Diary of a Danceaholic

Entry #15: Friendly Fun

The MC’s voice came through the speakers: “Continuing on in the elite level. This is a teen lyrical small group. Number one thirteen, ‘Up!’”

I watched as Asher’s group entered the stage gracefully and perfectly in sync. It was elite, so it was bound to be good. I was excited to finally be able to see her dance.

They danced to an all-piano song from the movie “Up.” They were wearing these gorgeous light blue flowered dresses that flattered everyone in the group. Their moves were incredibly choreographed. Asher was front and center moving with a joy that was shining plainly on her face. I found myself smiling, almost crying along with her. It was infectious and something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

When they finished, I applauded enthusiastically along with everyone else. It was an amazing piece. Her studio was incredible; they were all very, very talented.

Asher’s contemporary group was just as good. I was probably biased, but I thought Asher’s studio was one of the best ones here. The other groups were good, don’t get me wrong, but Asher’s pieces stood out; they were original and tasteful. Not overloaded with tricks, which I appreciated. Jodi taught me to appreciate that movement speaks for itself; you don’t need to do complicated things to score well.

When the applause died down, I leaned toward my mom and whispered, “When’s the next one?”

As she flipped through the program, it became obvious that Asher had a long time until the next one. “It’s a large group. Looks like she’s got almost two hours before she’s set to dance again.”

“Sweet,” I said, pulling out my phone. “I’m gonna go say hi while I have a window.”

I texted Asher, to tell her she was amazing. She thanked me and told me to come find her in the dressing room.

“I’ll be right here,” my mom said. She was still absently flipping through the program, content to be alone for a while.

“If you’re too lazy to go full out in rehearsal this is what happens!” I heard shouted from a dressing room as I walked by.

I had to laugh. Some things were pretty universal among all dance teachers. They expected you to try. Give a little - preferably a lot - of effort and you’ll do well. Mark your routines and show your laziness in practice and you can’t be at all surprised if you get a sucky score at competitions. How else do you think I got where I was today. I give everything I have in every rehearsal, every run-through. Twenty-four-seven. Jodi taught me well. She expects my best and that’s what I give her.

I’ll get off my soapbox now. I needed to find Asher while she still had a window.

I opened the farthest dressing room door and Asher spotted me immediately. She squealed in excitement and picked her way through all the Dream Duffles toward me. “I can’t believe you’re actually here!” She hugged me tightly and I laughed at her eagerness. “Come meet my friends?”

“Yeah, totally!”

“Omg, they’re gonna die when they meet you!”

I just laughed and let her pull me through the maze of costumes toward the back where her studio had set up a circle of Dream Duffles and costume racks.

“Emily, Meah, Sydney, this is my friend Skyler.” Three teenaged girls turned around. Two were blond and the other had hair as dark as mine. They all froze, their eyes widening at the sight of me.

“Hi, everyone,” I said awkwardly and waved at them all.

“Hi!” said the one with bright blue eyes. “Sorry! Wow! Syler Thomas is standing right in front of me, right now.”

I chuckled. “In the flesh.”

“I’m Sydney. That one is Meah.” She pointed to the one still in her contemporary costume. “And the dork with the drool hanging out of her mouth is Emily.”

Emily blinked a few times and wiped at her mouth embarrassingly. “I was not drooling!” she whispered to Sydney.

Sydney laughed. She was the quickest of the three to recover from her shock.

“You guys were amazing,” I said to them all. “I loved both of your groups.”

“Thanks!” Emily squeaked.

“On that note,” Asher said, “I’m starving and we’ve got a while until ‘Art History,’ let’s get snacks.”

“‘Art History?’” I asked.

“You are gonna love it!” Asher said. “Mr. Neil is a genius. I’m not telling you anything. You definitely have to watch it for yourself.”

“I can’t wait to see it.” I was definitely intrigued.

I listened to the girls gossip away about all the fun things happening at their studio and the drama mamas that they had to deal with. It was comforting to know that I wasn’t alone. Every studio has its own version of crazy.

“Sky has one of those, too,” Asher told them. “What’s her name again?”

“Stacy,” I groaned. “She’s the worst.” We all laughed together. I liked Asher’s friends. They were cool.

“What do you guys want?” Asher asked when we reached the snack bar.

“Snickers for me!” Meah shouted.

“Excited much?” Emily teased. “Chips!”

“I need chocolate!” Sydney groaned holding her stomach.

Asher laughed and rolled her eyes as she gathered up the loot.

“Sky?” Asher looked over at me. “What do you want?”

“Oh, nothing. I’m good.”

“She’ll have a Milky Way,” she told the volunteer behind the snack bar.

We all handed over our money and the girls tore into their snacks. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at them all stuffing their faces.

Emily groaned in satisfaction as she dumped the last of her chips into her mouth. “That was amazing!” she said.

“I need more,” Sydney said, heading back over to the snack bar.

“Where does she put it all?” I teased.

“I know!” Asher agreed. “She’s so tiny, but she eats literally all the time.”

