It is pretty amazing what the Human body can do when it belongs to a ballet dancer. Well it does not do it itself. It takes years of discipline, training and pain, aand from the latter, an enormous amount. It is against nature, that's clear as ice. If god wanted the mankind to walk en pointe then he would made us that way. But no, someone called Marie Taglione, an Italian ballet dancer, introduced the pointe technique to the world when she danced the sylph. The world of ballet was so found of this idea, and I think every single one of them was sadistic, trained the ballerinas to dance en pointe. Luckily I escaped that pain being a boy, well I danced on point for a while because my Russian ballet teacher, yes she was a sadist, decides that I should strengthen my ankles, lucky after a few weeks the torture was over. If my ankles were stronger…I don´t really know. We moved to another city which meant good bye sadistic Russian woman and hello a bit less sadistic French man who seemed to have a crush on my elder brother. He got rejected and went extra hard on me. Back to the topic the human body or better the body called instrument of a ballet dancer. To become a professional you indispensably have to visit a ballet school. For me that is The National Academy of Dance in Australia. Big surprise huh? Yes my family moved…once again. Instead of getting a place at the Royal in London or where ever, I am stuck down under. With people who have this strange pronunciation well at least the weather is better here than in England.
It was 6:30 when I came downstairs to have my breakfast. My grandparents were the only ones who were there so I assumed that Dad and my brother already went to work. That is exactly what my grandma Annie told me as she poured me some orange juice. "Morning Gabriel Darling, your Dad and Brother already left they wish you the best of luck and your Dad said that if you´ll meet your sister tell her she should be punctual. Is she awake?"
"Her bed was empty and the bath wasn't occupied so...I assume she is already on her way" I said sipping from the glass and folding the newspaper to the sport section.
"Let´s hope so" said my grandma after a while after she sat down next to me "…she has been so absent in the past days hardly at home…anyway…do you need anything else Gabriel? If not, be a darling and bring this tray to your grandfather, he is sitting on the balcony"
I took the last bite of the banana I was eating, drank out the juice and put the dishes into the sink, before I went out to see my grandfather Phillip who was enjoying the first sunrays of the day.
"I was expecting you Son" he said not looking up from the horizon. "Today is a very important day for you Gabriel Ayden Barrington. " Okay he said my full name things were getting serious.
"Three generations of Barrington men have been in the Ballet and your one of them. Don´t let us down. You have the potential Gabriel you do. I can see it. Make us proud."
"Yes Granddad"
"Atta boy and now go you sure want to be punctual even if it is audition week it makes a good impression. And if you meet Ms. Raine send her my greetings"
"Yes Granddad" I said and left the House.
Yes this was it. The day I would finally admission at the Dance Academy for everyone in my family this was a huge deal because, well everyone is obsessed with ballet. My grandfather, my dad my brother and me we all dance. In fact all of them were part of a company and Dad was a principal. Well now he is teacher and does choreography. For my brother Daniel, he right now is in the Australian Company he is part of the corps. My paternal Uncle and his family who live in London are also all in the ballet. Well but for now I have to make my way to audition. Luckily Rose Bay, the district we live, is not very far from the Academy when you use the bike. The way along the harbor through the parks is very refreshing, pretty and in there are only a few people out at this time so I was quick. I locked my bike at the front gate and pulled out the sheet with the map of the Academy. I looked around and saw a few newbies like me nervously warming up or chatting with each other; others were just arriving and handling with their luggage. I decided to go in, I still had half an hour but my father said that the first impressions are very important and being punctual shows how focused you are on one thing.
Mentally I sorted out the advices my brother gave me yesterday when I saw a pair of girls, dressed in the purple first year uniform, standing at a vending machine, they were talking to another girl who obviously was a newbie. Besides the luggage the tension and excitement on her face was obvious.
"So...the girls dressing room" one of the first years said, her hair was dyed in red and right now tight to a messy bun, her hazel eyes lit up when she spoke" You go...well go straight ahead then turn left and it´s the second door on your left"
"Thanks sooo much" the newbies bright blue eyes lit up and she smiled widely
"Isn´t it exciting? To be at the Academy?"
"Yeah" the redhead said and obviously she was trying to hold back her laugh "Totally"
"Thanks again" the newbie with the American accent smiled and turned to go around and long brown hair bounced every step she took.
