Pointe

Brisk Nationals, Sydney, Australia

"Next up are two girls on the international dance team at The Cambridge Academy of Dance. Performing to This Song is About You by Olly Murs, here are Vienna Cowell and Madison Collins." The announcer yells into the microphone and the crowd erupts into cheers. The stage darkens and we skip out, striking a pose. My heart is pounding in my chest and the adrenaline is pumping throught my veins. Our blue dresses were flowing around our thighs and the foot-undies were slightly unconfortable.

The music begins and a single spotlight falls on Maddie who begins to twirl, kick and spin. She freezes in the light and mine comes on. I do a pirouette and a split jump, facing the front. I do a few drags to get beside Maddie and when the music reaches it's chorus, we do a side-aerial and the crowd erupts into cheers, congratulating us. We run our hands in our hair, looking pained before doing three split turns in opposite directions. Maddies falls backwards onto the ground and does tricks on the floor while I stay up and do some tricks standing up. At exactly the same moment, we switch positions and I'm now rolling around on the floor. 

I do a shoulder roll so that I'm standing up beside Maddie and we do chainé turns in the same direction. Our hair is flying around everywhere and getting stuck in our blood red lipstick. We have a little section braided back but the rest is down. In my head, I keep on repeating "don't fall, point your toes and don't mess up". The routine was coming naturally, even thought I had only learnt it a week and a half ago.

From the corner of my eye, I see Maddie slip and fall onto the ground. She continues to dance as if it were part of the routine and I just follow her lead. I do a few chassés to backaway from her while she does a walkover to get up and continues the dance where we left off. Finishing the dance with a grapevine and ending laying on the ground on our backs, breathing heavily, the lights dim and we exit the stage. We high-five Ivy and Peyton who are performing right after us. They smile nervously and wait for the announcer to introduce them to the crowd. 

"We were so amazing!" Maddie whisper-yells and we both break out into a fit of giggles until we see Caila approaching us.

"Good job, girls. That was fine but Vienna, you need to work on pointing your toes more and straitening your knees. Maddie, you need to learn to not slip onstage but you both did a fine job at making it look like part of the routine. Also, work on your split jumps; they were sloppy." She tells us and we nod, mentally taking notes. "Good. Now, go get ready for your ballet dances."

We run off to our dressing rooms, giggling and congratulating each other on the amazing performance. I switch from my light blue dress into a dark purple, blue and red tutu with an embroidered top. The embroidery was of light pink flowers and dark green leaves surrounding them. It was definitely one of the most stunning and original tutu's I have ever worn. I change my make-up, doing a black smoky eyes instead of the simple eyeliner and mascara I was wearing for the previous dance. I re-apply the dark red lipstick and exit the dressing room, leaving Maddie to change into her ballet dress. Her's was just a long, white, flowy dress the layered ontop of each other. I got the best costume out of the two of us this week. 

 This was a solo and I was on two dances before her. I had about fifteen minutes before it was my category so I carefully sit on a stool to make sure I don't ruin my tutu and patiently wait for my turn. I watch the other dancers on the screen across the room and point out mistakes and things that were good to myself. About five minutes before I was due to perform, Maddie comes backstage and sits beside me.

"Nervous?" She asks.

"Not really. I just have to remember to point my toes and straighten my knees." I tell her, remembering what Caila had said earlier. 

 "And to not fall. And to not forget your routine."

"Those help too." I roll my eyes and she laughs. A stage-hand comes to pick me up and I gladly follow her, waiting in the wings.