Book #1 To Be A Dancer

 

Satin Slippers #1

To Be A Dancer

By Elizabeth Bernard (October 1987)

13 Chapters, 146 pages

 

 

Chapter 1

 

            Leah Stephenson is fighting back tears. Get used to it. She cries, like, ALL THE TIME throughout this entire series and today’s ballet class at the Hannah Greene School in San Lorenzo, California is no different. But first, can’t help but point out some very bad editing on the author’s part. In Leah’s second person limited narrative, she is constantly referring to her teacher in this chapter as Miss Greene except, Leah tells us, her teacher wears a wedding ring and gave up a promising career as a professional dancer to move all the way across the country years ago, before Leah was even born, with her artichoke farmer husband to settle here and raise her own family. Hannah Greene is most definitely NOT a Miss! Anyway, moving on…

 

            Despite the cover model who looks more like eighteen or twenty, today’s teenage angst for the fifteen-year-old heroine of our story and series that has Leah so upset is that Miss Greene wants to talk to her, in private, after class. All summer long, Leah reflects for us, her teacher had done nothing but criticize her dancing, constantly calling her out on every single mistake. “She’s going to tell me to stop dancing,” Leah accidently voices her worries aloud to her best friend, Chrissy, who couldn’t be any different from blonde haired, blue eyed all American wholesome Leah. Chrissy has red hair, green eyes, freckles and glasses. Chrissy hates ballet and would much rather be doing something STEM related. Leah, on the other hand, has never wanted to be anything but a professional dancer, a real ballerina, when she grows up. Leah sniffs back her tears while Chrissy sympathizes. Leah has always been the star pupil in Miss Greene’s class, Chrissy reminds her, so maybe it’s not that bad. Leah isn’t so sure. Moving to the corner of the room, she pulls herself together tucking a strand of her waist length hair back into its bun and completes the final center work with the rest of the girls-piqué and chainé turns-moving across the floor as gracefully as a real dancer on stage. (I always enjoyed doing those steps myself in the college ballet class I took for a PE credit. Spotting was what I struggled with!)

 

            Turns out Miss Greene wanted to meet with Leah in her office, not to tell her she’s the worst dancer she’s ever seen and to go find another series to haunt, but that scouts from a prestigious ballet academy in San Fransisco for promising young dancers like Leah just happened to be attendance at the last recital. These friends told Greene that auditions for the upcoming school year were being held and that Leah should hop over to the other side of the Bay Area (San Lorenzo is just a small subdivision, according to Google Maps-not a single artichoke farm to be seen anywhere! Guess the author decided to just use the name and make Leah’s hometown some small rural place in central CA since she’ll be taking a Greyhound, not a city bus, to get there) and try out. Greene believes it’s time, they were very impressed with her dancing and that Leah’s chances of getting in are excellent. Leah gasps. Me?!!! They will start working on her audition piece tomorrow, if Leah’s mother consents to let her do this. Leah smiles happily. Mom will give permission; she’s always believed and been fully supportive of Leah’s dream.

 

Chapter 2

 

            But first, Leah and Chrissy stop for a snack after their ballet lesson eating their respective ice cream cone and the more healthy frozen fruit bar for Leah, outside in the glorious late summer California weather. Chrissy isn’t as happy for her best friend as Leah thought she would be, learning her news. If, and that’s a BIG if, the cynical Chrissy reminds her Leah did make it into The San Fransisco Ballet Academy (SFBA) she’ll have to live somewhere close to campus which means moving away, which means she won’t be starting high school with Chrissy next month. Leah will make lots of new friends there at her new school, Chrissy predicts, dance every lead role at the War Memorial Opera House, and Chrissy will be left in the dust. They might as well just declare this friendship over now since it’s obvious selfish Leah doesn’t care about this relationship, just her own future career as famous dancer. Chrissy frowns as she says all this. Leah is so mad she almost starts crying. Some best friend! Still in the middle of their heated discussion, Chrissy’s mom pulls up in the station wagon and the two girls climb in, not speaking.

 

Chapter 3

 

            Of course, Leah’s mom gives permission for her daughter to attend the auditions next weekend. Both cry together over what this means. Widowed just a few years earlier, Mrs. Stephenson was able to financially support herself and her only child by going into a career with computers. We never learn how Leah’s dad died or what he did for a living. Even in 1987, business is booming for Leah’s mom, secure in their middle-class status, coming up with tuition money (if Leah gets accepted) won’t be a problem but mother and daughter will miss each other fiercely. Leah also has a striped, orange kitten named Misha who will join Leah at school in a later book.

