James, you're a fucking idiot. Francis, you're a fucking idiot too. I honestly can't decide who's the biggest idiot here.
"When you stumble, the worst thing you can do is freeze. Letting the world see your hesitation—that was the real failure. If you trip, you regain the rhythm, rejoin the dance. James knew the routine by heart, knew how to keep moving even when the steps faltered." This. Damn, you understand. This ALL the way! Once (on an opening night, with a packed house and a very well known director in attendance) not even my own castmates noticed that a fall during my lyrical solo was an actual fall, because of some confidently improvised floorwork that flowed right back into the actual choreography. They just thought I'd added a new bit! XD
“Jesus, Sally,” Francis snapped. “Just because he’s a ballet dancer doesn’t mean he automatically likes Pavlova.” I snorted tea when I read this! I love Francis's huge family!
“Can you even eat these? Uncle Frank says ballet dancers don’t eat shit!” Also true. At least depending on your metabolism and natural build. I've got the build and metabolism that I couldn't eat shit when I was dancing.
Good of you to mention cannibalism in there somewhere! It's so necessary in any Terror fic! And that nasty comment sounded just like a Russian Ballet Master, too! XP
“Oh, James! I know! Let’s do a TikTok dance!” Mary exclaimed, waving her phone in front of him. James blinked, caught off guard—the first time that evening he'd been genuinely confused. Again, SO accurate! Only my nieces understand TikTok dances, and the music that they go with.
That ending is sweet and beautiful, and I will cherish it in my heart. The idiots are starting to become a bit less stupid!
And I am so sorry to hear that you're recovering from food poisoning! That stuff is THE WORST. (Can you blame the Goldner's canned slop?) This chapter is still wonderful, and I hope that you're fully recovered and back to full health soon! <333
Thank you for your comment (I've waited for it, ngl :DD)
"a fall during my lyrical solo was an actual fall" Aaaah I always wonder if I would able to spot something like that. Cause I do spot such things with music and rhythm but dancing is whole other thing. I guess you have to be a certain level professional to fall adequately to music :)
TikTok dances is the whole other thing, but I think it's pretty nice when children and young people jsut dance to the music (nevermind the quality of it) and I like it even more when they do it together. I think it's lovely even though I still wouldn't do it unless I've gone insane.
I blame Goldner's cause whoever cooked that meet definitely was inspired with sanitary standards of Goldner's :/
When in doubt, always blame the Goldner's! ;) I hope you're feeling better!
It's sweet that you like my comments full of dancer blithering! I was out of town and way too busy with family stuff for a couple of days, but I'm back to bug you some more now.
That fall and recovery were *such* a freak thing - I went over because of a combination of nerves and the fact that someone had actually *cleaned* the perfectly sticky stage that we were all used to rehearsing on that day, and just like James said, I pulled out of it partly because I knew the piece by pure muscle memory, and partly because I'd been allowed to redo big chunks of the choreo myself, to play to my own strengths, so there were always little changes popping up here and there every rehearsal, and I'd already added a bit of dramatic floor work to show off some strength and flexibility, so why not another? ;)
I don't get TikTok dances, but some of those kids have got some slick moves! I can definitely appreciate that. I just don't want to try it. XP
That's what I call grand finale:D I heard the condition of the stage is extremely important! Several years ago there was a reconstruction in Bolshoi while I was still living in Moscow and there was a HUGE scandal, because the contractor covered the floor on the stage with some crappy material that was so slippery that a few dancers got injuries. They had to redo it after that.
Also the things you describe about the fall and injury have some resemblance to the next chapter, so I hope I get it right (but no spoilers).
I remember that scandal at the Bolshoi! (Among others...)
Once, I actually was part of a show where the dance crew nearly mutinied and walked out over the producer resurfacing the stage a week before opening with this crap that was impossible to dance on. It was to the point where two other dance leaders and I, along with our choreographer, were ready to spend a full night and our own money re-resurfacing the stage so that nobody would get hurt. They turned us down, and we ended up with two sprained ankles and a broken foot in the cast within just a week, which was exactly how long the show lasted. I nearly broke my ankle a couple of times attempting to do pointe work on that awful stage, and I did land on my butt once, because it was just too slippery! But they listened to the guy who knew about lighting rigs and other tech when it came to the stage surface, rather than the people who were going to be dancing on it... not that I'm bitter! ;)
I just remembered my favourite stern Russian teacher's favourite bit of snark, and I thought you'd like it: "Back at Bolshoi, we had saying - Bears can dance too." He'd do it deadpan, but with this little twinkle of humour in his eye that you'd miss if you didn't know him, and didn't know that he actually liked his students, and even had something akin to a sense of humour. He worked us half to death, but was also tied with his wife as the best teacher I ever had! His wife was elegance personified, and always, always smiled. Russian dance teachers are a complete different breed!
Omg I can picture it so well. I hope these guys didn't traumatise anyone (even though they usually do such stuff "for the greater good" and actually care about students, that I believe fully).
No student trauma from the incredible Russians! Mad Max the Super Grouch only taught the highest levels, those of us who could take his pushing and his temper, and once you got to know him, you realised that he was completely devoted to training strong, safe dancers who were not going to get injured on his watch! We actually came to love his temper, probably like Crozier's crew loved his. It's really entertaining when you're not the target. ;)
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