"Aria" the other first year said, she bit off a candy cane crunched it under her teeth and spoke again"Isn´t it a bit rude to guide that poor girl to the boys locker?"
"Oh Jen seriously she will survive" Aria said as she turned around to buy herself a chocolate bar "It happened to us last year too and we did survive…it´s tradition. AND stop eating that rocky candy you´ll ruin your teeth the result will be posted don- Oh hello there"
Aria or what her name was turned caught my eye and looked at me while her friend took out another candy cane and did not notice me.
"First year?" the red haired said in a British accent "Need someone to guide you to the dressing room?"
"No, thank you" I said calmly "I can reed maps…"
"Well if you need any help" Aria started but the other girl, Jen, interrupted her
"LOOK pinned on the results!"
That was my chance to catch up on that other girl to warn her
"Hey you" I called out just in time. The girl just reached the door.
"Me?" she turned around confused and accidently dropped her bag.
"Yeah…I think you shouldn't go in there...that is the boys' locker" I said and saw shock on her face. She dropped her bag again.
"Really?" paralyzed she tried to reach the handle of her bag but failed
"Yeah I think the girls back there pulled a little prank on you"
"But why" the girl, who finally picked up her bag, started biting the nail of her thumb.
"It´s nothing against you...It´s tradition to prank the newbies…don´t worry" I smiled "Well the girl's locker is right this way…if you want I can lend you my map"
"No thanks I think I have mine somewhere here" she digged inside her bad and pulled out an envelope with the name Aelina Cassandra Brakeheart on it.
"Well…than" I turned around to go
"WAIT" she said" I ...I didn´t catch your name..."
"It´s Gabriel" I said.
"Thanks Gabriel" she smiled
"Welcome" I said, turned around and raised my hand to a bye before I entered the dressing room.
It was a mess of bodies of boys at my age, clothes and the smog of deodorant and it was loud. In a corner I saw a boy with messy dark hair telephoning next to him there was space, unless you would not count that he had extruded his clothes over the whole bench.
"Watashi wa hontōni komakai mētoru, Naomi-chan" he said into his mobile very quickly, I assumed it was Japanese" choutto matte…" He turned away the phone and eyed me angrily "What do you think you are doing?" "Besides of minding my own business I´m making space for me" I said calmly taking off my shirt "Well excuse my Mr. Buissnessminder but the space is already taken" he said pushing down my bag. Ignoring his action I put my bag on the bench again. "As much as I know there will be pliantly of room left for you and your junk even when I take away a bit space from you… so shut up and get changed" The boy looked like he wanted to say something but the voice of a small girl out of the mobile interrupted him "Hai kite?"I left the boy with his relationship problems or whatever he was dealing with alone. Next up was getting a number; mine was 14, and warming up at the bar. Both boys and girls where in this room and I saw that Aelina girl from before, now in light blue with a perfectly made bun, shyly smiling at me. I couldn't look the others because Miss Raine, followed by a young man, entered the room. In seconds everyone stopped doing what they did and lined up to listen.
Miss Raine gave a hint of a smile and started to hold her speech.
"Welcome to the National Academy of Dance, all of you are lucky to be invited to our audition week but we only have space for a few. Only the best of you will make it into first year. It will be your responsibility to make sure that you make a good impression. First we are going to part you in groups the girls stay with me the boys will follow Patrick. Today we will look at your technique then you´ll have time to go to your rooms. Well good luck"
A small applause rose from the students and we had a few minutes for the last stretches. Because Miss. Raine and Patrick had a small chat. I took the advantage and searched the room for a certain person. Hopefully, I thought, she was not late but I could not get the sight of her.
"Searching for me sunny boy?" I heard a familiar voice mockingly say from behind me and saw her.
"So you´ve made it?" I answered and turned around to face the petite girl who was fixing her bun. Strains of dark brown hair were looking out of it.
"Yeah actually I was even there before you. Don´t worry I know when it is important to be punctual" she said and I saw the mock in her piercing green eyes
"I wasn´t worried" I lied calmly "I just wanted to be sure that you…well good luck"
"Yeah" she said and turned to the bar behind her "Wish I could say the same but you won't need it…"
"All right boys…follow me" Patrick said and left the room.
" Break a leg, Gabe" I hear her say as she patted my shoulder I turned around a last time and saw her stretching her leg behind her ear. It is amazing what a human body can do, when it is moving against nature. Much more extraordinary is it when the human soul, the humans will goes against its own nature.