 

            It is now past 10pm. Leah’s mother works late almost every day, so she didn’t even get the chance to share her big news with Mom until tonight after Leah was already in her PJs making her a definite Gen X latchkey kid! Mom and daughter have dried their tears and Leah is now alone in her ground floor bedroom of their modest dwelling knowing she needs to go to bed but too hyped up to sleep. She pauses at the window, looking up at the starry night sky. She makes a wish, praying with all her heart that she’ll have the opportunity to study dance at SFBA.

 

Chapter 4

 

            Red eyed from crying all night, Leah boards her Greyhound bus unable to believe a week has flown by, it is now September, and she is on her way to the big city. Waving to her mom standing on the sidewalk to see her off, Leah also allows herself another moment of self-pity as Chrissy is very much absent. They have not seen nor spoken to each other since their argument in Chapter 2.

 

            Two hours later, Leah is standing on the corner of Market and Hyde streets (just a few blocks south of where I was on a Sunday morning in May 2005, all alone in the city about to cross Market Street to the sketchy Tenderloin district and Glide Memorial church on Ellis on the off chance I might see Bono!). Consulting a map, she debates asking one of the passerby for directions. Lucky for Leah, two girls her age looking every inch the dance students with trim bodies like Leah, approach and introduce themselves-Katherine “Kay” Larkin is small, petite and dark haired from Philly, PA but Leah immediately sizes her up as a great energetic allegro dancer. Standing next to the small girl, five-foot-four Leah feels awkward and clumsy. The taller, knock-out, auburn haired beauty with flawless white skin and sultry southern accent from Atlanta, Georgia is Pamela Hunter. Just as tall as her, but much more athletic looking, Leah immediately knows Pamela is going to be serious competition. Both are also lost and looking for SFBA.

           

Gathering up their luggage, the two girls join Leah in locating the school. Pam’s full red lips pout when Leah suggests they walk. According to her map, the school is just a few blocks that way. Pam would rather splurge on a cab and from the way she is dressed it is obvious she comes from money. Since Kay is juggling the most luggage and comes from the same socio-economic background as her, Leah leads them to Van Ness and one of the cheaper city buses. She knows where they are now, having once attended a ballet at the War Memorial Opera House which she knows is located on Van Ness with the fictional SFBA not too far away from there.

 

Chapter 5

 

            The School for the Bay Area Ballet and The San Fransisco Ballet Academy is like something from a fairy tale with the main building housed in an old turn-of-the-century Victorian mansion. Other adjacent newer buildings, including an indoor swimming pool, are tucked in, around and behind the large mansion. The grounds boast peaceful rest areas, flowering shrubbery, walking paths, a gazebo, rose bushes and even the mansion itself is covered in vines all overlooking the sparkling waters of the Bay. For Leah it is love at first sight. Pam scoffs wondering how some of these quaint old buildings managed to survive the famous 1906 earthquake while Kay is blasé and enthusiastic about everything.

 

The girls are about to knock on the front door when it swings open and a tall, dark and handsome boy, obviously a dancer by his build, breezes by them almost pushing them aside along with a snobby remark at the newest arrivals. He is James Cummings and will be featured heavily in Book #2. Inside they are welcomed more warmly by staff and directed to where they need to go. Off-campus boardinghouses serve as dorms for most students. All are within easy walking distance to campus. Leah is glad to learn she, Kay and Pam will be rooming together at the same boardinghouse which just happens to be run by the director’s sister.

 

They are given a tour by a friendly Asian-American Bay Area Ballet soloist, Diana Chen. Leah recognizes her from a recent magazine article she was featured in (except Diana will prove another of Leah’s enemies as one of her dance instructors here, she is a real witch who is jealous of Leah’s technique and style as we’ll see in Book 2). There are three rehearsal studios, a wing of modern classrooms for the academic side of the school as they still have to learn STEM subjects in order to earn their GPAs and an art studio adjacent to the indoor swimming pool. Diana warns them, tomorrow morning’s Sunday dance class taught by the staff, which will include her, is going to be rigorous and to rest up and be prepared. Tuesday they will meet the famous SFBA director, Madame Alicia Preston, who will be instructing them in her own class as part of their audition so she can see how they move and what kind of training they’ve had. Then on Wednesday each girl will perform their audition piece for the judges, and yes, Diana will be one of them. They will need to sign up right away with an accompanist and reserve a practice room too for Monday before all the good time slots and pianists are taken. They will also need to check the callboard every day to see where and what they will be doing as part of audition week. The three girls try not to freak out too much, overwhelmed as they are by the school and its rigorous schedules. By the time they find their ride in a club van to the boardinghouse, Leah’s head is spinning.