“Excuse me.” I turned to see a girl, probably about twelve, holding on tightly to her phone. “Are you…are you…Skyler Thomas?” She was visibly very nervous.

I smiled at her. “Yes, I am. What’s your name?”

“Emily,” she said with a quiver in her voice.

“Hi, Emily. Did you know that her name is Emily, too?” I said pointing to Asher’s friend. They waved at each other and smiled. “Would you like a picture?” I asked pointing to her phone.

“Is that okay?” she asked timidly.

I was thrown. It took me a second to be able to answer. No one had ever asked me before. They always just invade my space and ask to take a picture with me, expecting the answer to be yes. No one ever waits to see if I’m actually okay with it.

“Yes,” I said, sincerely for once. “I’d love to.”

She handed me her phone and we took a selfie together. I handed it back to her and she squeaked out a quick thanks and ran away.

“Is it always like this with you?” Emily asked. I hoped she wasn’t upset.

“Unfortunately,” I said slowly nodding my head.

“Well,” Asher said, sticking her chin up dramatically. “When I’m famous, I’m gonna hire a bouncer. All my adoring fans are going to have to go through him first.”

“I’ll be your bouncer,” Meah said, rising up on her toes, trying to be bigger than her five-foot-three.

We all cracked up at that. “You’d be great at it,” Asher said.

“I’m sorry about that. I was hoping to skate under the radar today, but I’ve already taken about a million pictures today and that cats out of the bag.”

“Oh, psh.” Asher waved me away. “We don’t care.”

“Yeah, dude,” Sydney interrupted. “Don’t apologize for your success. Something tells me it’s hard-earned.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

I smiled at their kindness. “You could say that.”

“Group hug!” Asher called and I was pulled in with them gratefully.

Asher and her friends brought me back to the dressing room with them so that we could hang out for a while before they had to warm up and rehearse again for this mysterious large group. They were so easy to be around. They included me in all their conversations and I felt accepted by them. I cherished this moment so much so that I had to hide my disappointment when their teacher came in to tell them to get ready.

“I’ll see you guys on stage!” I told them and headed back out into the hallway alone. I had so much fun just hanging out with them. It was really refreshing. I definitely needed that.

The warm and fuzzies dissipated as soon as I got halfway down the hallway, though. I was so caught up in the fun I had with Asher and the girls that I forgot to keep my head down. I saw every single one of the death stares that the mommies were throwing in my direction. I heard all the whispers that they weren’t trying too hard to keep me from hearing.

What is she doing here?

She’s just trying to steal all the attention from our girls.

If she tries to compete, my Ashley will beat her. She’s so much better than her.

She’s not even in the program. Who does she think she is?!

I tried to ignore them, but it was harder than usual because I had finally started enjoying myself for once. I balled my hands into fists as I walked by them. It was a physical struggle to keep from rolling my eyes and punching them all in their big fat noses.

I was so incredibly over this side of the dance world.

Suddenly, someone reached out and grabbed hold of my arm, yanking me back.

“What the…” I said angrily, practically ripping my arm out of the stranger’s grasp.

“You don’t belong here, Skyler Thomas,” a lady snarled at me. She was probably in her early forties and very overweight. She was sporting Central Dance Company gear from head to toe, so I knew exactly who I could thank for the assault.

“Thank you for making that clear,” I told her and walked away as quickly as I dared.

“Selfish princess,” I heard her say. “Stealing the spotlight from our girls.”

I was shaking and trying hard not to cry. I couldn’t let her know how much she scared me. I wasn’t here to compete and I didn’t want the attention. Why couldn’t anyone understand that?

Instead of going back into the auditorium where my mom was sitting, I headed to the merchandise table to find Adam. I couldn’t trust that my mom would keep her cool. She loves me, but she is also a bit dramatic and I didn’t want to cause any more of a scene than I already endured today.

“Hey! Welcome back, Sky! Missed me already?” He was smiling and joking, but when I got close enough for him to see the tears that were streaming down my face, he was serious in an instant. He came out from behind the table quickly and guided me behind a merchandise rack.

“Tell me what happened,” he said with concern.

“It was nothing,” I said wiping my eyes. I was embarrassed and wished I could have been stronger. “Just some haters.” I rubbed my arm absently, where the lady had grabbed me. Adam saw me do it and his jaw clenched.

“What is that?” He pointed to the red marks on my arm. “Tell me exactly what happened?”

“I was coming back from the dressing room and this lady grabbed me. She told me I don’t belong here and that I was a selfish princess for stealing the spotlight from her girls. Then I ran away.” The tears were escaping again against my will.

Adam took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Could you point her out to me if you saw her again?”

“Yeah,” I whispered. “She’s from Central Dance Company. But I don’t want to cause any problems!” I added quickly. That was the last thing I wanted.

“Sweetie,” he said, putting his hands on my shoulders in a comforting gesture. “I am so sorry that happened to you. We are not all like her.”

“I know.” I sniffed. “People like her are everywhere, though. I should be used to it by now.”

He shook his head sadly. “The ugly side of fame, huh?”

“Yep,” I said drawing out the word. He had no idea how right he was.

“Come on. I’ll take you to your mom.”

