Upon starting to work on the group routine Abby informed us that we are going to be individually portraying one of the members from the original six. I was given Chloe to Portray but obviously Mackenzie, Nia, and Maddie are just going to be themselves because they were apart of the original six to begin with. However Kalani, Kendall, and I are going to be portraying the other members in a couple of ways. For starters the costumes. There was once a photoshoot of all the girls in the original six where they wore different colored leotards and bows. Abby is having us wear whatever the girl who we are portraying was in the photoshoot. Which means I'll be wearing a light blue leotard with a matching bow, because that's what Chloe was wearing. But the funniest thing is that some of us are going to have to wear wigs. I'm portraying Chloe so I'll be rocking a blonde wig. I can't even begin to imagine it. The last part and my favorite part about our costumes is that we get to wear the original sparkle filled short sleeved pink jackets with the girl we are portraying's name on the back. Then at the end of the dance we throw those jackets on the ground, along with my wig, and put on our current jackets from the back of the stage on and we become ourselves once again. Then Maddie and I raise a prop trophy above our heads with everyone else following behind reaching for it. Other things we do to really portray our people is to showcase things such as Maddie and Chloe's rivalry or Brook's flexibility. I can definitely say I'm so far in love with this dance.
"Maddie and Katie, you're rivals be sassy. Maddie, after Katie does those turns I want you to do a leg hold turn." Abby instructs. The routine is really coming together and it just feels great. First place material? I think yes.
"Okay good work for now. You all are dismissed, somebody get Jojo and Brynn in here for their solo and minis you have conditioning in studio C." Abby orders once we run through the dance a few more times. The Minis sigh and go their own way. I'd have to admit the shadowing wasn't that bad today, but I'm sure later when we're all exhausted is when they are going to want our help.
Mackenzie volunteers to go get Jojo and Brynn while the rest of us go collect our waters from the den. "Do you guys like the dance?" I ask wanting to know if it's just me that is absolutely in love with it.
"Like is an understatement, I adore this dance!" Kendall expresses picking up her Pink brand water bottle from off the floor.
"It almost feels like old times again." Nia admits. "Wow, I just went to a really nostalgic place."
"Honestly the entire time we were dancing I was in a nostalgic place." Maddie replies.
"Season one seems so long ago but just like yesterday at the same time." Nia sighs reminiscing in the past. "I still remember preforming at all those little competitions and in gyms."
"Yeah don't even get me started on those gyms." Maddie laughs alluring to the time she slipped on the gym floor and hurt her hip.
The two of them immerse themselves into many of their earlier memories from the Abby Lee Dance Company. It's interesting to compare their stories from how things are now. Just to think, this was only suppose to be a documentary but the Aldc transformed and morphed into this. Their stories only seem to come to a stop when Mackenzie enters the den with Gino behind her.
The room goes silent as if we are prey trying not be heard by our vicious predator. "Hey the party's not suppose to stop when I walk in." Mackenzie says confused by the silence. She gives everyone a confused look and Maddie death glares her. "Oh right." Mackenzie remembers Gino behind her and promptly sits next to me. The camera crew quickly enters the den and starts recording the awkwardness. Gino is just standing in the doorway while everyone sits on the benches.
"Gino, its nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you." Kalani says in a happy voice even though she's actually being harsh. "I'm Kalani by the way."
"Yeah, good to meet you too." Gino replies biting his bottom lip.
"I'm braiding your hair because I don't know what else to do." I whisper to Mackenzie before I start putting her hair into two french braids.
"Gino since Katie and Kalani haven't met you yet why don't you tell a little about yourself." Nia tries to get people talking to stop the awkwardness.
"Okay sounds good." Gino agrees then snags himself one of the stools to sit on. "Well I'm Gino. Im from Miami Florida and I'm fifteen years old, my favorite color is green, what else?"
"Favorite food?" Kalani asks.
"Doritos."
"Least favorite?"
"Brussel sprouts."
"Oh how generic of a terrible food!" Mackenzie shouts moving her arms around as I hold the braid tightly so it doesn't get totally destroyed.
"Oh really? So your saying you've tasted something worse than a Brussels sprout?" Gino argues.