 

Chapter 6

 

            Mrs. Hanson is a round, rosy, plump older woman looking nothing like her famous dancer sister until she smiles and Leah sees the resemblance to the brochure photo. Her charming female-only boardinghouse has been welcoming and serving healthy meals for dancers for twenty years now. There will be a strict curfew, but all the rooms are comfortable and Leah loves her room at the very top floor of the three story row stucco house. Pam takes the room on the ground floor just off the old-fashioned living room with French doors.

 

            On her way to her room, Leah and Kay meet another girl just exiting her own room on the second floor. Her dark hair pulled back in a bun; she is dressed very chic. She has full red lips and dark almond shaped eyes. In heavily accented Russian she introduces herself as Alexandra “Alex” Sorokin making both girls gasp. Not the daughter of the famous husband and wife dancers who defected from Russia’s famous Kirov Ballet four years ago and was headline news for weeks as they applied for sanctuary here in the USA. Alex is already a student here at SFBA and gives both girls what Leah judges as a superior and condescending look. From her voice and body language it is hard to tell if she will be a friend or enemy here at this new school. Kay and Leah go their separate ways from here with Alex helping Kay with two of her bags. Leah is not sure what to make of the Russian born girl with a body obviously born to dance. If Leah does get in, she will be competition, Leah is sure of that.

 

            That evening, Leah takes a walk with Pam in the cool, foggy air. They find an ice cream parlor and while Pam has no qualms splurging on a bowl of chocolate ice cream, Leah opts for sparkling water. Sitting at a table, Pam gossips about everyone we’ve met so far in the book. Leah notes she has nothing nice to say about anyone, even Alex who isn’t even competition, but Pam smirks Alex probably only got in because of her famous parents; whatever talent the Russian girl has doesn’t count for anything. Kay is too small and chubby, probably has to watch her weight all the time while all the other hopefuls have something or other lacking in the talent department if not superficial looks. Leah is getting worried, as she lies in her bed that night, thinking over Pam’s remarks, knowing getting accepted into this dream school with all this competition is going to be tough.

 

Chapter 7

 

            Next day’s special Sunday dance class, which is not required but enthusiastically attended by both regular students and company dancers, ends up being taught by Diana. At first, Leah is relieved, but Diana is not nice at all to Leah, singling her out in front of everyone during barre warm ups. Alexandra and James are also here and after Diana snaps at Leah to do her developpés like Alex, Leah grits her teeth at the comparison, focuses her entire body on the music and movement and knows by the end of her forced solo demonstration she’s never done a better set of exercises in her life. Alex talks to Leah in the changing room after the class, reassuring her Diana’s constant corrections during the class means Leah has real talent and promise here at SFBA. The other girls listen and agree that Diana was being too hard on Leah. As everyone exits the dressing room, Alex lingers behind so she can invite Leah to lunch. Leah already had plans to meet up with Kay and Pam after their own class in a different studio, but she doesn’t tell Alex that, just laughs awkwardly and turns her down, still not sure if she can trust the mysterious “femme fatale” Russian teenager. Alex looks hurt but covers it up quickly and excuses herself to go hang out with James, chatting and laughing with him as Leah passes the rehearsal room and overhears Alex calling her “uptight.” Her feelings about Alex just went from bad to worse.

 

            Pam deliberately makes Leah and Kay late for their rehearsal times as they wanted to take a quick tour of nearby Chinatown but Pam dawdled so long in a shop both are a little annoyed at her. Pam’s rehearsal isn’t until later in the day. Feigning guilt for making them late, she hails a taxi for all of them, her treat, she insists.

 

Chapter 8

 

            Leah isn’t that late, but another hopeful has this room scheduled immediately after her hour is up, her male accompanist reminds her from behind his paper at the piano, so she hasn’t a minute to waste. He knows who she is, and Leah remembers seeing Alex talking to him back at the boardinghouse the night before during a social hour. She seethes knowing the snobby Russian girl was probably laughing at her behind her back after what happened in Diana’s class yesterday. What must this guy think of her? She misses her cue and coldly asks him to start again, please. This time, she dances her Sleeping Beauty variation perfectly making herself forget Pam, Alex and all the stress of audition week losing herself in the music. The accompanist is good, phrasing the piece exactly the way her body yearned to dance it.

