A/N: I don't own Pitch Perfect, its characters, or any of the songs mentioned.
Beca Mitchell began her dance training at age four. She always had a lot of energy, and her parents felt that dance might be a good way to channel it. They also couldn't pass up an opportunity to dress their little darling in a tutu. They didn't count on Beca having a lot of raw talent and a real passion for dance. By the time she was ten years old, they found themselves at the dance studio nearly every day for her training. She joined the competition team the summer before fifth grade and really enjoyed traveling with her dance friends. She was still in school full-time and frequently did her homework in the car on the way to dance or at the studio in between dance classes. It seemed like a lot of work, but Beca really enjoyed her dance training. She loved all kinds – ballet (although that was not her strong suit), tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, and hip-hop. She could just as easily pull off a sassy jazz number as she could a serious lyrical piece. She was given her first solo piece at eleven years old, a serious lyrical piece to Amazing Grace, and everyone was amazed at how much emotion she put into it. Outside of dance, she rarely showed her feelings. Once she hit the dance studio or the stage, she left it all out there. Her technique was good, but she really excelled at showing her emotions. She usually received high marks, with only a few small critiques of her technique. Her teacher Alyson tried to get Beca to remember to straighten her legs and point her toes, but Beca would sometimes get so lost in the music and the piece itself that her legs weren't as straight as she could normally make them, and her toes could be pointed a little better. She was a beautiful petite girl with a small frame, dark blue eyes, and long wavy brown hair.
Chloe Beale began her training at age three. Her parents went to enroll her five-year-old sister Annabelle in dance and enrolled Chloe as well when they found out Tracie's Dance School also had a class for three-year-olds. Annabelle quit after two years, but Chloe continued to dance. She joined the school's competition team when she was nine and was at the studio almost every day. She loved all kinds of dance but really excelled at ballet numbers. She had a beautiful natural toe point and was also very flexible. She was strong as well and was known for her beautiful extensions. She got her first solo at ten years old, a technically demanding ballet piece from Coppelia. She had amazing technique, especially for a ten-year-old, but she had a hard time putting emotion into her piece. Tracie worked with her, but her nerves tended to get the better of her on stage. She'd execute nearly flawless technique, but her facial expressions rarely changed. Her score sheets from various competitions always suggested she try harder to feel the music and show her emotions. Chloe was also beautiful, with sky blue eyes, fire engine red hair, and long legs.
When Beca was thirteen and Chloe was fourteen, they met at a competition. Their dance schools were rivals, so they didn't say much to each other. Beca was first to hit the stage, doing a beautiful lyrical piece to "God Bless the USA". Her emotions were right on point, but she sickled her foot through two of her turns. Still, she left the stage pleased with her performance. Chloe was next, doing a lyrical piece to "From a Distance". Her teacher Tracie had her try lyrical in an attempt to get Chloe a bit more in touch with her emotions. She did an excellent job with her beautiful leg extensions, but her expression didn't change much. Chloe ended up with the gold, and Beca with the silver, their scores only 0.5 apart. Beca congratulated Chloe after the awards ceremony and was quickly pulled away by Alyson.
"We do NOT talk to Tracie's students," Alyson said.
"Why not? I was just congratulating her on a well-deserved win," said Beca.
"We don't fraternize with the enemy," said Alyson.
"The enemy? Huh?" asked Beca.
"I'll explain it to you when you're older," said Alyson. Beca rolled her eyes behind Alyson's back. She was a teenager now, but sometimes she still felt like the whole world thought she was five.
Chloe watched this exchange in disbelief. Why would another dance teacher forbid her students from talking to dancers from other studios? She thought this was a friendly competition. She found Tracie and told her what happened.
"Don't mind Alyson," she said. "We've been rivals for years, and I think she's threatened by the fact that my star pupil just beat hers."