Dancing Through Life
Pairing: Rizzles
Rating: T
A/N: So I wrote this awhile back and decided to share now, 'cause I miss Jane and Maura like hell. I hope you like it! English is not my first language and this is unbetaed, so if you're looking for perfect grammar, this is not your place to be. Please be nice to me :)
Enjoy the reading!
Chapter One
This was it. The moment she's been waiting and preparing herself for as long as she could remember. It was the most important dance of her life, 4 minutes to show everyone what she was capable of. Her heart was beating fast against her chest, but on the outside she wore a calm smile. It was years of training that got her to where she was right now. Years of pain, practice, blisters, rehearsals, trips, championships, auditions and study, but each and every moment justified by this one. Perfection was expected and perfection she was willing to achieve.
The ballerina checked herself again in the mirror of the dressing room. Her honey blond curls were arranged in a flawless bun, her face showed elegance and beauty with a soft makeup and thin black lines around her hazel eyes. She wore a delicate black leotard full of small shiny details and decided not to wear skirt or tights, leaving the length of her perfectly toned legs at sight. The ballerina had already warmed up her muscles, but kept her feet moving up and down the pink pointe shoes. The movement so natural to her, as if she was born doing it. Someone called her name. This is it, she thought looking at her reflection in the mirror. Time to let them speechless. You're ready.
With that, she left the dressing room, tambourine in her hands, and made her way to the familiar large 3-wall-mirrored dance room. The ballet directors and choreographers were sitting behind a long desk. She knew all of them for a long time now. Since she joined the Company 5 years ago they had been her teachers, her mentors, but somehow today she had to show something new. She had to convince them that she deserved to be made the prima ballerina. In the corner of the room, about twenty ballerinas were sat on the ground quietly. They were new to the Company, had just been selected to join them. The blond remembered when it was her sitting on that corner watching the prima ballerina auditions and dreaming that one day she'd get the chance. She smiled confidently as she took elegant steps towards the middle of the room.
"Always a pleasure to see you Miss Isles", said the director known as Mr. Perrot. "With which piece of art are you enchanting us today? I see you brought your own tambourine."
"Good evening gentlemen", she said with a warm smile "Ladies", referring to the one woman at the table and the new ballerinas. "I'll be dancing a variation of the solo act from La Esmeralda."
"Interesting choice, Isles…" said the woman at the table, the choreographer Priscilla Osipova, as she took a note.
And Maura knew it was. Because she was used to dance the choreographies that were so technically difficult that no one could do it as perfectly as she did. She was used to routines that demanded technique over emotion, softness and control over heart. But La Esmeralda was pure instinct, fierce and independence. The main character of the story, the gypsy Esmeralda, fell in love with two men at the same time, claiming that her love was like a feather to the wind. She was not exactly the naïve, sweet, delicate peasant characters Maura was used to play. But the ballerina knew she made the right choice, so she answered Priscilla with a silent smile.
"Shall we start then?" said Mr. Perrot, "Music please."
As the first notes invaded the room, Maura started to dance. Her feet moved perfectly coordinated with her legs and arms. She clapped the tambourine against the palm of her hands and her elbows following the high notes of the song. Her face carrying a seductive smile, hypnotizing every single person that watched. As if it was the easiest thing in the world, Maura held the tambourine up with her arm fully extended and made her leg take her foot to clap right in the middle of it, repeating the movement in the rhythm of the song.
She seemed to fly across the room with lightness and grace, but her face and the perfection of her moves showed attitude and sassiness. As the song grew faster, Maura started to flip around herself with perfectly balanced fouettés. She felt so comfortable doing it, she even played with the tambourine in her hands while flipping. The routine was coming to its end, the ballerina showed no signs of fatigue. And as the notes faded, she posed on the ground ending the choreography.
The twenty ballerinas couldn't keep it to themselves and applauded the routine even though it was against the rules of any audition. Even the directors and choreographers at the table seemed over excited about what they had just seen. Maura smiled widely, bowed thanking her audience and stood in the middle of the room, waiting for someone to say something.
