A new home

A new start part 1

I walked with Alisa to the ballet school. Every step I walked took me closer to something uncertain. Something exciting,scary,and wonderful all wrapped in one.

I hated leaving Natya behind but I trusted Mrs. Collin and kept telling myself I would be home by 4. It was horribly cold and I couldn't wait for the walk to be over with.

I had no idea what to expect. I knew not to expect it to be like Madame Markova's school but I didn't know what to expect it to be like.

How many students would there be? Would there be preformances? What were the age ranges of the girls? Would the other girls accept Alisa? Would they respect me as a teacher? Would the owner of the school like me?

Questions rolled in faster then a tornado and I couldn't stop them. Closer and closer I got the address until....I was there.

It was a medium sized brick building with a small sign outside reading 'Miss Gremmer's classical ballet school.'

"Shouldn't we go inside now?" Alisa looked at me uncertianly.

"Yes...we should." Gripping my small bag tightly and gathering all my courage I walked up to the door.

As soon as I walked in I heard beautiful music slightly over shadowed by young girls chatter. Ah the familiar sounds of ballet.

No one was in the main entrance but it sounded as if the studio room across the hall was where everyone was.

I slowly opened the door and saw maybe 20 or 30 girls all in straight lines dancing to the music on that a elderly lady played on the piano.  The room seemed to be split into three.

Young girls,middle girls,and the older girls. They all wore matching black leotards and buns.

The music suddenly stopped and I felt all eyes on me.

"Can I help you?" The teacher who had be directing the class came up to me. She was a petie girl with jet black hair and shining gray eyes. She couldn't have been more then 5'4 and her hair was done up in a tight bun and a pleasant smile graced her face.

"Yes I am Annika Antonova? My husband Andrey came in the other day? I am to teach and my sister is to start classes? I was looking for the owner of school but no one was at the front desk." I looked around the room for someone about Madame's age.

"That would be me! Jenna Gremmer. If you wouldn't mind following me Mrs. Antonova I can explain to you our situation. You can leave your sister here. Maria please introduce this girl to the class and teach while I speak with Mrs. Antonova."

A red headed girl no more then 15 came to the front of the class and took Alisa's hand while Jenna Gremmer closed the door.

"Right this way Mrs. Antonova you can leave your bag on that bench there." I followed her to a rather dark but yet a rather happy looking office.

Old pairs of pointe shoes filled the walls and old ballet programs were put up. A oak desk was on the back wall and there were two chairs one in back of the desk one in front and that's all there was inside this little one windowed room.

"Please take a seat. Your husband spoke highly of you and your training. He said you training with Madame Markova in St. Petersburg?"

"Yes since I was brought to the school at 7. I trained with my sister and stayed there until I recently moved here with my husband." I twisted my fingers nervously hoping I was making a good impression.

"Ah and have you ever taught before?"

"Yes I did. I started teaching younger girls when I was 14 and then I trained older girls once I was 16. I trained the current Prima who is with the school now."

"I see. Well I have no problem allowing you to teach in fact I desperately need another teacher. I've been teaching all the girls on my own and it just isn't working. I do hope you like it here Mrs. Antonova. You can call me just Jemma and the lady at the piano is Mrs. Fredrick. she is here almost every lesson. Until we can find another piano player I am sad to say you will not have one in your classroom. "

"Oh that's no problem at all and you may call me Annika to be honest being called Mrs. makes me feel...old!" We both left and she showed me to my classroom...my very own classroom!

It was amazing. Smaller then I was used to but still amazing. The floor gleamed and there wasn't a speck of dust in the entire room.

Before I knew it 7 girls about 11 or 12 all in black leotards and tiny pink slip skirts came fileling in and stood in a line against the barre.

"Well hello class. My name is Annika and it looks like I am your new ballet teacher. I hope I don't dissipoint you and that we can all have fun while still being the best dancers in all of New York! Now why don't I learn a little about all of you? What are your names and one thing you love to do other then dancing." I got a few smiles that made me hopeful I wouldn't be a complete failure.

The first girl in the row took a step forward. She had beatiful brown hair and matching eyes and a look in her eyes that said she often got into trouble. I knew the sparkle Alisa had the same look.

"My name is Hannah and I love to climb trees as much as I love to dance!" She took a step back and several of the girls let out small laughs.

"Hannah! What would mother say?" A girl that looked exactly like Hannah but with calm grey eyes stepped forward.

"My name is Brooke and I'm Hannah's twin sister. I love to sew in Mama's sewing room." She took a timid step back.

Then a girl with the blackest hair I had ever seen and the most vibrant green eyes took a bold step forward.

"My name is Katie and I love to ride horses when Mother and Father take me to the country." She looked at the girl next to her and gave her a small shove forward.

"Oh! I am Jane and I um like to uh read." She stumbled back.

"Hello! My name is Sidney and I love the ocean. I know it's not really a hobby or talent but it's the only thing I love more then dancing!" She tugged at a bright red curl as she spoke.

"I'm May and this is my twin sister June and we both like to....well..just dance really. June would tell you her name but she can't speak. Or hear." May signed as she spoke and June signed back.

"She said she thinks you are going to be a very fine teacher."

I took a deep breath. Okay so two sets of twins. One of them deaf and the other set one of them a troublemaker. A clumsy girl,a timid girl,a reader and a girl who looked like she had been born in the ocean with the her wild hair and deep blue eyes.

"Alright then girls! Let's start! May be a good girl now and sign to June what I say won't you?"

"Oh I won't need to Miss! If you look at her while speaking she can read your lips and she will just copy my movements.

My first day had gone wonderfully and I couldn't wait to go home and tell Andrey. As I looked at my group of girls and how hard they worked I was determined to make them all beautiful dancers. This was the first step in what would be a very long journey.

Hey everyone! I just want to say a quick thank you to those who have stayed with the Russian Revolution series this far! Since A new start is such a long chapter I decided to break it into Part 1 and Part 2. I hope you enjoy the chapters :)

Giselle