Bunheads by Flack Sophie

Author:Flack, Sophie [Flack, Sophie]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: JUV000000
ISBN: 9780316193221
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Published: 2011-10-10T05:00:00+00:00

19

Two weeks pass in a blur of rehearsals, performances, and extra yoga classes. I push myself all day long, and then at night I lie in bed and visualize myself dancing solos. And I know I’m getting stronger: I used to be nearly dead after the third movement of Prelude, and now I can dance the whole thing and barely break a sweat.

But then in early March, when I go to check the new casting sheet, I hardly see my name at all. My breath catches in my throat. I’m not called to learn any of the solos in Sleeping Beauty or The Fawn, Otto’s new ballet. In fact, my parts are even worse than last year.

But Zoe got a solo in The Fawn.

I walk the hallways in a fog of disillusionment, my legs still wobbly from the morning’s rehearsal. “Earth to Hannah,” Jonathan says, waving his hand in front of my face. I notice that he’s painted his nails a barely perceptible pink. “Hannah, I said do you want to go to the deli with us?” But I duck my head and keep walking.

“Wonder what her problem is,” I hear Luke say.

“God knows,” Adriana leans into Luke and gives him a little kiss with her thin red lips.

I guess that means they’re dating now.

Jonathan giggles as he wraps a cashmere scarf around his neck. “She’s got PMS. We’re on the same cycle, you know.”

And I can’t even smile.

For a while I sit by the laundry machines, listening to the sound of the dryers. A few people come up to get Cokes, but no one says anything to me. No one even seems to look my way.

When I first became a corps member, Otto regularly had me demonstrate during company class, and once he told me that he admired my work ethic. He never promised me anything, but I always thought that he saw potential in me. And I’ve tried so hard to impress him—always, but these last months especially. Night after night, after a full day of rehearsal and then performances at night, I’d collapse into bed, exhausted but incredibly happy, because I knew that I had lived that day.

But today the very same routine makes me feel invisible and expendable.

“I wish they’d just put me out of my misery,” I mutter as I walk into the empty dressing room.

Leni pops up from her mat on the floor, blinking as if startled. She’s wearing navy sweatpants and a delicate cream camisole, and her blond hair is mussed and sticking up on one side. “You shouldn’t say things like that, Hannah,” she says, brushing the tangled strands out of her eyes.

“Where did you come from?” I ask dully.

“I fell asleep doing my spinal series on the floor. They’re so relaxing.” Her cheek has the imprint of her rubber mat on it.

I put my head in my hands.

“What?” she asks.

“Casting,” I say dully.

She sighs. “Right.”

“It all just feels utterly pointless. Why do we work so hard to get strong, to improve,

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.