Setting the Barre

by Anayo Ordu

  First up was little man. He did a couple of tumbles and some pretty decent footwork. You could tell he would be super skilled by the time his body and muscles were fully developed.

  Then came time for the teens of the group. Each one took a turn dancing and doing tricks. These guys were amazing. They bounced and flipped off of the subway seats, and moved all around the pole in the center.

  Their upper body strength was intense. Armani looked like he was a little jealous he couldn’t move that way.

  Just 2 or 3 minutes later, showtime was over. As the train came to a halt at the next stop, each guy moved up and down the car to collect donations in their hats. I threw a ten dollar bill in for the one who walked by me.

  I was impressed with the logistics behind the performance. These guys had done this so many times, they naturally had it down to a science.

  They had to calculate how much time they had to perform, between one subway stop and another. They had to be able to stick all of their flips and jumps, in the midst of a subway train moving around 30 miles per hour, and bouncing on uneven tracks. I wondered what else went into planning their performances for each day and night.

  I also wondered how much money they got in donations. They were doing things that professional commercial dancers in LA weren’t even capable of. It made me sad to think they might never get that type of opportunity for their talent.

  ***

  We walked up the stairs from the below-ground subway station. All I wanted to do was shower again, get in the bed, and crash.

  It was refreshing to walk into the dorm lobby and feel a wave of air conditioning hit my face. Bianca and Armani pulled out their key cards to slide through the locked turnstile.

  Crap. I think I had forgotten mine in the room.

  “Jane, what’s up?” Bianca asked on the other side of the turning system, one step closer to bed than I was.

  “I left my ID up in the room.”

  “Jane, you crack me up,” she said. “Let me run upstairs and get it.”

  Instead of heading up to his room, Armani decided to wait with me.

  “You don’t have to stay down here, she’s coming right back,” I told him.

  “Wow. Just say you don’t want me bothering you and I’ll back off,” he playfully said as he pretended to surrender his hands in the air.

  “No, that’s not what I meant,” I said, trying to rescue myself. My mouth moved faster than my brain did.

  “I’m just messing with you Jane. Don’t be so serious.”

  There were a few moments of awkward silence. Of course, Amanda was returning from a trip to the corner store nearby.

  “Jane, you already locked yourself out? Usually that doesn’t happen until at least the second or third week of the summer,” she shook her head as she walked through the turnstile.

  When she noticed Armani was there, she seemed embarrassed at how mean she was being.

  “You know by now not to pay her any mind,” he said.

  I nodded my head, upset at the fact that I was still minutes away from crawling into my bed and hiding.

  Bianca finally jumped off the elevator, passing me my key card.

  “Alright, goodnight girls,” Armani said as he made his way up the stairs to the third floor. Thank God. An awkward elevator ride with him would have been too much for me to handle.

  I didn’t want to say anything. I stood and smiled at Bianca, as the elevator doors closed in front of us.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Week 2 of the intensive was finally finished. Thankfully, Sundays were always ours to manage. Bianca mentioned that she wanted time for all of us to get out and explore the city together. I was still so glad she and Tessa had navigated Manhattan on their own before.

  Sunday was always for sleeping in. On Saturday mornings, I still woke up at 7AM, thinking it was time for a sixth day of dance.

  I rolled over to see the clock had a time stamp of 11AM. I knew I slept late when I saw that Bianca was already texting on her phone.

  “Why’d you let me sleep so late?” I was visibly frustrated with her.

  “Because it’s the weekend and you were actually resting for once,” she told me.

  “What do you mean? I go to sleep earlier than you every night.”

  “Yeah, but you don’t actually sleep. You fidget around a lot, and sometimes talk out loud.”

  Even though I couldn’t watch myself in the night, I couldn’t deny what she had said. My mom told me she used to walk by my room at night all the time. I’d be making so much noise, simply because I couldn’t get my brain to stop thinking.

  “Whatever. What are our plans for today? I need to get out of this dorm.”

