“I need this to be right for Carnival,” Jobine asserted on the morning of February 4th. “First, the company routine for your year, which you will skate alongside the four other sets with whom you will be working when you join Kamchatskiy Auto. This is an original set pattern Paso Doble routine, the steps and choreography of which will be common to you five sets, and it is always skated to the company anthem of ‘Viva Kamchatskiy’, which is itself, as you know, cloned from the ever popular ‘Viva Espana’.”
Jobine reached for her mobile phone, and a few seconds later the Silver Shadow prop car was driven onto the ice.
“Now we will see what this Paso Doble is made of. Tomorrow I will watch you performing it alongside the other four sets. Only one set will be performing this on Carnival night, but all five sets must be able to skate it to exactly the same standard. There are no lifts in the company dance. It is just the Paso Doble steps that I have already taught you, together with some polished arm and head movements. What I want to see is six couples skating in unison maintaining a fixed distance apart just as we practised way back. When I blow my whistle I want you to take your positions at fixed distances around the car, and I want all of your body lines matching exactly, frozen in the waltz hold, heads slightly offset.”
The music started and the set duly performed the dance for its stipulated three minutes.
“Cross rolls crisper Gary,” shouted Jobine. “And Elena, your body-line must match those of the others, you’re still slightly askew going round those corners. Remember you need the lilt as you go round the front and back of the prop and you must match your opposite number at the other end as you go round. We need perfect symmetry here.”
At the end she summoned the set together again and shook her head.
“I have told you a thousand times,” she yelled. “You must gain a consistent momentum around the ends to carry you round to the other side. There is a very pronounced rise and fall there as the choctaws take you round, and it is a Paso Doble rhythm so your arm raises must be firm and definite, and no gaps in hold. Timing is important here and yours is out. Try again.”
The dance was repeated.
“Right,” said Jobine. “Arm movements and turns better, but the dance holds need to be closer. It’s still too much like you’re on a dance interval skating with friends. This is your life now. It’s a career. You will be touring in a few months time. Try again.”
Jobine made the set perform this routine a total of eleven times before she moved on to the other Kamchatskiy routine, Silver Shadow, which was unique to them. This was a much more complicated affair, lasting for a full minute longer and incorporating a number of eye-catching lifts, in particular their centrepiece, the elaborate shuttle lift, and poses on the bonnet of the car at the beginning and end, which Yvonne had to master in addition to the routine as a whole.
“You have just two more weeks to perfect this routine ready for Carnival,” said Jobine. “Your synchronisation needs to be 100 per cent better and the lifts absolutely in unison.”
The set performed the routine once through, then again, and again, until they had performed it a total of five times. By now, however, the strain was beginning to show.
“I can’t go on. I can’t go on,” said Yvonne tearfully at the end of the fifth run through.
The others came over to console her along with Jobine.
“Yvonne. Look. I know you’re tired as we all are,” said Jobine. “But you only get to do this once, and I know you can do it, and I know you want to do this, don’t you?”
“Come on,” said Carl. “You know we were all promised a better life when we came here, not an easier life.”
She nodded and rose to her feet, the hug from Carl serving to give her the confidence that she needed.
“You’re right I must pull myself together,” she said. “We must go on.”
They continued for another ten minutes until Jobine herself could see that there was little point in continuing yet further with a now exhausted set of recruits. Instead she requested a meeting with Joanie.
Back at the cottage the set watched as Jobine crossed The Square and ascended the steps that led from The Colonnade to The Dome.
“She’s going to the Great Dome,” Connie whispered as they watched her climb the steps.
“It’s my fault. I know it is,” said Yvonne, her tears reappearing as Lars consoled her.
“It’s not your fault,” he said. “We are all responsible together. That’s one of the first things Island citizens are taught. You’re as strong as the rest of us and nobody is ever going to say anything different, certainly not Jobine or Joanie. That routine is difficult, anyone will tell you that, and even the best skating partnerships get tested to the limit occasionally. I bet the other sets are going through exactly the same thing.”