 

When she steps off pointe, Leah realizes she had an audience: Pam, Alex and James had seen the whole thing from the open door. Pam rushed away, almost guilty, the minute her eyes met Leah’s. Alex smiles with approval and silently applauds. James just winks at her. Leah is furious. How dare anyone watch what is supposed to be a private practice, free from any judgement. Tonight, she vows, she’ll tell that Alexandra Sorkin exactly where she can take her applause.

 

A quick visit to the school library in the basement is Leah’s next stop but to her dismay every single VHS copy of Sleeping Beauty is currently checked out. She had been hoping to pick up some tips on her Act III variation by watching a famous ballerina or two dance it as such viewing opportunities aren’t available in her small hometown (and the internet and YouTube haven’t been invented yet!) Turning around Leah is surprised to see Pam is also here but Pam looks even guiltier than ever, as if she is trying to hide something (like a VHS tape or two of Sleeping Beauty perhaps?!) She hints at an obvious lie, taking Leah into her confidence, that her own accompanist got really friendly with her today during her rehearsal and…Leah automatically assumes he asked Pam out for this evening to grab a bit to eat? Woah. Pam agrees, yes, that’s it, but since dating isn’t really allowed here, especially prospective students like themselves, would Leah mind covering up for Pam if anyone back at the boardinghouse asks where she tonight is since she obviously won’t be there for dinner? Leah promises she will but her subconscious hints that something about this entire conversation doesn’t smell right. 

 

Chapter 9

 

            The dinner table is, indeed, very awkward as Leah and the other girls dig into their salads while Mrs. Hanson keeps commenting on Pam’s absence. Where could she be? Is everyone here at this table sure they didn’t see Pam today? Leah struggles to remain passive, fidgeting, and picks at her food. Other girls point out Leah and Kay did see Pam today. The three of them grabbed lunch at Chinatown, right? Kay hasn’t seen Pam since their outing. Leah is spared having to come up with an excuse when the front door opens and closes and Pam comes in, breathlessly confessing she fell asleep after her rehearsal practice session and just now realized what time it was. Sorry if she made everyone worry over “little ‘ol me!” She couldn’t possibly eat a thing, declares she has a headache and with that Pam breezes out of the room. Leah is impressed at Pam acting skills and quick cover story. Alex apparently is too as she sarcastically remarks watching videotapes all afternoon in the school library would give anyone a headache. Leah frowns at her and calls her a spy which Alex takes a little offense to. She did see Pam today in one of the viewing booths in the school library with a whole stack of VHS tapes. Leah silently doesn’t believe her. Pam would never do anything so low.

 

Excusing herself from the table, Leah declares she’s going to take a nice long, hot, bubble bath. The other girls won’t be coming up to bed yet for another hour. Leah indulges and does some deep thinking while lying in the old fashioned, claw foot tub remembering how she had battled depression at nine years old after her dear father died. She’s been using the same tricks now to stay emotionally sane in this new environment, confused over who to trust. With her big toe she pulls the plug letting all the bathwater carry her stress and worries down the drain. She’s feeling a little better now but a tight worry still remains in her chest as she shakes her hair out of its ponytail and finger-combs the strands. Clad in her purple terry-cloth bathrobe she goes to her room, throws herself on her bed and starts to cry but not for long. Remembering what her dance teacher had told her, that it didn’t matter what anyone else thought of her dancing talent, she was only here to impress Madame Preston not Alex or Pam or even Kay she marks out her entire dance and feels better. She knows the steps but what she is still unsure of is who the real liar is here: Alex or Pam and who is her real friend? (Leah you are an idiot. Pam is nobody’s friend!)

 

Chapter 10

 

            First thing after Monday morning’s class, Leah returns to the school library and sits in one of the viewing booths surprised to find whoever checked out every single copy of Sleeping Beauty yesterday was NOT kind because they DID NOT REWIND (LOL!) Each tape stops at the exact ending of Aurora’s Act III variation. Leah knows for a fact Pam is doing a dance from an entirely different ballet and is confused. Who was studying her variation?

 

            There’s another getting -to-know-you social with free food being served just outside the indoor swimming pool. Wet from his swim, looking even more cute in his bathing trunks, James Cummings approaches Leah and starts talking to her when Pam suddenly cuts in and starts flirting outrageously with him. Grabbing Leah’s arm she drags her away from the buffet table and the rest of the crowd. Narration says Leah was too shocked by Pam’s outrageous behavior to even protest. Pam just starts babbling about how wonderful her own class with Diana had gone today and that the stern teacher had nothing but compliments for Pam about her dancing while all of the other dancers in class sucked. Life couldn’t be better for Pam who says nothing about the supposed “date” she had last night.

