Someone Fresh, HONEYDEW

7. Assessment Week

Y/n's pov

The rest of the week was a blur. I spent long hours in the dance studio, going over performances, and doing dress rehearsals. Eben and I texted quite a bit, but we didn't see each other because I was so busy.

It was nice to meet someone I got along with so well, but also know that they aren't ready for or interested in a romantic relationship either.

When I wasn't dancing, I was editing YouTube, or tutoring. I was tutoring 3 kids, all different ages, and I had an extra session with one of my girls to help her prepare for an exam she had the next week. I made her do a practice exam, while I edited, and then we went through it together to look for any mistakes. I'm proud to say that there were very few.

Saturday I had a full day of dress rehearsals, and I got my 5-day assessment schedule. They had organised the days by dance type, starting the days off with Group numbers, then duets, then finishing with solos.

My schedule looked as follows:

Monday: Tap group number (song: Thunder, Imagine Dragons) at 9 am.

Tuesday: Ballet group number (song: The Waltz of the flowers, The Nutcracker) at 10.30 am. Ballet duet (song: Sleeping Beauty, Marius Petipa) at 2 pm.

Wednesday: Hip-hop group number (song: My Shot, Hamilton) at 9.40 am.

Thursday: Freestyle solo (song: BOY, Charlie Puth) at 8.15 pm

Friday: Contemporary duet (song: Die Alone, Finneas) at 4.20 pm. Contemporary solo (song: Burn, Hamilton) 7 pm.

Monday morning I rolled out of bed at 6am, like usual, and dragged myself to the bathroom, my eyes still half shut. The first thing I focused on was my camera, which I'd set up the night before to remind myself to vlog the week. I washed my face, drunk a glass of water, and then turned my camera on to record.

"Good morning," I smiled. "It's 6 am, and I just got up. Day one of assessments! Yay." Yawn. "I'm vlogging my whole week, so you can see what it's like... yeah, so enjoy!"

I filmed my morning stretches and breakfast as a timelapse for the vlog.

I left 7.30, and headed to the venue where the assessments were taking place.

Most of us arrived around the same time, and met at our allocated changeroom to do hair and makeup, and get costumes on. Half of us were wearing black pants with black suspenders over a multicoloured shirt, with a black bowtie and a black tophat with a rainbow ribbon, and the other half were wearing the inverse of that. I was in the first group.

By quarter to nine we were in the stage wings, watching the two groups before us, and feeling pretty nervous. Once I was out on the stage, and the music had started, all my nerves left, and I had lots of fun.

I spent the rest of the day watching other dancers, and recording dances for some of my friends.

Tuesday began much the same. My ballet group dance was a little later, but we also needed more time to get ready. Then I had my duet in the afternoon. My dance partner was a guy called Troy. He's also my partner for the contemporary duet, and probably one of my favourite partners I've ever had, and his girlfriend always jokes that he hugs me more than he does her. Anise is a sweetheart, and the perfect girl for Troy. They are complete opposites when it comes to size (he's tall and broad, and she's petite), and it's the cutest thing ever whenever they greet each other, because he scoops her up effortlessly and swings her around in a hug.

"Good luck, have fun," Anise smiled, hugging Troy one last time before we went on stage.

I love duets so much, especially when I feel as in sync with my partner as I do with Troy. He lifts me so gracefully, and he's the partner who has least dropped me out of all the ones I've had (yeah, it happens...).

Wednesday bought a polar opposite dance style: hip-hop. I especially love the song (it's from Hamilton... of course I like it!), and we actually incorporated a part of the Broadway choreography into the dance.

I loved all my dances, but my favourite three had to be my freestyle solo, and the two contemporary dances. Eben had asked me which dances I liked best so he could come and watch, but he'd decided that the freestyle was too early in the morning.

"I'll watch the video. I am not getting up that early. I come and see both your dances on Friday," He promised.

I picked him up at quarter to 4, and he chilled in a corner while I got ready, and Anise helped me with my hair and makeup.

"Is there anything between you two?" She asked, glancing over at Eben.

"Friendship?" I raised an eyebrow, then shook my head. "There's nothing between us. You know I'm not ready, and he's recently had a big break up, so neither is he."

I had a lot of fun dancing. The song we'd chosen — Die Alone by Finneas — is so beautifully depressing, and I found it easy to channel emotion into my dancing. I came off stage feeling so elated and satisfied.

Anise suggested that the four of us get dinner together, before coming back for both my solo and Troy's (which was a few before mine). 

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Disclaimer: I have never been to dance school and made all this up, so if it's not accurate I don't care :)