"I think we all agree this was flawless", a director started to speak and he looked at his colleagues for approval. "Your idea was marvelous, Miss Isles, we've never seen you dance like this before!"
Maura giggled and bowed again in gratitude.
"I agree, Isles!" said one choreographer. "It's not a secret that I'm a fan of yours, but today… I think you made everyone here fell in love with you just like Esmeralda did in the story. And those naked legs of yours, I mean… You're perfection."
The ballerina couldn't believe she was actually hearing those words from people who never, ever granted anyone for nothing. The ballet world was known as cruel, dark, strict. No matter how perfect you were, there was always something else to improve. Hearing those compliments was overwhelming.
"I think", began Priscilla Osipova, which was openly known as the most difficult person to please and impress. "It was well performed; your legs were high all the time, your feet always correct, your arms did not fall heavy even once. However, I consider La Esmeralda to be one of the hardest choreographies and since you're already doing it so well, you definitely could do more lifts and quick the pace of the song, you know, to keep it interesting."
Maura knew this was the best she would ever hear from Priscilla. The other directors also compliment her and soon she was told the results for prima ballerina would come out the next day. She thanked them all again and exit the room to enter the dressing room. Maura had tears of happiness in her eyes; the sensation of job well done consummated her whole body. She sat on the bench and took the pointe shoes off, carefully rolling its straps while tears fell down her cheeks. She didn't even notice when a tall ballerina entered the room.
"You rocked in there and the part is already yours, you know that right?" the ballerina asked taking Maura out of her thoughts.
"Excuse me?" she said while her hands wiped the tears from her face.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bother. My name is Jane. I'm new here and I'm sorry again, but… You just danced the most beautiful variation of La Esmeralda I've ever seen and… I guess I got too excited."
Jane smiled hating herself for being so spontaneous. She was new around here, she didn't know the rules yet, it was rude to invade a dress room like this. Even if it wasn't a private one.
"Thank you so much, Jane. Congratulations for getting in and be very welcome. I'm Maura."
The senior ballerina smiled and Jane lost her words for a moment. Damn! This girl is pretty. Maybe too pretty, so pretty it could only mean trouble. But still, she held her gaze and smiled back offering her hand to the woman in front of her. Maura took Jane's hand and lightly shake it, a wave of electricity passed through her body and she missed the warmth of the other hand the minute she let her go.
"So… I guess I just met the new prima ballerina from the Boston's Dance Academy. Not bad at all for a new girl." Jane said trying to light the atmosphere.
"Let's not jump to conclusions, Jane. The announcement will be made tomorrow morning and I may not be chosen."
"The hell you won't! I saw every audition and no one did what you did. I mean, you made Priscilla Osipova compliment you!"
Maura giggled.
"Thank you, Jane. Really."
"It's the truth."
They looked at each other in silence for a moment that was probably too long. Jane already hypnotized by Maura since the moment she entered the 3-wall-mirroed room and Maura hypnotized by Jane's eyes and challenging lose bun of raven black hair.
"'Kay Maura," Jane said interrupting the moment "I'll let you dress up and meet your friends. I guess I see you around?"
"I actually don't have any friends" Maura said sadly, "But… I'll see you around, yes."
"Well…" Jane smiled sincerely "Thank God I'm here then. Will do me good to be friends with the prima ballerina… Don't you think?"
"But what if they don't choose me? Because it's a possibility to be considered." Maura asked a little insecure.
"Then I guess I'll just be friends with the most beautiful and talented ballerina around here. Not so bad either".
Maura only smiled, she never had a friend before… The other girls were always too jealous of her to actually become her friends. She didn't even know Jane, but there was something about her that Maura couldn't quite explain. Maybe it was her smile… Or her eyes… Maybe it was a combination of both that brought some thoughts into Maura's head. I feel like this right here is going somewhere... Should I worry?
A/N: Should I continue? Comments and favs are my life, please send me your feedback!