  As comfortable as I was in the Pace Dorms, I was itching to do some exploring in the city.

  “Tessa said she wanted to go shopping. Let’s check out the Forever 21 in Times Square later on.”

  We had visited Times Square a couple of times, but never got the chance to actually browse the stores.

  “Sounds good. Before we start the shopping spree, can we get some food?”

  ***

  New Yorkers say Shake Shack has the best burger in the entire city. Ricky had even mentioned me stopping by. He had visited family in the city, and said that cheeseburger was the only reason he’d ever go back.

  Bianca, Tessa, and I made our way to the location on 23rd Street and Madison Avenue. It was different from the others, in that it was a cute outdoor one. Kind of like a food truck, but a lot more glamorous.

  Before we could go place our order, we had to get photos in front of the Flatiron building. It was probably the most gorgeous architecture in the city. The building resembled a thinly sliced piece of cake, starting wide and caving in.

  “You’re covering a lot of ground, Jane,” Tessa told me. “It took me two summers before I had done everything on my New York bucket list. You might just get through all of the sights and to-do’s in one summer’s stay.”

  We walked up to the pop up building, which sat in the middle of Madison Square Park. It was decorated with string lights, which made it suitable for warm summer nights. I couldn’t imagine anybody eating outdoors in the winter.

  “I’ll be the different one today,” Bianca proudly said to the cashier. “I’ll take one of the hot dogs.”

  Tessa and I both ordered the classic cheeseburger. Within just a few minutes, our buzzers rang for us to claim our food.

  We sat on a picnic style table, and stuffed our faces until we couldn’t any longer. That cheeseburger was definitely stiff competition for the one from Nathan’s Famous.

  We got lucky that day. The weather was sunny, but only had a high of 83 degrees. There was just enough breeze in the air to make sitting in the sun bearable.

  “New York dogs are the most spoiled creatures I have ever seen in my life,” Tessa said. That meant a lot coming from a girl from the suburbs of Connecticut. Tessa’s dad was a dentist, and her mom a lawyer. She didn’t really get what it was like not to be spoiled.

  “Yes, just like you,” Bianca teased.

  Tessa let out a dramatic gasp, as she got up and asked to pet the cute yorkie.

  This one was being pushed around in a little doggie stroller.

  “It just gets so hot during the summer. I don’t want his little paws to hurt, or for him to get dehydrated,” its owner said.

  Tessa turned around to us and made a judgmental face as she petted.

  The types of dogs I had seen in the city were past anything I could imagine. Some of them were practically bigger than me.

  “I usually let him out when we go walk on the Highline. The surfaces up there stay pretty cool. They used a higher quality base material to build it.”

  “Got it. Bianca – we should go take a walk over there. Cross another thing off of Jane’s list.”

  ***

  The Highline was an “outdoor park” that ran above Manhattan from Gansevoort to 34th street. It was a few stories high, and gave amazing views
of the entire city. We started at the 23rd street entrance.

  The walkway resembled the city, except it was filled with even more tourists with cameras. There were small water fountains, lush greenery, and art displays that occupied the walk.

  “These lofts and apartments are insane,” I said. Several of the buildings nearby had signs advertising spaces available for rent. “I wonder how much a month costs in one of those?”

  “Too much,” Bianca said. “I bet Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s New York residence is over here somewhere.”

  “Probably. Wait, aren’t they touring again this summer? I think they’ll be here in a few weeks,” Tessa pulled out her phone to Google the show dates.

  “Even if they are, those tickets have to be sky high,” Bianca added.

  “But it’s Beyoncé! Sometimes you just have to make things happen. I’ll see who I know.”

  A woman walked by wearing something that resembled a hot pink trashbag.

  “Jane, what are your thoughts on New York fashion?” Bianca asked.

  “It looks like there really are no rules. The riskier, the better.”

