Dance Aristia
...ke teeth in her mouth (I have the tendency NOT to smile on stage). I threw on this huge smile, turned my back to the crowd, put my head down and waited for the music to start. “Bam – Bam Bam Bam, Ding Ding Ding.” And Eight … I turned around and started. Chug Chug Back Flap Back Heal Flap Back Heal Stomp Hop Shuffle Step Flap Step. Perfect! Next steps, and then it was the last part, there was a move which my teacher changed JUST before I went out on stage, a step I had learned from Savion the previous day. One two and three and four, I tried it. It didn’t work out exactly as I had planned, I slipped, but I changed the step to end perfect with the music. I did it; it was over … for that day! At the end of the day I was sure I wasn’t going to be asked to come back the next day of competetion because I totally screwed up the end of my routine. But as they were calling intermediate level performers for the next day, I heard my name! My mom screamed. I screamed. I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me for the next day! Four dances, including one solo. Sunday. Competition Two. The real deal. First dance – large group. “Men In Black.” Perfection at its finest. Next - small group, “I Will Survive.” Perfect, well almost perfect, one girl kind of fell, but I did great. Next - large group, “Lion King”. This was my favorite. It was a lyrical, mix between jazz and ballet and gymnastics. Perfect. Finally my solo. My Chinese fan dance. For some reason my dance teacher always thought I looked “exotic” so she wanted me to do an “exotic” dance. Chinese Fan Dance. I had a real Chinese fan dancer, Yurina, come in and teach me how to use the fan. I stepped on stage. My time to show off all my hard work. Everyday after school and ALL day Saturday and an occasional Sunday practice. I knelt down with my fan covering my face. Music began and I rose. All of a sudden I spot Yurina. The woman who taught me to use the fan. I danced my heart out, first throw, I almost dropped the fan, and I fumbled it, but caught it. As soon as I looked up I saw Yurina with tears in her eyes. I just had to make her happy. So I did, through out the rest of the dance I didn’t drop the fan once. Even the hardest part, where I had 3 counts before to catch my breath and get ready. I had to throw the fan in the air and do an arial (no handed cartwheel) and land in enough time to catch it. Perfect. No one knew, but that was the hardest thing I have ever had to over come. Performing solo in front of the same judges from the night before that saw me screw up. I knew I had to prove my self...