Page 89 of Wicked Dance
Chapter 31
The second live show is similar to the first. There is a different feel to it, though, since we know someone has been eliminated, and her dance tonight will be for nothing, since the votes won’t count after she’s gone.
Someone will be going home.
I almost hope it’s me at this point. After the hidden camera, and the luncheon gaffe, I’m pretty sure I’m not cut out for this game.
But mypointelooks good. I’ve improved faster than I would have at home, motivated by the demands of the show.
Our set is very simple, just a few white pillars. My costume is extremely stiff, not just the pancake tutu, but the bodice. It doesn’t really move with me, but around me. I wonder if regular ballerinas have outfits like this and have to manage. I could have used pointers from a professional, but it’s too late now.
I dread the moment when my lunch comment goes live. Nobody’s seen the clips. No one’s talked about it. The public doesn’t know, since only staff and paid extras were in the cafe.
I feel sick to my stomach as I head through the backstage to do my dance with Blitz. I’m later in the lineup this time, third instead of first, so I’ll have to go out alone and wait for him and his costume change.
I’ve kept my screen off in my room, hoping I miss seeing myself be vulgar, as my dad would call it. God, I hope now that they are avoiding the show. Have people at church seen it and asked how such a quiet sweet girl got here?
I feel like I can never talk to them again after this.
Blitz says I was baited to say it. That Giselle was probably instructed to get me to say something trampy to increase the raunch level of the show, because that was the expectation of the viewers. He’d done way worse.
But he is a man, and the fact is, he doesn’t feel the stab of being called a slut. Even Giselle seems to want that image and lets it roll right off her. But I don’t.
The show goes to commercial and I head out onstage. My dance starts as a solo with me on the ground, lost and alone until Blitz comes along. I like the music very much, and I think the story of the dance is beautiful and true.
But I’m full of anxiety about the clip. I pray they don’t play it while I’m out there waiting. They didn’t show anything during rehearsal, as one of the monitors wasn’t working, causing a tech panic.
I can really only listen, as my head is down. There’s a little clip from last week’s dance, I know that by the music. And Blitz’s princess line from our castle date.
Then Blitz saying, “You’ll captivate every viewer out there.”
I have to glance up at that. It’s the footage from the dressing room. It looks really good for being behind that two-way mirror. But it still makes me burn. At least they can’t use that camera anymore. It’s covered now.
The screen shifts to the dance background, and I drop my head again, relieved they didn’t run the lunch footage.
The music begins. I start the dance, unfolding like a flower around the difficult tutu. I go up onpointe, slowly, carefully, and the audience claps.
Then Blitz is there, taking my hand, and I turn uncertainly to him.
We dance gently, then with growing certainty, until I go into one heck of a dizzying spin. The studio audience is roaring with approval now.
Then our dramatic end pose, and freeze.
“Perfect,” Blitz whispers.
We head over to Barry. If the show goes on the way the first one did, a chit chat interview then on to the next contestant, I’m in the clear. Maybe they decided my quote was too bad for television. This makes me smile.
“Somebody looks happy about that performance!” Barry says.
“She was amazing, wasn’t she?” Blitz asks the crowd. They scream and cheer in response. “Are you voting yet?” More noise.
“Do you feel things are going well between you two?” Barry asks me.
“Perfectly,” I say. “He’s an amazing partner.”
“Well, you two looked great,” Barry says.
We exit to the back. I let out a long breath. No mention of the clip. Now there is just Giselle’s dance and the elimination. Then someone will slow dance as a farewell.
