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En Pointe
Chapter 15: Vigour and Determination
xx
"Excusez-moi Monsieur," Ethel Hallow batted her ridiculously long eyelashes.
The man stared at the girl for a moment trying to place her, "Do I know you?" he pursed his lips thoughtfully.
"Non, pardon. I'm Ethel Hallow, Esmeralda Hallow's sister," Ethel gave a winning smile.
"Ahhh I did not know Esme 'ad a little sister," Pierre grinned. "There is 'ope for the future of ballet if you have the same feet!" he smirked at his own joke.
"I'm but a first-year," Ethel gave a small chortling laugh, looking meekly down, yet coyly up through the side, "But I hope to be as good as my sister one day."
"Perhaps I can give you some pointers," Pierre nodded, "For Esme's sake, plus I must say I'm intrigued Petit Mademoiselle Hallow, would you be willing to attend auditions for The Nutcracker Thursday?"
"That would be amazing Monsieur Blois, merci, merci!" Ethel batted her eyelashes more.
Xx
"He invited Mildred to audition!" Hecate pulled a face, "Rotten man!"
Pippa laughed at Hecate's melodramatic streak. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"The way he worded it – I don't trust him!"
"You never trusted any director, that was what made you so invincible, so unobtainable unless they were the best of the best!" Pippa smiled knowingly.
"And I will have the same for Mildred!" Hecate shot out before she could stop herself, looking a bit perplex at her own intensity.
Pippa laughed again, "I know you will."
xx
"Fouettes," Hecate announced her presence and told the girl smoothly as she found her at the studio stretching.
"But we haven't covered them in class?" Mildred tried not to sound argumentative.
"I've said to you before Mildred Hubble that you have an innate ability to turn, I'm interested to see just how right I am," Hecate raised an eyebrow challengingly as if daring Mildred to prove her right.
"Really?" Mildred quirked a grin.
"I think that I read in your notes from your last ballet school that you had some good success with them," Hecate replied briskly.
"Yes – but probably not to your standard," Mildred admitted.
"Well we shall see," Hecate wrinkled her nose as if bemused. "Centre – I assume you know the theory behind good fouettes?"
Mildred nodded nervously.
"It's about timing more than anything, a whipping motion into a strong T shape. Many dancers forget to place their feet properly too," Hecate told her. "I will be watching your feet carefully."
"Can I see?" Mildred held a breath, "Will you do them with me?" she grimaced, "If it doesn't hurt your ankle I mean…"
Hecate narrowed her eyes dangerously, "My ankle is fully recovered."
"It gives you pain though still sometimes," Mildred said in a small voice. "I know it does." Mildred could barely meet her teacher's gaze.
Hecate seemed taken aback as she blinked crossly, she cleared her throat. "Sometimes," she acknowledged grudgingly as she placed herself next to Mildred facing the mirror.
"Ms Pentangle was always better at fouettes," Hecate said after a moment, more hesitant than Mildred had even deemed possible.
"But you performed Swan Lake!" Mildred laughed, gobsmacked at Ms Hardbroom's reluctance to perform a move she felt was less than perfect,, "Set the standard for us all to aspire to!"
"I practised non-stop for months," Hecate told her sternly, "Nothing to do with natural talent."
"Oh yeh, because just anyone can do 32 perfect turns," Mildred said under her breath, Hecate caught it however and almost laughed.
She is certainly daring, hardly the whimpering girl from the first day.
"My record was actually much higher" Hecate raised her eyebrow comically rather enjoying the grin she elicited in response, "The musicality mattered more and I didn't want to rush sections. It was choreographed as 32 for a reason."
"Show off," Mildred muttered daringly.
"Demi-pointe first," Hecate told her, smirking at her pupil's bravery. "I want to see you using the balls of your feet – ready?"
"As I'll ever be!" Mildred grimaced bracingly.
"And prepare, down, up and in, behind," Hecate called as Mildred stood watching, never failing to be in awe of the beautiful ease of movement that Hecate Hardbroom provided. "And land," the woman said smugly after she had finished with a double pirouette in one seamless movement.
"Try," Hecate said pointedly as Mildred stood gaping like a goldfish.
Mildred placed her feet into their starting position and took a breath.
"Remember to spot well, it'll keep you on your leg properly," Hecate stood with her hands on hips.
Mildred started with a pirouette and then kicked her leg out to the front and side and quickly placed it behind her, landing the position, albeit rather clumsily.
"Not too bad," Hecate said appraisingly. "More force needed and keep your body stacked as you gather the momentum, keep those ribs down. Try again and finish on a double pirouette this time like I showed you."
Mildred tried, this time landing rather more smoothly.
"Better," Hecate gave a curt nod. "90 degrees though Mildred – don't try to make it lazy – your gluteal should be hurting."
"No pain, no gain," Mildred replied jokingly.
"Pain is what the audience are truly paying for," Hecate deadpanned.
Xxx
Mildred went to bed that night in a good mood, Hecate had been demanding of perfection but had actually shown some approval with Mildred, albeit in her stifled way. Mildred had decided that her being scarce with praise meant it mattered even more when she earned it. She was getting used to the constant criticism. Masochist – Enid kept saying every time she rubbed her burning feet or sighed in exhaustion getting into bed.
