The Perfect First Step

The Perfect First Step - Chapter Three

“On pointe, Isadora. Pointe. The side wing of your foot should be facing the opposite direction when in second arabesque. Again, if you will.” Esme stated with a flourish of her hand.

I wiped away the beads of sweat on my forehead that had plastered loose pieces of light chestnut hair to my face. I took a deep breath before making my way to the center of the room and began in fourth position. She started the music, a soft, instrumental song and after focusing myself, I began.

Esme mouthed the moves as I flew threw them, nodding to herself. “Glissade pas de chat into a tour jete. Prepped triple fouette rond de jamb en tournant into a quadruple pirouette. Echappe and into an arabesque penche.”

Instead of doing an arabesque penche, however, I wound up doing an arabesque croisee. After realizing my mistake, my face hardened and I set back up in fourth position in the center of the rehearsal studio, ready to start over. I would do this until it was perfect, no matter what it took.

I waited for Esme to critique me, but instead, she never did. Instead, she clapped. I turned to her, arching a single eyebrow as she paced the length of the room and turned off the music, yet didn’t bother to begin it again.

“Esme –” I began to say, but she cut me off sharply.

“Isadora, that was beautiful.” She began softly. “You’re an amazing dancer but you’re overworking yourself. It’s only six in the morning and you’ve already been here for two hours. Last night, I practically had to force you out when it was time for me to close. Isadora, you’re the best ballet dancer enrolled in the studio, don’t forget that. You need rest. The only reason you did the incorrect arabesque was because you need to relax.” She smiled at me sympathetically. “Get to school, Isa. You’re going to be late and while you’re at it, make sure you get some sleep tonight.”

I protested with her, but she wouldn’t stand for it, threatening to get Tim. I sighed in defeat, slinging my discarded dance bag, which had been lying in a corner, over my shoulder and leaving the room. I made my way up the flight of steps that led to the locker room.

I slipped out the pins in my hair, letting it cascade down my back in soft waves. I stared at my reflection intently in the mirror. My clear, blue eyes were rimmed with red and dark circles were visible under my eyes, a remnant of the little sleep I had last night. Sweat had plastered loose strands of hair to my face and I brushed them to the side.

Riviera Dance Company had showers installed a couple years previous. They were hardly used by the younger girls, but I didn’t mind. I hastily showered, because I was sure my body odor was probably astounding by that point.

Because Nina didn’t have a car, Nicoletta and I typically carpooled per week. This week was my week, so it was up to me to bring the both of them to school today. Realizing that I was pressed for time, I put my hair up in a topknot and fished around in my bag for clothes to wear to school. I was rushed this morning to get to the studio before four in the morning, so I threw into my bag whatever I could see. I pulled on the tiered lace top I snatched from my closet this morning and even though it was only early September, it was slightly breezy, so I opted to wear a fitted cardigan over it, for safe measure. I wanted to be able to stop by my house before getting to school, but came to the conclusion that I probably wouldn’t be able to make it if I didn’t move quickly.

Sighing, I pulled on a navy blue skirt and smoothed out the wrinkles. I was a perfectionist, I knew that much. I couldn’t help but push to be my best; it was the way I was brought up.

I snatched my flats out of my locker and slipped them onto my feet, pulling my school bag over one shoulder and dance bag over the other as I fled from the locker room and down the flights of step, until I came to the main room on the first floor, where Esme and Tim were sitting at the front desk, looking immersed in a catalogue, occasionally pointing at something that caught their interest.