  “We’ve been here all this time, and I still haven’t been shopping,” Tessa said. “Let’s go by Forever 21. If we walk all the way to 34th street, the Times Square one won’t be too far away.”

  ***

  We made it all the way to 34th Street, and went down the exit stairs. We would walk east to the middle of Manhattan, then up to 42nd street.

  On the way there, we passed Madison Square Garden. There was a digital advertisement running, already promoting the Knicks upcoming season.

  “Have you guys ever been to an NBA game?” Bianca asked. “I thought I wanted to try out and be a Heat dancer when I turned 18. Then, I heard those girls don’t get paid anything.”

  “It’s true,” Tessa said. “The best perk is probably visibility. Gives them hope of getting more opportunities in the future.”

  We weaved through all of the Sunday foot traffic. The closer you got to midtown, the more cameras and tourists you saw.

  Once we crossed into Times Square, we squeezed together a little closer. I was especially glad Tessa and Bianca were adamant about not losing me in the crowd.

  I glanced down at my phone for a minute, then looked up to see a giant dancing Elmo in my face. I jumped back and caught my breath.

  “Pay attention, girl,” Bianca said as she laughed and grabbed onto my hand.

  Something I also loved about New York was the drive and ambition everyone seemed to have. No matter what your occupation was, everyone strived to perform at their best and be successful.

  We finally made it to the Forever 21 entrance. The place was packed. Tessa swung the huge door open, holding it open behind her for us.

  The fact that the store was a combined four stories was intimidating to me. To Bianca and Tessa, it was a feat to be conquered.

  “Here are some shopping bags, ladies,” an employee said as she handed us the small mesh baskets.

  In my head, I was gawking over how gorgeous she was. She had long flowing hair and a flawless face, with bone structure to kill for. I don’t know if the genes are different, but people in the city were insanely attractive. I wondered if she had ever tried going to a modeling agency on an open-call day. The opportunities in New York were endless to those willing to take advantage.

  I was always the type of person who had to be in need of something specific, and in the right mood to enjoy shopping. Neither was the case today. My suitcase was already full, so I didn’t have much room to take new clothes back to Texas.

  “I feel like I live in ballet clothes,’ Bianca said.

  She had a point. If she wasn’t in a leotard and tights, she was lounging around in anything she’d normally wear as a cover up. Her style was laid back, almost to the point of being unisex.

  “I just want some nice dresses,” Tessa added. “One day we have to do a photoshoot. Pictures of us roaming around the city in plain clothes, but wearing pointe shoes and doing ballet poses.”

  I had never thought of shooting around the city. I remembered that Kiara had a DSLR camera. Surely she would take the time to follow us around and help us get some shots for our parents and families. My mom would love it if I brought home a photo of me in arabesque down by The 9/11 Memorial.

  We split ways for about an hour before we could find each other again. Luckily, by the time we met up, everyone had made their final selections.

  Bianca grabbed some casual but cute shirts and denim shorts. Tessa and I both had summery dresses that would go well with some sandals. I planned to wear one of mine the night of the closing performance.

  “I can’t believe I’m still the same shade I was when I left Connecticut,” Tessa said. “I just want my legs to glow in these dresses!”

  “Did you ever go down to Pier 15 by the South Street Seaport?” Bianca asked. “It’s the only spot I was able to find to lay out last summer.”

  Bianca already has a rich skin tone, but everyone wants to like they’ve been laying out on the beach. I could relate.

  “Let’s drop our bags at the dorm and take the subway down there.”

  ***

  We took the One Train down to the South Street Seaport Station. This was the southeast part of Manhattan, right on the East River.

  Every place in New York City that sat on water gave a different feel than the others. There was a serenity and peace here that you just couldn’t find shuffling through Times Square or on 34th Street.

  Underneath the deck was a full fledge bar and restaurant. As we walked by, music blasted, people danced, and of course sipped on mixed drinks.

  “Wait until I turn 21 and can party like that,” Bianca said as she danced to the music and shimmied her shoulders.

