Lauren's Dance Life

• Medina Oreb, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2015

28th September 1990
At my concert, my mother fell terribly ill, I was heartbroken. Her last words were: Lauren make me proud and become the best ballet dancer the world will ever see… And that’s when I decided to make her proud. That day I made myself a promise to attend the National Ballet Academy.
I was nervous when I entered the prestigious school, all the dancers were smartly dressed and walking around in a sophisticated manner.
I started in grade 3. In the academy there were 4 studios studio, a, b, c and d. I was in studio c, it was huge, it had 3 huge mirrors on walls, 2 portable barres and one hung on the wall. My teacher was really nice but when it came to incorrect positioning.
My teacher said that I was a born professional so she moved me up to grade 5. I was super excited, I was speechless, I didn’t know what to say, I was too shocked!
Grade 5 was challenging, the teacher was so strict on every little mistake I would make. I sprained my ankle many times, it hurt heaps, but I managed to get through it.
Today my teacher gave me a pair of red pointy shoes. I had the same feeling when my old teacher moved me up, speechless. I put them on straight away. I tried to go on point. I had no balance at all so I fell.
My teacher said to me that there was a lot of work to be done! I suggested half an hour every day. She agreed and it went on till…
I was seventeen and my teacher entered me into a very important competition, which whoever won, would become a professional dancer. It was my turn and the crowd went wild when I started, I was dancing like an angel. When the winner was announced, I heard my name being called, I was ecstatic. I started jumping up and down. I received my trophy and they said to me, “You are a professional.”