Criticism of the set was not, however, the reason why Jobine had decided to visit the PM.
“Do you think I’m pushing some of these sets too hard?” Jobine asked, after describing what had occurred.
“Not at all,” said Joanie. “After all I am the one that asked you to do it. Sometimes to get the best out of people you have to raise the boundaries of self-expectation. All of the sets will emerge stronger for it.”
“One of the setmates admitted we promised them a better life, not an easier one.”
“Of course. We aren’t here just to make life a pleasure-cruise. We are here to give people rewarding opportunities and a new life. I think you are doing a great job with these sets. Her Majesty is delighted with what you have achieved so far and so am I. No other trainer in the world could do what you have done.
No. You’re doing just fine, and so are they. Carnival will be an absolute treat this year. It’s always the case at this time of year, when sets are necessarily pushed that little bit harder that we will get the odd breakdown, but that does not mean either that the person is weak or that the coaching is wrong. It is just a normal part of working together.”
“Do you think I should be a bit softer tomorrow?”
“No,” Joanie replied. “That you must not do, otherwise the setmates will suspect that they are to blame, and we can’t have that creeping in. No, you must continue to work them to their limits from now till the end. They will all respect you for it, believe me.”
“Thank you Joanie. I don’t know where I would be without you.”
“Any time. The door is always open.”
*
Shrove Tuesday was the first of the two Carnival days. As was customary the Flower Girls placed flowers on the windowsills of all of the cottages to symbolise the start of Mardi Gras. Then the costumes arrived, the set having been instructed to try these on to ensure that the tailoring had been correct, before the dress rehearsal that afternoon.
At two o’clock, the five Kamchatskiy Auto sets arrived at the rink to perform their routines once more through before the evening show, which would be presented to an invited audience that would include the PM, the royal family, and senior Island staff, as well as the directors of the four Kamchatskiy companies and the twenty Kamchatskiy trainers who, each year, were The Queen’s guests of honour.
For Gary and the others the great day had finally arrived when they would present their display for the first time. It was the culmination of eleven months of dedicated work and practise.
Jobine summoned the setmates to the centre of the rink as she clutched a small black bag containing four coloured balls and a black ball. She blew her whistle and everyone stopped chattering.
“Right,” she said. “One member of each set draws a ball from the bag. The set that draws the black ball gets to perform the Kamchatskiy Auto company dance for 2108. This will be the first time that it will have been performed before a public audience. I know that you would all like to perform it, but, to be fair, only one set can have the honour and you all have a one-in-five chance.”
As it happened it was the French girl Marie who plucked the black ball from Jobine’s old cloth bag
.
“Looks like your set will be doing it,” Jobine said to her as she could hardly believe her luck. “So you might as well take your positions. This means of course that you will be the last set to perform the demonstration dance.”
Marie and her setmates duly took their positions around the Kamchatskiy prop and performed the new Kamchatskiy Auto version of ‘Viva Kamchatskiy’, which attracted a good round of applause from the others.
“That was well done,” said Jobine. “I won’t complain at that. That was good basic solid ice dancing performed as well as anyone could.”
The main routines, however, were a different matter entirely. Jobine, always seeking perfection, tried hard not to shake her head as five difficult four-minute-long routines were performed well, albeit with small errors that were apparent to her, but not necessarily to anyone else. Inside she felt that she was responsible for these, even though the routines were sound and polished, but the dress rehearsal was a time for confidence building rather than the shaking of heads. She therefore refrained from the negative and instead delivered a pat on the back to each of the setmates, knowing that at this point she could do no more other than to ensure that all of her performers were sufficiently relaxed and confident to be able to perform to the very best of their abilities. Afterwards she would then hope, rather than assume, that the Kamchatskiy trainers would be satisfied with a job well done.