           

            That night, regular students like Alex and James went to the movies, Pam called the boardinghouse to let Mrs. Hanson know she was staying late to rehearse her audition piece so Leah and some of the other prospective audition girls are hanging out in Kay’s room talking, mending toe shoes and discussing their class today. Patrick had said nothing to Leah, proving to be a nicer instructor to all the visiting girls than Diana who, according to Kay, praised Pam’s talent and wasn’t as hard on any of them like she was with Leah who now feels like the worst dancer on earth. She sucks! A tear threatens to roll down her face and she quickly wipes it away.

 

            Next day is Wednesday and finally they get to meet Madame Preston and take her class. The formidable woman is tall and still as slender as a young sapling with gray hair and eyes, striking. Leah can tell she must have been an incredible ballerina in her glory days dancing the Lilac Fairy with the Royal Ballet. If she has an English accent, narration never says. She reminds all the girls they are not here to impress anyone, that staying true to oneself is all that matters. Great dancers only care about making great art. Leah blushes as Madame almost seems to be looking right at her when she says this, and silently vows never to let jealousy or anger get in the way of her dancing again. (This won’t last long!) Miss Greene had told her own students back in San Lorenzo almost the exact same thing many times in class but it had all gone right out of Leah’s head these last few days. Madame Preston then begins the class proper and puts them through their paces so that by the end, narration says, Leah knows even if she doesn’t get into SFBA, even if this is the only lesson she ever has under this great woman’s tutelage, rubbing her aching muscles, she knows her dancing will never be the same again.

 

Chapter 11

 

            Audition day! Leah, like all the other girls nervously warming up and pacing the studio waiting their turn, is a basket case of nerves. Alex is also here lending moral support and acting like a guardian angel to all the other girls seeming to be everywhere at once putting out fires: helping one girl with a torn costume, another with her toe shoes and as Leah’s hair comes undone for the second time while practicing her turns, Alex swoops in with a hairbrush and deftly styles Leah’s long, blonde hair into an attractive bun. She compliments Leah on her beautiful hair and Leah shyly thanks her. Maybe she had been wrong about Alexandra Sorokin. Unlike Pam, the brusque Russian girl seemed like a good person to have in your corner.

 

            Suddenly, the door to the adjacent studio where auditions are being held burst open and one girl enters, in tears. Right in the middle of her piece, Madame had interrupted her, thanking and dismissing her telling her to go home-the ultimate rejection! Pam looks triumphant. The other girls all turn white knowing the same thing could happen to them. Kay is next. Leah squeezes her hand and tells her she’ll do great! She does, despite falling down right in the middle of her dance but without missing a beat getting right back up again, finishing perfectly. (Normally she would be automatically disqualified but Kay suffered a mild sprain during class the day before so Madame and the other judges must have taken that into consideration because Kay will end up getting in.) Pam agrees, sneering that Kay blew it because she has no talent. Alex yells at her to shut up-her constant put downs doesn’t make Pam look any better and Leah knows Alex is right. Now it is Pam’s turn. Not one girl in the room wishes her luck and as Leah continues to go through her audition piece she realizes the music playing in her head is the same music coming from the other room. Pam stole her variation! Rushing to her bag Leah pulls out some music for another piece for the accompanist. She’ll just have to dance something else. Wise Alex shoots that down. Just go out there and dance your piece, she tells Leah. It doesn’t matter if Pam just performed it. Other girls sneaking a peak through the blinds covering the small window in the door report Pam is dancing like a horse, clearly she didn’t rehearse it very well and while changing your audition piece at the last minute isn’t against the rules, it doesn’t make Pam look very professional. Alex counsels a still panicking Leah with a snap of her fingers that whatever crazy, psychological game Pam is playing with her head, from this moment on, doesn’t matter. Pam doesn’t even exist. Poof! The other girls giggle and even Leah smiles. All she has to do right now is go out there and dance her audition piece to the best of her ability. She’ll be great.

 

Chapter 12

 

            When the music starts, facing Madame Preston and the other judges, including Diana, Leah makes herself forget everything else. She is no longer dressed in a plain black leotard in a rehearsal studio but is dancing on a real stage, the War Memorial Opera House. She is dressed in a sparkly while tutu, tiara on her head. She is the fairy-tale princess just awakened from her sleep and about to marry her prince. Her dance is joyous and free and before she knows it, she’s reached her final arabesque, feeling like she could hold this pose on point for hours. If there had been thunderous applause it would be now. She nods at her accompanist, as she’d been taught, and bows to her judges, the audience confident she’s just danced the best performance of her life.

