Vivi-Anne at the ALDC

2. The Audition

Abby enters the room, with the production crew close behind. "Hi, Cathy. Hi, Vivi. We want to see what you can do, okay?"

The producer raises his hand. "Abby, I know you and Cathy have met at past competitions and dance conventions, but we need you two to pretend you've never met. You have to introduce yourselves."

Abby turns to us. "Hi, my name is Abby Lee Miller and I am the owner and principal teacher at the ALDC. Nice to meet you."

My mom smiles at her. "Hi, I'm Cathy. I'm actually a dance teacher at Candy Apples Dance Center in Ohio. This is my daughter, Vivi-Anne."

Abby laughs. "You're a dance teacher? Why not teach her yourself?"

Cathy shrugs. "When you're the mother, it's hard to correct your daughter and enforce rules, you know?"

Abby nods. "Okay. Vivi. Have you stretched yet?"

"Yes, ma'am." I respond.

"We're going to see what tricks you can do." Abby says.

We go off with basic skills- bridge, splits, pike jump, cartwheel.  Abby starts asking me to do harder skills, which I haven't tried before. However, I've seen my mom teaching them in the studio, so I give them a whirl. Roundoff? Doable. Chin stand? I can hold it for five seconds. But she starts mentioning things I've never heard before, and I have to admit it.

In the corner of my eye, I see a group of moms in the viewing section of the studio peering down at me. They're talking, pointing, and laughing. I'm starting to get a bit nervous. Am I not doing enough to be on the team?

My mom interrupts. "Abby, would it be okay to have Vivi show you part of a duet she learned?"

Abby nods. "Go for it, Vivi."

My mom starts the music, and I start dancing. Honestly, I've never really had a passion for dance. My mom's choreography looks stupid. I've seen other dancers at competition with better choreography, and I wish I could do choreo like that.

The moms in the viewing platform start full- on guffawing at me. I'm embarassed. Evidently, Abby's a better teacher than my mom. Even though I'm not crazy about dance, I hope she'll let me on the team. My mom will be devastated if I don't become a dancer. It's in her family history. All the way since her great- grandmother, the women in our family were dancers.

When the music ends, the producers interrupt again. "Abby, tell them that you're going to accept them on the team. "

Abby nods. "Alright, Vivi- Anne, you can be on the team. We just have to get your mom to sign some papers."

Mom nods, clapping her hands. "Abby, can Vivi compete this week?"

Abby smirks. "Sorry, Cathy, but I want to make sure her training is down pat before we get her onstage. I need her to be at the same level as my other girls."

We go to the front desk and my mom signs the forms and pays the tuition. The producers lead me to the dressing room, where the rest of the team is supposed to be. I instantly realize that they're all older than me. They don't seem to realize I'm on the team yet. They just think I'm another recreational dancer. I take the opportunity to eavesdrop a little on their conversation.

There are two skinny blonde girls sitting beside each other. One is braiding the other's hair. There's a girl that looks older, who's showing them some crazy chin- stand trick she can do. Another girl with dark hair and dark skin is trying to copy her, as well as a girl that looks around my age with thick brown hair. There's one last girl, who is lying on her stomach and taking a video of all the girls trying to do a crazy chin- stand. They're laughing.

Author's note: If you couldn't tell, I mention them in this order: Paige and Chloe, Brooke, Nia, Mackenzie, Maddie. Story continues:

The video girl stops the video and puts the camera down. "Chloe, Paige, look at this!" The two blonde girls come to look at the video camera. The other girls come join her. The littlest one stands on the bench to look over her shoulder.

Abby walks into the room. "Girls, we're going to practice the group now. Vivi, you have a private with Gianna in studio C."

The video girl stuffs the camera in her bag, and they walk out the door, their giggles fading. Abby is evidently intimidating to them- they can't even laugh around her.

I meet another woman in Studio C, whose name is supposed to be Gianna. She tells me she is one of the main competition choreographers and teachers, alongside Abby and another woman called Jennine. She works on a couple skills with me- the chin stand, some other tricks with an acro mat, and works on my leg holds. With her teaching, I'm learning much faster than I was with my mom. It's not hard to do the tricks once I try them a couple times with Gianna's help. She seems impressed with what I'm doing.

"Good job, Vivi." she says once the private is over. "You really showed improvement today. You'll make a good addition to the team." She gives me a high- five. "When the other girls are done rehearsing, I'll come get you and we'll show Abby what you can do."

I go back to the dressing room. One of the girls is there. It's the youngest one- the one I thought was around my age.

"Hi." she says, smiling at me. "I'm Mackenzie. Are you Vivi?"

I nod. "Yep, I'm joining your dance team." I go and sit beside her. She's playing Angry Birds on her tablet. "Why aren't you in the group dance?" I ask her.

She smiles. "I'm too young. I'm the youngest on the team. Wait... how old are you?"

"Six."

"I'm six too! So I won't be the only little one here. The girls already learned this dance for a competition two weeks ago. Abby doesn't want to add me in because there are only two and a half days that the girls can practice with the filming schedule. She doesn't think I can learn it fast enough."

The girls come back in to see me with Kenzie. "Hi Kenz, who's this?" one of the blonde girls asks. "I'm Vivi- Anne. I'm going to join your competition team." I tell them.

"Hi Vivi! My name is Paige." she says excitedly. "That's Nia over there, and that's my sister Brooke, and this is Chloe, and Maddie here is Kenzie's sister." The girls smile at me. Nia comes and sits beside Kenzie. "Hi Vivi, it's nice to meet you. How long have you been dancing for?" Chloe, Maddie, Brooke, and Paige gather around, interested in the new girl.

Gianna pops in. "Hey Vivi? Can I get you out here?"

Right. After the group rehearsal I was supposed to show Abby the new tricks I learned. I come into Studio A. Abby and Gianna are sitting on a stage block. "Vivi, show her your handspring." Gianna tells me. I'm on it. Abby looks surprised. "Good job, Vivi- you've really improved. What else can you do?"

I show her everything else Gianna taught me. Abby's seriously impressed.  "Wow, Vivi. I didn't think you could do this. I think I want you to dance this week."

She turns to Gianna. "Can we get her a duet with Mackenzie?"

Gianna nods. "I'll arrange the competition. Work on the solos and I'll get the duet in."

I run up to my mom in the viewing gallery. All the moms are there- the ones that were laughing at me.

"Hi, Vivi!" they say, introducing themselves.

"Mom, I'm going to do a duet with Kenzie!" I tell her excitedly. She nods. "Good for you, Vivi."

I go back to the dressing room. The girls aren't there. They're at an acro class, and Maddie is working on her solo with Abby.

"Vivi, we're going to get Mackenzie in Studio C and you can learn the duet." Gianna says.

Back to Studio C. The producers are following me.

I'm about to open the door when there's a tap on my shoulder.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys, thanks for reading! This is my first story ever, so because of that I'm not really familiar with Wattpad. Tell me- are my chapters too long? Too short? What other characters do you want to see?