Dancing

• Lauren Metz, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2014

Dancing!

One moment in time when everything stops… The stage is black, you are in complete darkness and then the lights slowly turn. The smell of smoke fills the entire stage. The music starts and you hope all the practice has paid off, but there are no promises. No more time to worry if you know the dance or not. The thought of making one mistake can ruin your chance of winning. A shiver of excitement goes through my body, I nervously can’t stop smiling and my stomach is in a tangle. No more time to be scared I just need do what I love, DANCE!.
“YOU’RE ON!” I hear her shouting at me. “Stop daydreaming Lauren, your troupe is on now!”

I am on the stage, my body froze as the cold air smashed through me like a ghost. The music started, I felt like she wasn't there, she wasn't watching my every move and no one else was on the stage. It was just me, the stage and the music. Unfortunately it all ends too soon; I am back into the real world of criticism. I can hear her voice and all the put downs about our performance. I stop listening, I block her horrible voice out until her cold hearted face stared right through me, as she walked slowly towards me and said “That was a terrible performance,you had no face and you looked like you didn't know what you were doing! you need to do better next week or you will be off the stage .” Her critical voice just knocked me down. Everyone was scared of her and they just did what they were told, but I was different I wasn't scared of her, what is there to be scared of

It was Monday morning, I go to school, I have a wonderful time with my friends and then 4 o’clock comes and off to dance I go.. You might ask why I don’t leave this dance school, I ask myself that same question, but I don’t want to leave because I am worried that I will lose my love for dancing. I dislike my dance teacher Miss Adele,I don’t even know why she calls herself “Miss” When she is old, grey and mean. I will always love to dance and that is something she can never take away from me.She blames her bad childhood on us kids, but when I say “us” its only some, she has her favourites The more you pay the one percent nicer she gets, but there are no promises that she will like you.

I will always remember my love for dancing and what I did to keep it alive.
by Lauren Metz