"Hello girls come in, you're just in time." Coach Perfuma called across the room as Adora and Catra scurried in, hands holding a brown paper bag each containing leftover fries. Replacing the spot their bags took during ballet, they flung theirs in a similar space near the wall and swiftly took off their sneakers, going to join the others that had already accumulated around the teacher and were stretching in preparation for the class.
Coach Perfuma remained silent until the two girls joined their loose circle, patiently waiting for them before starting the class. "You must be Catra." Perfuma said as the two came closer to her. Catra nodded in response with a meek smile, moving closer to Adora as if she was going to protect her. Adora didn't know why Catra seemed so shy suddenly as she met no trouble when trying to engage in conversation with her, but she just let the assumption settle that it may just be introversion towards teachers. Adora took a place next to Scorpia with Catra on her left, Perfuma welcomed the newcomer before proceeding with today's aim, only having an hour for this class to work with.
"Today I thought we would start with some improvisation!" She cheerfully announced, "As you may have heard from Ms Weaver and Ms Angella, the production this year will be combining ballet and contemporary, so I'll be keeping a eye out over the next few weeks before I suggest who should get one of the two main roles."
Initially the class groaned under hearing the term improvisation. It was more stressful than freeing and if you didn't have creativity and flow with your movements, it would be increasingly hard to look graceful or skilled. But upon hearing the mention of the Swan Lake production, they all snapped back to their seriousness with ambition sparking in their eyes. Coach Perfuma then began to describe the rest of the hour's layout after around 15 minutes of some contemporary improv but Adora began to tune out as Catra nudged her with a question.
"What's the production?" She whispered.
Adora realised Catra wasn't there when they announced the dance performance for this year and tried to sum it up in a few words so she wouldn't look like she wasn't paying attention but also to help her friend.
"We're performing Swan Lake at the end of the year, and the Odile and Odette solos can be either ballet or contemporary depending on the chosen people's strengths."
"Aren't the swans performed by the same person?" Catra asked, Adora was impressed with her knowledge of ballet despite it being surface level.
"They're opening the two roles up to everyone so we have more opportunity for success when we graduate," Adora replied, once again reminding herself of how Catra is her competition. Trying to depressurise the rising thoughts of how she is against Catra, not working with her, she mumbled jokingly, "Now pay attention Kitty," to Catra, letting them resume their active listening to their teacher.
"For the improv, what we're going to do is stand in a circle and two people will come together to dance at a time. You're going to want to try and work together with your movements, forsee the other steps and make them work with yours. In Swan Lake a large part is the partner work and if there is no chemistry it won't look as good to the audience. So everyone get into a circle and I'll play a song, telling who and who to step forward first."
With low mumbling between the classmates, half of them seeing it as a way to beat their competition, they gathered in a small circle made up of the seven, Adora next to Catra and Lonnie on her other side. As the Coach scrolled through her playlist and made sure her phone was connected to the speakers, Catra shuffled a little closer and whispered to her, preventing the others from hearing. "I'm not good at improv."
Regrettably, Adora felt a hope bloom inside her, a sinful gladness that Catra had a weakness, she knew she was now her friend, her only friend here so far, but she couldn't help but feel the same competitiveness as the others, having an advantage to showing her skills. Once again shoving this down, she thought how to reply, creating a illusion to hide any detrimental tone. "You've got this, and if we have to dance together, follow my lead, okay?"
YOU ARE READING
The Red Swan // Catradora
Fanfiction(CONTENT WARNING! NSFW)Catradora Dance School AU. It's Adora's third year at Brightmoon School of Arts where she is in the advanced level dance classes. With levels of difficulty spread across their graduating year group, she's sure to get the Black...
