Dance, Even When No One Is Watching

Chapter 4

~Vivianne~

I pulled my leg high over my head, feeling the muscles stretching along the side. I pointed my toe, flexing my foot, pushing it until it was as far as it could go. I let my leg drop, hitting the floor softly, creating no sound. I smiled to myself. I loved the silence of this sport. There wasn’t a need to be loud.

I glanced over at Carter, watching him go through his own warm ups. He moved with confidence, but there was a part of him that portrayed uncertainty, as if he wasn’t familiar with his body. He turned toward me, catching me watching him. He gave me a smirk, raising his eyebrows. I turned away quickly, a blush spreading over my face.

I continued my exercises, focusing just on my body. I tested the muscles in my back, bending as far as I could, arching my arms like the dancers I loved to watch on TV. I came back up slowly, making sure I didn’t strain anything.

I closed my eyes, imagining I was on a stage, millions watching me weave my way through the music. I could feel the pulsing beat rocking my body, the urge to please, but knowing that you were dancing for yourself. I smiled, a relaxed expression taking over my face. I opened my eyes once more and sighed to find another pair of eyes staring back at me. I had almost forgotten he was there.

“So how are we going to start?”

He shrugged. He clearly hadn’t thought this through. I don’t know why I agreed to do this with him. I barely knew him. He claimed he knew the director well, not saying exactly how. I almost declined. But I thought of the way we moved together, and I knew that I would be great if I were dancing with him.

“Alright well do you have any idea what type of dancing there is going to be in this performance?”

He turned towards a mirror, lifting his hand to his hair and brushing it through.

“I haven’t heard a lot. My friend says there is going to be a wide variety, maybe ballet and modern. Probably some hip hop.”

I nodded, my mind already searching through some good songs that would be able to use these forms of dance. I walked over to my speaker, scrolling through my playlists. I hit play, and a soft song with a gentle beat came on. I listened for a minute, picturing the possible choreography that could be put with this song. I moved away from the speakers, my eyes still closed and started to move.

I could feel Carter’s eyes on me as I swayed, watching my every movement, soaking it in. I had never learned any dance moves, I had always just copied what I saw, and moved with what I felt. I leaped into a graceful jump, turning in mid air and landing on the balls of my feet. I heard a tap tap as Carter started to join me, moving with my body, twisting with the music.

We stayed like this for hours. Every now and then, one of us would collide with the other, throwing off each other’s balance. We started to grow familiar with each other’s movements, and anticipate the others’ next move. I corrected Carters movement every now and then, helping him with his grace, and he gave me tips and names for different moves. He was more experienced in the dance world, but I was more graceful. We each helped out the other, obtaining what the other didn’t have.

The last song slowed to an end, making me stop and look around. Sweat had gathered on my body, my hair clinging to my face. Evening shadows laced the floor, warning of the darkness yet to come. Carter was rubbing his arms, sore from the constant movement. We were tired; it was time to go home.

I cooled down quickly, stretching out some aching muscles, making sure I hadn’t hurt anything. I gathered my stuff slowly, tired out. I could hear Carter shuffling around the room, gathering his things and preparing to leave. I picked up my bag and turned towards him.