“That looks really fabulous,” she said to Gary’s set, seeking to enhance the setmates’ morale. “Far better than a few weeks ago. It flows well and the transitions between moves are good. Whatever will be will be with the shuttle lift. I’ve tested you with it. You’ve shown that you can cope with it and I’m sure you will tonight. Yvonne, you’re a star.”
With the dress rehearsal over, the setmates studied the itinerary for the evening’s events. The event itself would start at half past seven and continue until half past nine. There would be an opening number from the pupils of The Karaginsky School. Then the Kamchatskiy Auto prop, the scale model of the executive Silver Shadow, would be driven onto the ice and Marie’s set would then perform the company dance. Afterwards the five Kamchatskiy Auto sets would perform their demonstration dances, the draw having placed Gary’s set fourth in the order of performance. A resurface would follow with a fifteen-minute interval after which the five Kamchatskiy Maritime sets would perform.
*
Evening came and the ice rink was filled to capacity. The Queen was in attendance with the rest of her family, her parents and her younger brother and sister. Joanie was seated with them in the royal enclosure with their guests, the directors of Kamchatskiy Auto, Kamchatskiy Aerospace, Kamchatskiy Maritime and Kamchatskiy Logistics. Below them, at ice level, the twenty Kamchatskiy ice trainers sat, each in coloured training suits, red for Kamchatskiy Auto, white for Kamchatskiy Aerospace, blue for Kamchatskiy Maritime and green for Kamchatskiy Logistics. It followed that after the handover from The Island each set would be assigned one trainer from their respective company. Jobine sat in the centre, the visitors smiling and chatting amiably with her.
When everyone was seated and the first of the skaters were ready the PM rose to her feet.
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, to The Island of Dreams,” she began. “The place where each year Her Majesty Queen Katie fixes it for 240 people from outside The Island territories to change their lives forever and live the dream of becoming skating celebrities under the wing of the world’s greatest transportation company, The Kamchatskiy Corporation. For the last eleven months our new recruits have had fun, learnt about a new way of living, new economic and political systems, advanced management skills and, on top of this, worked hard and given their all to perform for you to night. Thanks to our resident skating coach, Jobine, the finest ice dance trainer in the world, the miracle continues and for the eleventh year we have transformed 240 hobby skaters into true ice dancers. I ask that you applaud our fine setmates as we welcome them formally into our society and into our great company.”
The audience applauded as Joanie paused.
“They have learnt everything about our social order, everything about management and everything about skating that Her Majesty’s ministers have stipulated that they should know. Now it is down to you, the management of Kamchatskiy, to adopt these fine people so that they might give lifelong service to your company in its four divisions. I’m sure that they will not disappoint.
Soon you will see for yourselves the excellence of their capabilities. First, however, it gives me great pleasure, in keeping with Island tradition, to welcome a team of skaters from this year’s invited school to perform the opening number for Carnival on Ice 2108. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, please give a special Island of Dreams welcome to the up and coming skaters of The Karaginsky School.”
As the lights dimmed, two dozen skaters in their early teens stepped onto the ice. They were dressed as skeletons, their black leotard suits reflecting the phosphorescent bone outlines against the ultra violet. Then the music of Saint Saens’ ‘Dance Macabre’ echoed around the rink.
The music fired the skaters into action with running and leaping and turns in the air. Various single and double jumps served together with intricate turns and spins to symbolise the releasing of wild spirits into the night and the bringing of death to life. Excellent solo ice dancing blended with high class free skating to give the exhibition a special essence that was rare to see. Then, as the music softened, the spirits quietened and the light gradually returned synthesising the dawn by which they were tamed. Slowly, one by one, they swayed and fell in a withering style as they dropped to rest.
The audience applauded as the performers rose and bowed.
“Thank you very much, Karaginsky Young Skaters,” said Joanie. “They have come a long way to be with us tonight and that was a real delight to watch. You have trained hard to bring us that and it was great.”
