Dance Only For Me...

Prologue: Little Red Shoes

Prologue: Little Red Shoes

My life began when I was born on February 12, 1993, the same day as my mother’s favorite dancer Anna Pavlova, for that reason I was named Anna as well.

Anna Ryatt, that was me, or at least my name, I still had to find out who I actually was. My mother however wasn’t about to let my figure that out on my own. She had fallen in love with ballet when she was 10 years old, only to find out it was to late to start training to be a professional, in the end she became a failed ballerina and opened up a ballet studio where she tried to teach others, when that failed she had become depressed. When she heard she was expecting a little girl, she finally came out of her depression. Her daughter could live her dream for her and when she was born on February 12th, a holy date in the ballet world she had been certain it was meant to be.

Her gift for me were red ballet shoes, I had always loved those, they became my treat, something people knew me by. I was the girl with the chocolate brown, curly hair, green eyes and red outfit with the striking red shoes.

I grew up in a different way than most other girls, I was homeschooled to save time and I started training to become a ballerina as soon as I was able to stand. My childhood was hard, I can’t remember ever having played outside or having had a picnick at the park with my parents. My life was filled with study, studying for school in the morning and ballet the rest of the day.

My teachers always told me I was talented and beautiful and I felt my head blow up with their compliments though I always remembered I had never chosen this life. This life was not mine but my mothers, just the way she wanted.

Therefore, I always hated ballet deep in my heart, and I hated my mother. When I was 16 I had already finished high school and was constantly working on my ballet training.

I had grown up, and with me my signature look had grown as well, I was still the brown haired, green eyed girl with the red shoes.

It was around that time, around my 16th birthday that my world shattered.

“You lack emotion.” Said my new teacher. Everyone had always told me my feeling for the steps and beauty were my strong points, but my dance was technical, I didn’t dance with emotion and it showed. It was that moment, when I felt the aching pain in my heart that I realized I had actually started to love ballet, it had become a part of me over the years, who was I without my dance? I never even looked at college or something alike, would I end up as my mother? A failed dancer who’s only purpose in life is to create an heir to make my own dreams come true?

No. I wouldn’t let that happen.

Instead I stepped out of the shadows and into the world, away from my parents protection. I would become a Prima ballerina, no doubt about it.

I had set my sights high, I only wanted to be the best of the best and dance with the best of the best. So I chose to go to the Royal Ballet School in England, I wasn’t allowed for I lacked the emotion but after I did some digging I found out who the owner of the school was. A young 32 year old man, Geoffrey Klarentine, he was my goal. This unmarried man would guarantee my future. I spent the next few weeks, gaining information on him and figuring out his habits. And then the day came that my plan would take into action.

It was Friday afternoon, I had just turned 17 meaning he was 15 years older than I was, every Friday he went to star bucks to get a black coffee in which he poured his own amount of sugar. He wasn’t all that bad looking, his hair was of a dark blonde color and his eyes were really dark blue, he also had a dancers built which meant he was muscled and lean. His jaw line was firm, giving him a slightly tensed look. I went in stood next to him and smiled while I brushed my hair behind my ear with a shy smile as soon as he looked. He looked at me, startled, for a moment before ordering his coffee, and at the moment he did, I ordered the same in the other line. He looked at me and I blushed slightly, something that came surprisingly naturally.