Chapter 4
Mary was now 3 years old and was in a small tutu, white stockings, and ballet shoes. She was on her way to ballet school and it was her first day. She was nervous at first but she was also excited at the same time. Nearly every month she would watch Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballets and though he made operas, symphonies, concertante, orchestral works, vocal music, and piano music, his Trio was her favorite. She dreamed of one day dancing all three and she doesn't give a damn about what role she would play, she just wants to dance to them. There was only one time she missed one on TV and that's because of power out thanks to Uncle Howard. Anyway, her mom drove her to ballet class after, thanks to her father-in-law persuaded her and pulled some strings to get into the class, and saw how much her daughter was into the movies and plays, she couldn't say no. "You excited sweetheart?"
Mary nodded. "I am, mom. I can't wait to dance!"
Her mother smiled. "Now remember this is just a class and sometimes it can be very competitive to get into recitals. I don't want you to feel hurt if you didn't get into a ballet company."
Mary said, "I won't mom. I do hope I make friends here though." Then she frowned. "I'm just not looking forward to my toes hurting me. Beth showed me pictures of ballet feet and nearly made me sick."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "She just looking after you Mary. Besides what does the song go?"
Mary smiled. "🎶And if I fly or if I fall, least I can say I gave it all, and if I fly or if I fall, I'm on my way, I'm on my way.🎶"
Sarah smiled. "That's my girl." Soon they arrived and parked the car. "Now let's sissy that walk." They both got out of the car and went inside. Soon they found her classroom and as they entered there were other boys and girls there Mary's age. Some were warming up, others were fixing their shoes, and others were just playing around.
Soon a little girl walked up to Mary. "Hi, I'm Abby. You new here?" Mary nodded. "Cool! You're going to love it here." She gently took her hand as they walked to the wall with the railing. Mary looked back at her mother and she gave her a thumbs up which Mary gave back.
Mary left the classroom and went where the other mothers were out. It wasn't hard to tell what kind of parents were there. A few stage-mothers, a few Karens, and a couple of old gens, and maybe 2 or 3 normies like Sarah. Sarah sat down on an empty seat and looked through the window where the kids were at. Then a woman next to her nudges her shoulder. Sarah turned her head and saw a soft goth mother. "Hey name Ziva. I see your daughter already meet my daughter." She pointed to Abby. "That's her." Sarah stood quiet, smiled, and nodded. "First time here huh?" Sarah gave a looking saying 'is it that obvious?' Ziva giggled. "Don't worry. Don't let the other mother intimidate you it's the teacher you have to look out for." Sarah got worried. "Don't worry, she's not one of those hard-headed ones we see on TV or in the movies. Miss Matilda is a lovely woman. She started this place after she retired from the ballet company 4 years ago." Soon the teacher walked in. "There she is now." Then the small light in the parents' room turned on and Ziva put her finger on her lips says 'silence now'. Sarah looked down before to see what was going on.
In the classroom, the teacher walked in. It was a middle-aged woman in her 40s dressed in a simple dress and had her blonde hair in a braid. "Hello everyone, we have a new student here joining us this year." She turned to Mary. "Would you like to stand up and introduce yourself?"
Mary stood up and waved shyly at everyone. "Hello, I'm Mary Engel."
Miss Matilda asked, "And why are you in ballet class dear?"
Mary answered, "I want to be a ballerina to one day dance the Tchaikovsky Trio. I'm not particular on what part to play but I do want to dance to them one day."
Miss Matilda smiled. "That sounds like a lovely dream dear. You may sit." Mary sits down. "Well since she's new, we're going to do our best to show her all the movies to be a ballerina. We're all going to be kind and gentle but also tuff and strong. Agreed?"
All the students said, "Yes, Miss Matilda!"
Miss Matilda clapped. "Lovely. Now everyone to a rail we're going to warm up before we get started. Mary, please follow Abby on the stretching exercises please so you'll know what to do."
Mary said, "Yes Miss Matilda." Everyone got up and Mary and Abby went to a rail and started to do their warm-ups. "She seems really nice Abby."
Abby said, "She really is, just try not to get on her bad side. One parent and student did and we never saw them again. Stinks too since it was a few days before the company audition."
Mary looked at her confused. "Company audition?"
Abby nodded. "That's right. Everyone few months a ballet company comes here and there are auditions to see who gets to work with them. I couldn't do it last time since I didn't have enough points. Got sick and missed a few days. But if you're here every lesson and do well you might get noticed by them."
Mary smiled. "Cool. Maybe we can go together."
Abby giggled. "I would love that, but for that to happen we have to work hard. So let's help each other right. Deal?"
Mary agreed. "Deal."
Abby asked, "By the way, what's the Tchaikovsky Trio? I heard of certain ballets but I don't know if I know his."
Mary said, "His ballets are The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty."
Abby was confused. "Sleeping Beauty? Didn't Disney make that first?"
Mary shook her head. "No, they just use music from Tchaikovsky for the film. Got me at first too."
Abby looked at her surprised. "Wow. That's really cool. Guess that explains Fantasia segments when it came to the Nutcracker. I wonder why they haven't made Swan Lake yet."
Mary said, "I think it's because Don Bluth beat them to it. He used to work for Disney during one of their projects. Just don't remember if it was Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella." Then she asked, "If you were in the Tchaikovsky Trio what role would you play?"
Abby said, "For nutcracker, it's a tie between Sugar Plum Fairy and maybe the Rat King. He's always funny to me when I see him on stage. Especially when he does the Floss." The 2 laughed. "For Swan Lake, defiantly Swan Princess. I don't look good in a black tutu, to be honest. And for Sleeping Beauty, one of the good fairies. You?"
Mary said, "That's easy. Clara for Nutcracker, I'm fine being one of the swan dancers, and the evil Fairy for Sleeping Beauty." Abby looked at her confused. "Depending on the story, she isn't always the bad guy. I think in one, she and the queen had nice respect for each other. It was the king that messed it up."
Abby asked, "Really?"
Mary shook her head. "Yep but I forgot where I saw it on TV. The Evil Fairy was funnier with her antics before the whole curse thing."
Abby smiled. "Maybe one day I can find that version and we can watch it together."
Mary said, "Cool."
Then Mary and Abby got tapped on the shoulder. "If you 2 are done talking, it's time for the lessons." It was Miss Matilda.
"Sorry, Miss Matilda." They said. Once she walked away the girls looked at each other and giggled. In the parent room, the mothers smiled as they saw their daughters were getting along.