“Please don’t tell her,” I pleaded. “She’ll make a huge deal out of it and I just want to watch Asher and her friends dance. Please.”

“Sure, Sky.” He frowned but didn’t say more. He walked with me the whole way back to our seats and shook my mom’s hand before leaving again. I managed to pull myself together before we reached the darkness of the auditorium and I hoped my mom wouldn’t question why I was escorted to my seat.

I was still a little shaken, though, and had a hard time concentrating on the dances that were performing on stage.

“Asher’s group is next,” my mom whispered, “Interesting title. I’m intrigued.”

“Right?” I said. “They wouldn’t tell me anything. They said I just have to see it.”

“Hm,” she nodded her head, “I’m excited to see this.”

They entered the stage as the MC announced, “Art History.” They were in loose tan pants and brown shirts. They stood spread out facing back. The music started and they stayed still. It was a lonely violin, and after an eight-count, another violin accompanied the first, and the dancers turned and the dancing began. It was captivating. The song had such a sad, old-world feeling to it. I could see now why it was called “Art History.” The dancers were practically painting Starry Skies with their movements. I was completely mesmerized. The rest of the audience must have been, too, because we all sat in silence for a moment when the dance ended before we could get our bearings, but suddenly, the dam broke and the whole auditorium erupted into loud cheers. It was going to win. Hands down. No contest. If I were one of the judges, I’d give it a near-perfect score.

“Wow!” I said after the applause died down.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

“That is why group dances are my favorite. I could never have done that with a solo.”

“It was very impressive, honey. That little Asher is amazing.”

“Heck yeah, she is!” I laughed. I was glad my mom approved of my new friend.

“Are we staying for awards? Or….” she let the question hang, waiting for me to finish it.

“I kind of want to see how this one does if that’s okay?”

“Sure, Honey. I’m just along for the ride. Whatever you want to do.” She meant it sincerely and I loved her for it. She’s definitely supportive, that’s for sure.

Part of me just didn’t want to get up. I didn’t want to leave the safety and security of this seat. So far, I’d been left alone here and I didn’t think I was ready for more hate just yet.

Adam scooted next to me and whispered in my ear, quietly enough that my mom couldn’t hear, “I took care of it. She won’t bother you again.” He got up and left quickly and I wanted to cry all over again, but this time with relief.

“What was that all about?” my mom asked. Her eyes were tracking Adam’s hasty exit from the auditorium.

“Nothing, just making sure we’re comfortable.”

She narrowed her eyes at me but thankfully left it alone.

“Will a representative from Central Dance Company please come to the merchandise table immediately? Thank you,” the MC announced to the auditorium before announcing the next dance.

I sank low in my seat. That’s what Adam meant by “taken care of.” I was mortified.

This competition gives out these awards for ridiculously high scores called a Grand Slam. It has nothing to do with anything related to Mark of Excellence, but everyone goes crazy when one is given out. They’re hard to get and only elite dancers can earn them. Predictably, “Art History” got one. I cheered loudly, along with everyone else. It seemed like the entire auditorium agreed that Asher’s group deserved this highest award.

There were only two more Grand Slams given out, but they were senior small groups from different studios, so we already knew that “Art History” won first overall elite, teen large group. This wasn’t the last awards ceremony today, so we wouldn’t know if it was the highest-scoring dance of the day until late tonight, but I was confident that they would probably have earned that honor too.

“Asher’s solo is tonight right?” I asked my mom, but before she could answer, I pulled the program out of her hands to see for myself.

I flipped a couple of pages and found her solo in the middle of the page. It wasn’t until 8:30 tonight and it was only 4:30 now.

“She doesn’t have any other dances today, so what do you say we go find some dinner? Maybe go for a swim then come back for her solo?”

“Let’s do it!” She had me at dinner, but swimming sounded amazing, too.

[Me]: Congrats on the Grand Slam! Definitely deserve it girl. That dance rocked!

[Asher]: Thanks! It’s my absolute favorite!

[Me]: My mom and I are getting dinner. You stuck here ‘til your solo?

[Asher]: Yeah. Studio Rules. No leaving until your last awards ceremony has completed.

[Me]: Want us to bring you back something?

[Asher]: We ordered a ton of pizza if you want some.

[Me]: Thanks! But my mom could probably use the break. We’ll def. come find out when we get back for your solo though!

[Asher]: Awesome! Enjoy your freedom and your food!

[Me]: Enjoy that pizza! Back in a few hours!

My mom and I escaped to a mercifully empty lobby. Everyone was either in the audience or on stage for awards. Adam saw us and waved from his perch behind the merchandise table.

“You off?” he asked, hopping down from his stool.

“Dinner time. We’re escaping while we can,” I told him. “But we’ll be back. Asher’s solo is later tonight and I don’t want to miss it!”

“The MC, Mike, says you’re welcome to cheer her on from backstage if you want.”

“Cool! I’ll think about it, but I kind of liked hiding in the back of the audience.”

He winked at me. “No pressure. You do you.”

“You’re the best, Adam.”

I gave him a high five and we headed out for dinner.