Page 41 of Wicked Dance
Chapter 12
Blitz spends almost the entire next day on the phone. The producers want him to come to LA, but he refuses. He won’t have anything to do with the show.
On Thursday, we head to Dreamcatcher for our private lesson with Gabriella, but we know we need to minimize our time at the academy to avoid the crowds finding us there.
So afterward, still in our dance clothes, we leave Dreamcatcher and load into Blitz’s gray rental. We have agreed to return to Jenica’s Dancery to work with the girl who does the aerial silks.
When we arrive at the strange building that houses the studio, Weeza is in the front room, sitting at the same makeshift cinderblock desk and giving Blitz the same withering glare as she did the first time we came.
“I thought we got rid of you,” she says. Her short blond hair is spiked up today, twisted into little points all around her head. It makes me think of a grass burr, and I giggle.
She frowns at me. “I saw you two on somebody’s totally lame Facebook live broadcast. On the East Side.” She stares at Blitz as if she is quite sure he doesn’t have any right to visit there.
“I bet you couldn’t keep your eyes off me, you little vixen,” Blitz says. He reaches out to tweak her nose and she squeals with indignation. “Let’s go find Jenica,” Blitz says to me. “Thanks for the grand welcome,” he tosses back at Weeza as we head for one of the doors.
She snorts.
“She’s terrible!” I say as we enter the expansive gymnasium.
“She’s definitely a piece of work,” Blitz says.
We pause just inside, looking over the scene today. The aerial ropes and high mats are strung up, but unoccupied. A couple doing classical ballet occupies one corner, and two men bounce on the triad of mini-trampolines, doing front flips between them, carefully timed to avoid colliding. My stress levels rise just watching them.
Jenica is near the back wall by the barre, working with a young woman inpointeshoes. I feel some chagrin at how little I’ve worked on mypointesince I advanced to them. Life has been such a whirlwind since I met Blitz.
We head her direction. She will introduce us to an instructor with experience in aerial silks.
Jenica smiles when she sees us, continuing an eight-count with the girl, who is flowing through the various positions and poses. When they pause, Jenica turns and says, “Blitz, Livia, so delighted to see you both again. And how interesting for you to seek an instructor in silks!”
“It was Livia’s idea,” Blitz says. “I’ve never done it, so it’s something new. I like new.”
Jenica nods. Wisps of her light brown hair have escaped her bun. She must always dress very colorfully, as today her dance leotard is a sapphire blue that fades into a bright green. The girl she teaches is traditional in pale pink.
“I’ll introduce you to Bex when she arrives,” Jenica says. “She’s not our most punctual instructor.”
Blitz and I glance at each other.
“What’s her background?” Blitz asks.
“She did two years with Cirque,” Jenica says. “She was an aerialist. Then she got pregnant and took a break. Now she teaches. We don’t have a lot of call for it. Not many places can host an aerialist, and there isn’t a lot of work for it.”
“We’re just doing it for fun,” Blitz says.
Jenica reaches over and squeezes his bicep. “You’ve been increasing your weights,” she says. “You still interested in lifts?”
“I am,” he says. “But we’re going to focus on this for a while. See how it feels.”
Jenica’s eyes focus on something behind us. “Oh, there she is.” She waves. “Bex! Over here!”
A woman with dark hair and long legs strides over to us. She has a pile of fabric over one arm. “Hello,” she says shyly, looking at Blitz like she can’t believe he’s in front of her. “This was a surprise.”
Blitz spreads his hands. “I’m just a dancer looking for some help with a new skill.”
Bex nods. “And you’re Livia. I saw you on the show. You just startedpointe?”
“Yes,” I say. “I’d only had my toe shoes a couple weeks at that point.”
“You’re brave,” she says.