"Jelly Belly Bean Boozled vomit and rotten egg." Mackenzie says arrogantly lifting her head up higher in the air. I once again have to keep a tight grip on the braid so I can keep it intact.
"Oh come on that's not food."
"Gino is it edible? Because the last time I checked those beans weren't made of plastic."
"Yes." Gino rolls his eyes. "They're edible."
"Then it's food." Mackenzie wins the argument.
Gino sighs, "Oh Mackenzie Ziegler. Just as stubborn as I remember."
"I am not stubborn!" Mackenzie wines just proving her stubbornness. Oh this child.
"Shut up Kenz." I laugh as I finish one of the braids.
We talk about random things for a while and Gino really does seem like he feels bad for what happened in the past. I think he just wants to move on though. To my understanding people make mistakes and this one was made a long time ago, it should be forgiven. Everyone has had time to heal and overcome those issues and I think we're all ready just to live and forgive in the present.
"Katie and Gino are you excited for your duet?" Kendall asks.
"Yeah I'm excited. I haven't danced co-ed since that ballet catastrophe. I get to wear heels!" I answer happily.
"I'm excited too, it's always great to dance with new people." Gino explains I nod my head agreeing.
"Katie and Gino you guys are up." Jojo says as she enters with Brynn and immediately heads toward her water bottle. I raise a thumbs up in the air and start heading down the hallway with Gino following.
"Hello!" Abby smiles as we walk in. "Ready to work?"
"Born ready." I reply tightening my pony tail.
"Gino?"
"Yes, I'm ready as well." Gino answers.
***
"Up until after the leap both of them are suppose to be friends. Then they too are suppose to get into a fight because Gino wants to be more than friends." Abby talks things over with Gianna.
"Then they kiss and Katie gets mad right?" Gianna asks.
"Excuse me what?" My eyes widen and I look at Gianna. I do not want to kiss Gino. He seems like a nice guy, but I'm not into him in that way. I barely even know the dude.
"He kisses you and you get mad at him. It's how the storyline of the dance goes." Abby explains. Of course she developed the storyline to go that way.
"I was not told that part." I laugh awkwardly looking at Gino who seems very awkward as well. "He's already kissed Maddie in a dance and you want him to kiss me too?" I ask in disbelief.
"Katie it's just a dance." Abby says as if it's not a big deal.
"It'd be my first kiss." I put my hands to my head embarrassed.
"Katie it's a dance, you'll be fine." Gia comforts. I bite my bottom lip nervously.
"Maddie get in here!" Abby shouts loudly. Shortly after calling her name is called, Maddie comes into the studio and I notice the rest of the girls sitting on the benches with the moms.
"Yes?" Maddie asks coming it.
"Was kissing Gino so bad?"
"I mean I didn't die but I didn't want to do it. Why...?" Maddie answers.
"Because Katie is kissing Gino in this dance." Abby replies flatly.
"Oh." Maddie looks straight at me with a surprised face.
"Okay Maddie you can go back to whatever you were doing. I just needed to show Katie that it wasn't that bad." Abby says and Maddie walk out but not before mouthing good luck to me with two thumbs up. Gino faced the other way when she walked out so he didn't see. Oh boy what have I gotten myself into?
"Okay lets run it through and we can be done for now." Abby announces and all the moms are watching along with both the mini and elite teams. They are all laughing and smiling. This is terrible. Everyone is going to watch my first kiss with someone I don't even want to have it with. Plus it's going to be shown to the world on television.
Abby counts us off then we start dancing. We get to the leaps I roll to the ground then Gino helps me up facing him. I quickly move and do a Front Ariel then a kick. Next I turn and there he is. With a smile on his face he pulls me in and kisses me.
After the kiss I just step back and look at the floor blushing madly. I don't want to run out like Maddie because I'd feel bad. Although I definitely wish I was somewhere else right now. Everyone in the hallway is laughing and Gia and Abby are too. I put my hands over my face completely embarrassed. I feel arms around me and Gino laughs and says it's okay. I hug back laughing into his shoulder. I don't know what else to do but laugh at a time like this.
"Awe they're so cute." I hear Melissa say in the hallways.
