by Anayo Ordu
Everyone applauded and made their way to their places for the opening scene. Armani came by and gave me a hug before he went over to his side of the stage. I went back into the dressing room for one last moment alone.
I looked into the mirror and barely recognized the girl I was looking at. When I first came to Joplin, I was shy, nervous, and freaked out about every little thing. As each day of summer passed, I became a little more adventurous and a little less afraid of the unknown. My anxiety was still alive and well, but had subsided to a level that was actually controllable.
After all these years of training, I finally felt more confident in my abilities as a dancer. It took the help and support of other people to realize the talent I possessed.
I was going home with a new best friend. Armani had promised that we would talk every day. If we both decided to move back to New York for college, I’d already have a support system who cherished me dearly.
***
The first act of the show went smoothly. The audience laughed at the comedic parts. Bianca, Tessa, and Amanda made the perfect evil step-sisters. It was a relief to see that their facial expressions were strong enough to show their jealousy.
At intermission, it was time to change into my purple gown. Bianca and Tessa helped me, pulling both dresses slowly over my head. There was no time to redo messed up hair or makeup.
I waltzed back onto the stage in my final outfit. I was pretty sure I heard my mom yell how beautiful I looked from the audience. She yelled again once I flawlessly landed my set of twenty turns.
Armani made the perfect Prince Charming. He danced so gracefully, yet with so much strength. Our partner work looked effortless, and all of the hours in rehearsal (and beyond) were well worth it.
The entire program entered onto the stage to take our final bows. Armani and I held hands long after the curtain lowered.
***
“Mom and Dad, this is Armani.”
He looked slightly nervous, but managed to give my dad a firm handshake. My mom leaned in for a hug instead.
“Nice job. You make a pretty decent Prince Charming.” Dad was courteous, handling the situation better than I expected.
Miss Blair came up to us and asked to steal me for a few moments. She had a woman with her who was older, but had a very dignified presence about her.
“Jane, this is Mrs. Winthrop. She’s a representative from The Julliard School and is writing down names in preparation for fall auditions.”
I kept my cool and calmly shook her hand. I signed up for a day, and raced to tell my parents to mark their calendars.
“Armani, did you write your name down with the Julliard rep?” I asked.
“Jane, remember that people and their dreams change. I’m still undecided on if I’m going to keep dancing. I do know that I’ll still be in touch with you, until we’re both back in this crazy city.”
My heart sank. Armani was the best male dancer in the entire program. I couldn’t believe he was unsure about dancing in the future. I was already losing Bianca, and hoped I wouldn’t be losing him, too.
“Let’s go take a picture by our poster,” he said.
We posed in front of the large placard. I held my flowers from my parents in one hand, as Armani held his arms around me. For the very last photo, he leaned in and kissed me, just as the camera flashed.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you for taking the time to read Setting the Barre! I hope you enjoyed it, and ask that you recommend it to a fellow reader friend if you did. It is available in Kindle Unlimited.
Your greatest appreciation can be shown by writing a review. I am open to feedback and hope to improve as I continue to work on stories for a variety of audiences.
Best,
Anayo Ordu