The smiles on the children’s faces said it all. For them it was a dream come true to have the chance to perform in front of their Queen and Prime Minister as well as to visit The Island of Dreams, the birthplace of the economic and political system that had brought freedom from the misery of capitalism for them and others like them. There were even a few tears as they watched the royal family stand to applaud them. When the applauding had died down Joanie continued:
“It now gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the first of our five sets representing Kamchatskiy Auto. As is customary this set will begin by unveiling this year’s Kamchatskiy Auto company dance, as devised by the five Kamchatskiy Auto trainers, to the company’s anthem ‘Viva Kamchatskiy’. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, please welcome them.”
As the children left the ice the Kamchatskiy Silver Shadow prop was driven onto the ice and parked in the centre of the rink. Marie and her eleven setmates, dressed in Kamchatskiy Auto’s glossy red uniform, then took their positions around it.
“The music please,” said Joanie when she could see that they were ready to start.
The Paso Doble rhythm then rang out prompting a swift start to the dance, which was devoid of lifts or jumps, but demanded basic ice dancing steps in hold, cleanly executed. This performance would then provide the Kamchatskiy trainers with a first impression as to how well Jobine had succeeded in ensuring that they had mastered the basics to a supreme level of consistency. The evidence provided showed, naturally, that these setmates could really dance on ice. They were fast, smooth, and fully expressed the character of the Paso Doble in time to the music. In addition their pattern was perfectly symmetrical around the prop, and the couples were perfectly in unison with each other, two aspects that the Kamchatskiy Auto trainers, with their high expectations, were keen to observe.
At the end of the three-minute routine, Joanie rose to her feet and clapped, prompting the audience to do the same.
“Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, the all-new Kamchatskiy Auto company dance for 2108. �
�Viva Kamchatskiy’ Auto version, beautifully skated. We salute you. We will welcome this set back when they perform their demonstration dance.”
As she looked down to ice level, Joanie noticed the applause from the Kamchatskiy Auto trainers, and especially at one male trainer whose level of enthusiasm was decidedly greater than the others. This told her that he was more than satisfied with what would obviously be his set.
“Next, specially for the Japanese market, a big welcome for our first demonstration dance of 2108. This will be skated to the music of ‘Japanese Medley’ by one of my favourite modern music groups, Super Shogun.”
As the setmates left the ice the first set to demonstrate stepped out dressed in their Japanese outfits, kimonos for the girls, Samurai warrior outfits for the men. Gentle chords of authentic Japanese koto music began the routine, the highlight of which was a rooftop lift that involved three men lifting a lady from three equidistant points at the same time. Each lady then laid back to link with the opposite lady to form three spokes of a wheel over the roof of the prop. Meanwhile the other three couples danced Japanese-style in the opposite direction to the turning wheel. Then, after a minute, they dismantled quickly and the directions and the roles were reversed. They danced perfectly in time to the music that became increasingly lively as it progressed, with the spinning lotus lifts, like the ones that Jobine had taught Gary’s set, used to create an impressive finale to the routine. Quite clearly Jobine had biased her training with this set to favour the ability to combine difficult lifts with quick changes of position, as distinct from assembling and manipulating a single difficult lift over a sustained period of time, as was the case with Gary’s set.
The next routine was very different and, again, contrasting in skill content. This time the skaters simulated the actions of croupiers and their assistants in a modestly satirical and cryptically cynical depiction of the world of capitalism in general and gambling in particular. The men mimed the actions of the croupiers spinning the roulette before lifting the girls straight upwards and turning them as they held the additional props, consisting of a rectangular tablet that they were able to hold up with their hands at the girl opposite. The electronic tablets enabled cards to be flicked exactly in time to the music as they held their positions at six evenly spaced points on either side of the car. The lifts were turning lifts, but when the cards were flicked the turning motion was quickly arrested, providing evidence of a specific skill that Gary and the others immediately identified.
The Island of Dreams Page 24