‘Sure, no problem,’ Alana replied.
As the girls left the theatre, Verity pushed past them, her lips pinched. ‘I hope you don’t imagine you’re going to get the part,’ she hissed to Meena. ‘It was obvious you didn’t have any proper, professional coaching.’
Meena smiled gently. ‘No,’ she said. ‘You’re probably right. You could tell that other girl Emily had had much more experience than me. It was fun to try, though, don’t you think?’
‘Humph!’ replied Verity, tossing her hair, and she stormed into her mum’s Mercedes that was waiting outside.
The girls spent a tense afternoon round at Meena’s house. They tried playing on Meena’s DSi, but they just couldn’t concentrate, and anyway, Meena’s brother and sister kept nagging them to have a go and wouldn’t leave them alone. So the girls just ended up lying on Meena’s bed, chatting about random school stuff and listening for the phone.
When it rang at last, Meena jumped about two feet in the air, then raced downstairs. But a minute later she was back again. ‘It was just my auntie,’ she sighed.
It wasn’t until the whole family were sitting round having supper that the phone rang again.
‘It’s for you, Meena,’ said her mum, handing the phone to her across the table. Meena took it nervously, everyone’s eyes upon her.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Ye-e-e-s, I understand.’ Then, ‘REALLY? Have I REALLY got the part? You really mean it? Wow!
That’s so cool! Yes, yes, definitely. Thank you! Thank you SO much!’
She turned off the phone and beamed around at everyone.
‘I got the part!’ she exclaimed.
‘We would never have guessed!’ Alana laughed, as everyone whooped and cheered.
‘Mum, they’re going to call you tomorrow about the contract!’
‘That’s so exciting!’ said Meena’s mum, hugging her. ‘I’m so proud of you!’
When Alana arrived home that night, she opened up the gorgeous purple and gold album that Madame Coco had given her – the one she used for keeping souvenirs of all her adventures. She took the beautiful necklace Katika had given her and tucked it into one of the special pockets. Then all over the front of the pocket she glued the beads and sequins that she’d taken home from Madame Coco’s shop.
The first night of Meena’s show was a few weeks later. Everyone from Step Out Studio turned up to watch, all apart from Verity who said she was ‘sick’ and couldn’t come.
Meena was brilliant in the show, and the Step Out students gave her an extra big cheer when she took her bow. Afterwards, they all went to the theatre café to celebrate with big slices of chocolate cake.
‘And there’s another thing to celebrate,’ Alana said quietly to Meena. ‘I heard today that I got a B plus in my maths project. So Mum’s definitely not going to make me give up dance lessons!’
‘Yay!’ shouted Meena, making everyone turn round to look at her so that she blushed.
‘Now all I have to worry about,’ said Alana, ‘is that story we’re supposed to be writing for English. You know – the one called “The Time I Helped Someone Solve a Problem”.’
‘Well, it’s pretty obvious what you can write about!’ said Meena, pointing to her name on the theatre programme. ‘Helping me get this part!’
‘Oh yeah!’ said Alana, and they both laughed.
The Alana Dancing Star Series
Arlene Phillips OBE is a world-renowned director and choreographer creating musicals, videos, films, television programming and spectaculars. Her inventive choreography has been seen in the musicals Grease, We Will Rock You, Starlight Express, The Sound of Music, Flashdance and The Wizard of Oz. Her screen work includes the films Annie and Legend, and the television shows DanceX and Britannia High. Arlene’s videos have starred everyone from Robbie Williams to Elton John, Whitney Houston to Tina Turner. Her largest ever spectacular was the XVII Commonwealth Games. She is known throughout the UK as a former judge on Strictly Come Dancing and now on So You Think You Can Dance? Her favourite job, however, has been as mother to her two daughters, Alana and Abi.
Copyright
First published in 2011
by Faber and Faber Ltd
Bloomsbury House
74–77 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DA
This ebook edition first published in 2011
All rights reserved
Text and illustrations © Arlene Phillips, 2011
Illustrations by Pixie Potts, 2011
With thanks to Susan Reuben
The right of Arlene Phillips to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly
ISBN 978–0–571–25996–0
Bollywood Dreams Page 4