Page 21 (1/2)

"Watching someone who has mastered as much as Dimitri has will help you understand what is expected of you," she continued "Today and fro warht purple pair of heavy wool leg warmers

After I put them on we proceeded immediately to the barre and I noticed that Celine had wheeled herself into the corner of the room, where she sat with her hands folded on her lap and watched

Diht into a warmup drill and for a moment all I could do atch He didn't see in front of us It was as if he was in his oorld His legs race and speed while he held his body in a perfectly vertical line

"Begin," Mada just a few feet frohtly," she said "See how Dimitri uses it only for balance"

I tried to relax and we began a series of exercises that included the plies, the tendus, and the glisses, all that she had shown me the day before From there we moved to the fondus and then the rands de jambe a terre First, Madame Malisorf would describe what she wanted Then Dimitri would demonstrate, alith a proud look on his face as if he was dancing for an audience of thousands, and then I would begin, usually followed by Madaain Watch hi his back and his neck"

So to satisfy her, I was practically in tears before she letelse, alith the conditional state I wouldn't be working on, seeht

When we got to the turnout again, the pain of rotating my hips nearly made me cry out in pain I was sure my face revealed all my new aches Madaht there would be a short break so I could catchneith Di to mimic his moves

The session lasted longer than the one we had the day before I eating so lued to ive us a short break and I collapsed to the floor Madame Malisorf went to talk to Celine and Dimitri finally looked at me for the first time since we'd been in the room

"Why do you want to be a ballet dancer?" he asked imuilty

"My mother thinks I should be," I said defensively

"That's your reason?" he asked with a sy towel at ruffly

I found a dry spot on the towel and wiped my face and the back of my neck

"I think I'll like it," I said cautiously Again, he smirked

"Ballet requires complete and utter devotion, a total coion An instructor like Madaospel You have to think and walk like a dancer, eat and breathe it There is nothing else that is half as important Then, and maybe then, you have a chance to become a real dancer"

"I don't expect to become a famous dancer," I said and wondered why this boy made me feel like I had to defend myselfespecially when I wasn't so sure that I even wanted to be a dancer