How Can I Keep Dancing? [ON HOLD]

How Can I Keep Dancing? ~~~ Chapter 7 ~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CHAPTER SEVEN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Returning to ballet practice again on Wednesday came with a sudden swirl of nervousness. Though Elijah had done a great job of distracting me from my last thoughts of James Meade, the moment I see him that morning, the memories of Monday afternoon swim back to me. The way his eyes swept over me, how his knee lingered against mine – it was far from anything a proper gentleman would bestow upon me, especially with my being a minor. It was almost scandalous. No, I tell myself, I am just over thinking it. I am a ballerina and must get used to being touched, should get used to having my personal barrier invaded. It was an argument I’d been having with myself for hours.

As Will and I continue our practice together, going over and over our sequence, occasionally practicing with Gilbert also, who was to play Von Rothbart, the villain of our story; James Meade circles us again. But this time, it feels less like the casual process of a teacher to me. I feel his eyes staring at me, though I try and brush it off as though it is only paranoia, each time I catch his eye, he is quick to look away again. At the end of the practice, as I am leaving the building, I walk past James, trying to ignore him, but instead he tells me, “Good work today, Miss Rhodes. I can see you took to heart our conversation the other day.”

I nod in return, blushing slightly and trying to avoid his stare.

Afterwards, I take the time to visit Miss Dawn at the hospital. Cancer had certainly taken its toll on her, even in her young state; you could see the aging against her sallow face. Her room already filled with roses, I try and hide my discretion when placing mine among the rest of them.

“You did not need to visit me, Charlotte,” she tells me, “though I appreciate the gesture greatly.”

“It is no trouble really.” I say, sitting down in the seat beside her. “We are all missing you at practice. It’s not the same without you.”

“Am I to be reassured that Mr. Meade is doing his job correctly?”

“Oh, yes!” I say quickly. “Though, he’s not the same as you.”

“I can understand the change would be confronting, seeing as I’ve trained you from such a young age. But I am sure that Mr. Meade will grow on you. He is a great instructor. I chose him specifically because of this.”

I look down, attempting to hide the blush in my cheeks. “Yes…he is quite a…skilled director. But has he been known for going…too far?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, he has been showing me much more attention than anyone else.”

“Why, of course, my dear! You are the Swan Queen! You are supposed to represent everything that we have worked for. If your dancing becomes a flaw, the whole production will fall to ash.”

I open my mouth, and then close it again. Of course she was right. I was over thinking his actions. “Of course. How silly of me! I guess I was being overly paranoid.”

Miss Dawn smiles at me. “Well, now that we’ve got that sorted, I want you to tell me everything that has happened. What do the costumes look like so far?”

***

The night had come for Philadelphia Opera Company to perform. La Bohème is a frequently presented opera, and altogether well-known. Beautifully set in the mid nineteenth century in a Parisian winter, it tells the intense story of four young bohemians. It is filled with romance, with love both found and lost in amongst tragedy. However, no matter how much the opera can be for entertaining, it is quite commonly known that the Opera is hardly a place for amusement – rather a place for gossiping aristocrats and the chance to flaunt ones new market of fashion.