When we stop hugging I just look at Abby completely and utterly embarrassed. "Katie you took that surprisingly well." Abby says still cracking up. "I thought you were gonna take it worse than Maddie and run right out the front door." Abby laughs even harder. I sit down on the floor with my knees propped up. I hide my face just wanting to escape this moment.
"Can we be dismissed now?" I ask looking up.
"Yes go on." Abby says still laughing.
"Thank you." I reply. Gino gives me a hand and helps me up then I bolt down the hallway and out the back door. I just need some fresh air to calm myself down. Whoever thought that through dance I'd end up kissing boys and hiding of embarrassment. Definitely not what I thought when I first started at the age of two.
After finally getting my emotions back in check I inhale deeply and exhale. Then I make the decision to go back inside. This is mainly because I know it's lunch time and I'm missing it. I go to the benches and find that we are having mac n' cheese and fruit for lunch. "Hey Katie." Kendall says wiggling her eyebrows as I walk over to my mom.
"Hello Kendall." I reply blank faced.
"Here I fixed your plate." My mom laughs handing me my lunch. "Did you enjoy your duet?" She teases.
I roll my eyes and sit next to Maddie. "Welcome to the I was forced to kiss Gino Club!" Maddie holds her hand out of a high five. I high five her hand lazily and sit down.
"Where is Gino anyways?" I ask looking around.
"He and his dad wanted to go eat out for lunch." Kalani explains. I nod my head really not that interested to find out where. I just want to eat my food and go on with my day like nothing happened. Goodness gracious this day. Could it get any worse?
"Girls it's finally time for the big announcement!" Abby comes out of the office with Gia. I internally grown because this is probably exactly how it could get worse. "Anybody have any guesses regarding the hints given this morning?" Brynn raises her hand just like I used to do at school. "Brynn go ahead."
"It's something new for Katie and I that everyone else has done." Brynn puts her hand down after being called on.
"Correct for the elite team. But any specific guesses Elites?" Abby asks but nobody raises their hands. "Minis any guesses? Your hint was round one for all." The minis all sit quiet just as we had done a second ago. "Nobody knows?" Abby asks even though it's pretty obvious nobody does. Abby takes our her phone and begins recording us. "Katie set the food down you're going to freak out." Abby laughs. I'm the only one still eating so I set it down. I don't know why I would freak out. It must not be a bad announcement at all. Unless it's a bad freak out... "Do you want to tell them?" Abby looks to Gia.
"No thanks, I'm fine you can." Gia replies and I just want to know what the announcement is. It's torture waiting to find out.
Abby checks her phone and makes sure we're all in frame. "The Abby Lee Dance Company is..." Abby takes a long pause just hyping us all up. "Having a round two Australian Tour!" Abby cheers and I flip out. We all start cheering and dancing around. I can't believe this. I get up and hug Abby saying thank you and all the others girls join in. This is going to be awesome.
"Everyone put their hands in!" Jojo cheers. "On a count of three ALDC Australia. One, two, three."
"ALDC Australia!" We all cheer throwing our hands up into the air.
"Clothing schedule, traveling schedule, master class schedule, competition schedule. Everything will be sent out tonight!" Abby explains. I couldn't be more excited for this. A chance to travel across the world dancing is a dream come true. "Elites we leave next Thursday at noon. However my minis will only be joining us the last two weeks of the tour. Just like the Australian tour in 2015 this tour was once again set up and organized by the amazing Rebecca Kelly but you all will also get to meet Ally Morgh who helped set it up and organize it too."
The rest of the day I take classes with a seemingly permanent smile on my face. I've never been out of the country before so this is a big deal to me. It seems so crazy to say that I'm going on tour. Thoughts about the tour were constantly running through my mind all day. They were even they were still in the back of my mind when Abby gave Gino and I another class to work on the duet. We have completely finished choreography and luckily Abby let of mock the kiss rather than do it every single time.
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The ALDC is returning to Australia! What drama could that bring? Gino and Katie had to kiss in their dance just like in Maddie's duet years ago? That's really... odd??
Love you guys! 😘
- xoxo Taylor
Personal Links:
Instagram- @Taylor_Smiles
|This story is updated THURSDAY!(ish)|
•Word Count 2640•