  I was content taking the Sunday afternoon to chill, relax, and reflect. We walked up the stairs to the observation deck. The view took my breath away.

  How had I not heard of this spot before? You could see the entire Brooklyn Bridge, and the skyscrapers in lower Manhattan. The water sparkled as party boats carried passengers between the two boroughs.

  We ran to grab the lounge chairs that were right in the middle of the freshly cut grass. New York may have not had a beach like Miami, but this was a decent substitute.

  We all put on our sunglasses and lounged back, soaking up every bit of sun we could. Normally I’d be dying of heat. The sun’s rays that day gave me an energy and relaxation I hadn’t felt since I arrived for the summer.

  “This feels so amazing,” Tessa said. “If only I had a guy to snuggle me on the other side of this lounge chair.”

  “Don’t fool yourself. They’re overrated, especially at our age,” Bianca said.

  “Who hurt you?” Tessa jokingly said. “You’re to young to already complain that most guys are idiots.”

  “I know they’re not,” Bianca said. “But the one I left back home in Miami was.”

  “Whatever Bianca. You probably broke it off so you could flirt and not feel guilty this summer,” I said to her.

  “I wish it were that simple. I actually had to force myself to stop talking to him. He was good to me, but terrible for me,” she said.

  Tessa and I both sat in silence.

  “Jane, just know that a guy who really cares about you will never hurt you in any way, shape, or form. He won’t be intimidated by you, or try to take out his anger on you.”

  It didn’t take us long to see Bianca was being serious for once.

  “It’s hard, because in a really sick way, you start to get used to being mistreated and disrespected. Then when you try to stand up for yourself, you realize trying to save someone with their own insecurities isn’t worth it.”

  “How long were y’all together?” I asked her.

  “Too long,” she said. “We started seeing each other when I was a freshman, and I’m just now getting around to cutting him off for good. Better late than never though.”

  It made me sad to hear ab
out what Bianca had gone through. I had never dated anyone, and could only imagine the horror of the first guy being a jerk like that.

  “Well, you do have to be careful. In spite of that, don’t let the bad apples ruin your openness to finding a good one, Jane.”

  Tessa didn’t have to ask to know that I hadn’t really dated before.

  “You’re a good girl, and the first guy who decides to go after you will see that.”

  “She already has one after her,” Bianca said as she flipped over to tan the back of her legs.

  “Every time Armani sees me in the dorms, he asks when I’m going to ask Jane about him.”

  “No he does not,” I said, secretly wishing what she was saying was true.

  “I wouldn’t make that up,” Bianca said. “He likes you a lot. And you won’t even give him the chance to get to know you.”

  “I haven’t been mean or rude to him,” I said. I was confused on how keeping to myself said I wasn’t interested in learning more about him.

  “Sometimes people see being defensive as the same as being off-putting,” Tessa said. “You just have to be less guarded. Flirt back with him for once.”

  “He’s been nothing but sweet to you,” Bianca added. “When you feel comfortable, I think you guys should hang out and go do something together…without me as the third wheel.”

  I pondered on the idea. Armani was a really sweet guy. I still couldn’t get over the fact that he danced so well. I wish he took it as seriously as I did. He wasn’t even sure that we wanted to keep pursuing it after graduation.

  “Do something like what?” I asked. “I’ve never really been on a date before.”

  “She’s the cutest,” Tessa said as she adjusted her shades on her face.

  I never really turned down dating, but never really tried to make it happen, either. There were boys at school who messed with me, but I figured they were just being their usual immature selves.

  I was way too focused on keeping up with dance and school to be hanging out with someone like that. Also, my parents never gave me the clear to run around town with a guy.

  “This is the perfect opportunity, Jane. If your parents don’t feel good about it, just reassure them. Let them know there’s a really respectful guy at the intensive. He’s the same age as you, and just wants to make sure you leave this summer loving New York City as much as we all do,” Bianca said.