheer thought of having to perform the turns again.
she turned to grab her water bottle from her open bag on the floor, taking a few, well-deserved sips before discarding it again.
"thirty two fouettes." lola ran her hands down her face, staring at herself in the mirror. "well, you better get practicing then."
with what little strength she had left, lola began her turns.
YOU ARE READING
in the crowd • luke hemmings
Fanfiction"you're always who i'm looking for in the crowd"