She had not mastered fouettes to anywhere near Hecate's impossible standards and she could do not more than three without falling out of her turn, but a renewed sense of vigour and determination was bubbling up inside her. She was feeling more motivated than she had ever felt before, believing too, that her dreams were within a grasping reach if Hecate Hardbroom believed so.
She set her alarm for an early-rise, desperate to get some practice in before class.
Xxx
Mildred entered the auditorium on shaky legs. Stares of confident looking third years surrounded and enveloped her, no doubt wondering why a first year had been asked to audition.
But to Mildred's surprise, she wasn't the only first year there. Ethel Hallow stared at her mid stretch, eyes both smug and challenging. Mildred was relieved she was too busy preparing to say anything to her as she herself began prepping her shoes. Of course being a Hallow got you opportunities.
"Bonjour girls," Pierre flounced in, dressed like a true artistic director in a 'casual' black jumper and jeans.
"Bonjour," the girls chorused badly back, nerves clearly evident.
"Eet is good to see all you getting stretched and warm," he eyed them all. "We will begin promptly. Make sure you pass your music to our sound manager," he pointed out a beefy looking man with bald head, who made the girls now surrounding him appear even more wraith-like.
The door opened and Mildred heard a familiar tapping sound of purposeful shoes. The purposeful woman atop of them eyed Mildred for a moment and Mildred shot her a narrowed look. Ms Hardbroom had not mentioned her she was coming.
"Ahhh Ecate," Pierre almost fell in his haste to welcome the woman. "What a surprise! I am 'oping you are joining me? You look divine as always." he gestured to her black ballet style wrap and deep purple skirt.
Hecate nearly managed to raise her eyebrows to heaven. She said in a tone which Mildred recognised as forced professionalism: "I hope you don't mind me sitting in Pierre, it would be good for me to see how some of our girls perform in auditions. Particularly as many will be having their first next term for various companies," she eyed the third-years haughtily as they all seemed to shrink.
"Not at all Ecate, you will be able to tell me more about them – to make sure the parts are truly fitting to their c'aracters!" Pierre grinned with enthusiasm.
Xxx
Pierre had sat himself on the front row, a clipboard in his hand and Hecate Hardbroom next to him. She had placed on the pair of glasses she had had on top of her head and was looking even more severe than usual. A fact many of the students now fighting for good viewing at the side of the stage had noticed and were hissing complaints about.
"Typical Hardbroom! She knows my slight sickling when I do my triple – bet she tells Mr Blois!" A third-year was saying to another.
"She's going to make sure none of us have parts," another was saying, "Doesn't want it interfering with our exams no doubt! Even though it's such a great opportunity!"
"It's because she's a has-been," a third said moodily.
Mildred watched from the wings with bated breath, some of the third year routines seemed ridiculously hard and impressive, even if they weren't fully hit. She felt nerves well up inside her ad she tried desperately to shake out her nervous energy.
Ethel's was very precise and difficult. Mildred noticed many of the third-years looking moody at being upstaged by a younger student and Ethel shot them all smug looks after, which didn't help the whispers.
"Mildred Ubble," Pierre finally called and on legs that felt like they were being touched with a live fence, Mildred made her way on to the stage.
"Ahhh there is Bambi," Pierre grinned. Mildred noticed Hecate's nose wrinkle.
"Aurora?" Pierre queried and Mildred nodded.
"I'm looking forward to it," Pierre looked at Hecate, but Hecate refused to acknowledge his presence and instead focussed her steely gaze on the girl. "Confidence," she mouthed to her, Mildred nodded, wishing it were that easy.
The music began, and Hecate was relieved that Mildred had not missed her cue like in her exam. Instead she was pretty perfectly timed, not just that but musicality was oozing from her pores. Her nerves seemed to have turned into adrenalin as she went from move to move, lines rather immaculate, Hecate noticed with pride as her own nerves subsided a little. She was Mildred from her first audition, with added precision and neater lines.
She had learnt, clearly learnt from her previous mistakes with the routine. Her jump perfectly landed and her turns on pointe. Her face full of anguish as befitting the character.
There were errors of course, slight position placement issues but Hecate could see that Pierre did not notice, as his face brightened as he became entranced in the story the young ballerina was telling so well.
He's seen her now, as she could be. A dancer of her generation.
Hecate caught her breath again as Mildred finished with a fouette sequence, definitely not perfected, but showing unique promise for her young age.
As she finished, Hecate had to close her open mouth back into its usual pursed lips position.
"Thank you Miss Ubble," Pierre called out grinning as Mildred panted her breath back.
As Mildred left the stage, Hecate turned her chin towards the director and peered at him over her glasses, "You have my permission to cast her. However, if there is anything untoward," she hissed the word, "at all, Mr Blois, concerning Mildred Hubble, you will have me to answer to," she said sternly as she stood up sharply "The girl is still only fifteen after all and a child, " Hecate tip-tapped in her heels out of the auditorium.