Brilliance of A Dancer

The Competition Begins

"Hello," Abby greets the family stepped through the building doors.

"Hi, Abby!" Marissa chirps, before following her sisters into the den.

In the den, the sisters quickly changed out of there day clothes into there dancewear.

She chatted with her sisters as they waited for the other girls and their mothers to arrive. Once they had all arrived, Abby calls them into the studio.

"All right girls, it's the first day of the new season," Abby declares. "Ladies, you all know why you're here. You are the cream of the crop in your age group, and I have lots of new ideas in store. I am going to do something that no other studio in the country does. Every single competition we are doing a new routine." she snaps her finger when some of the girls turned to there moms. "Uh-uh-uh-uh, girls, don't look at your mothers. I am the coach; I am the teacher. I can make you, or I can break you."

"I wonder how this is going to go," Marissa thought, as Abby turned the blackboard around to reveal a pyramid. On top of the pyramid is Marissa, on the second row is Maddie, Chloe, and Broke, at the very bottom Paige, Nia, and Mackenzie.

Abby points to Marissa's headshot. "Everybody wants to be on top, of course, but you have to work for it. Everybody wants to be front and center; I hear it all the time. You know what? Whoever is in the front, they can't make a mistake. They are holding that group together. I have Marissa at the top right here because she is dedicated, driven, and responsible, and I can count on her to bring home a win. Usually, whoever is on top will be the centerpiece of the routine. However, for this competition, I'm gonna have Maddie as center just cause she's a lot shorter than Marissa, and formations would look off if you were in the middle instead of her."

Marissa nods in understanding. It was perfectly reasonable.

"Maddie, are you ready to be front and center? Are you ready for that pressure? Your sister handles that pressure all the time, and she excels. Can you be just as amazing as her?"

Maddie nodded, giving Abby a tentative smile. Marissa pats her on the knee, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Our first competition is going to be in Phoenix, Arizona. Ladies, I chose Phoenix, Arizona, because I want you to experience some of the best competition teams in the country. We're gonna do three new numbers. A high energy, really cute, adorable routine with Marissa, Maddie, Chloe, Paige, Brooke, and Nia. A trio with Maddie, Chloe, and Paige. And then finally a new solo for Marissa. Unfortunately, MacKenzie, you're too young to compete at West Coast Dance Explosion, but you're still going to go with us anyway."

Hearing her little sister sigh, Marissa reaches out and takes her hand.

"Girls we are going to win in Phoenix and the next competition we're going to win and the next competition we're going to win, and that's all gearing up for nationals. So let's get to it. We're going to begin the choreography so moms you can be dismissed and girls, let's go to Nationals and bring home the winning trophy? All right."

After the girls warmed up, Abby began teaching the group routine.

For Marissa, the group routine wasn't difficult at all. And while the other girls had trouble keeping up, she picked up the choreography pretty fast.

"Girls, what are you doing? Those legs are about as straight as Elton John. Watch that right elbow!" Abby yells. "Marissa, do that first eight count so that girls can see how it's done."

Nodding Marissa struts onto the stage, pauses hands on her hip, before chaine into a side aerial and bouncing side to side.

"See girls. That's what I'm looking for," Abby tells them. "Let's go from the beginning."