 

            That night the house phone rings. It’s for Leah and she is elated to hear Chrissy’s voice on the other end of the line. Chrissy never makes up first after an argument but she’s doing it now. She’s missed Leah and is dying to know how everything is going during her audition week. Leah is more than happy to tell her everything. They talk and laugh like old times and everything is going to be okay.

 

Chapter 13

 

            This is why both Leah and the reader are amazed the very next day when the list is posted but…Leah’s name is not there! Everyone around her is sympathetic. Kay got in as well as two other girls Leah had gotten to know over the last few days. A sob rises in her chest, and she can hardly read the sheet as she looks over the neatly typed list of names for the third time just to make sure but it’s true. She didn’t make the cut. Kay is just as surprised as Leah.

 

            Alex is there and shakes Leah. Silly! Look at the very bottom of the list. Leah does and sees two names marked with an asterisk along with a note at the bottom of the sheet: *Leah Stephenson and *Pamela Hunter are to report to Blue Studio in practice clothes at 2pm sharp.

 

            What in the heck? A second audition?! Leah is rightfully offended. Why is she being judged again? What more does she have to prove? Did Madame not get a good enough look at her the first time? Alex is just as confused. She’s been a student here at SFBA two years and has never seen this happen before with prospective new students.

 

            Right on time, dressed as instructed, Leah enters the room. The judges’ table is still there with Madame, Diana, Patrick and three other strangers all seated like a grand jury. There is no accompanist at the piano. Madame orders Leah to the barre and Leah does some simple steps as instructed, focusing her entire being on lifting her hips, pretending a string is pulling her body up as she moves her working arm and leg before turning to repeat on the other side. The silence in the room is almost eerie but Leah just plays some practice music in her head and gets through it.

 

Madame then has her walk to the middle of the room and face them. Patrick asks her about her family situation to which we already know the answer. One of the strangers, an older man with a crisp British accent, asks her where she studied? Madame, almost laughing, leans over to look at him down the line and reports Leah studied with none other than Hannah Greene at her school of ballet and theater arts. Leah realizes she’s seen the man before, the picture back in her teacher’s office of him with Miss Greene in her professional dancing days. He was her partner. The man smiles as he’d lost track of his old friend.

 

Leah then boldly demands to know what this is all about? Did she get into SFBA or not? Madame Preston is amazed. Get in? Of course Leah got in! She’s practically a savant, the most gifted dancer they’ve seen in years. This meeting was to determine if Leah qualified for a very special scholarship only awarded on rare occasions to such up and coming SFBA students like herself. A special scholarship that hasn’t been given out since a certain Alexandra Sorokin came to the school. The Golden Gate Award is not based on financial situations but talent and merit which Leah obviously has. It won’t pay for everything but will help out in covering extra expenses. Congratulations, Leah.

 

Wanting to shout for joy, Leah thanks them all and flees the room practically running into the accompanist entering. She spontaneously hugs him. She’s in! Pam follows, scowling a little at Leah’s triumph. Alone in the adjacent studio, removing her leg warmers, Leah can hear the music from the real audition number Pam was supped to perform. She is obviously dancing it now for the judges. Unable to resist a peek, Leah goes over to the door to watch. The variation Pam is doing shows off her athletic jump. Leah remembers Pam boasting to everyone she had really wanted to do Odile, The Black Swan, with her famous thirty-two fouettés (pronounced “fwet-TAYs”). Watching her, Leah knows Pam could do it, she’s that good, but her teacher had refused to let her use that dance as her audition piece.

 

All at once, the music stops and Leah moves just in time before Pam comes bursting into the room, her eyes full of fire as she triumphantly looks at Leah. She also got in as SFBA’s newest student but at least she did it dancing a really technical piece, “Any fool could dance what you did for your audition piece!” And with that she exits through the hall door, slamming it behind her. She really is a witch. Deciding to follow everyone’s advice (including Chrissy’s) and not let anything Pam said bother her.

Leah finds Alex and Kay waiting for her downstairs here at the school who share in her wonderful news, both are very happy for her. They will all be staying at Mrs. Hanson’s too. Except this also includes Pam. The three girls frown, pretending like this is the worst news ever but rush outside onto the lawns to hug each other and declare the three of them: Alex, Kay and Leah, will all be friends forever!

 

THE END