Darcey Bussell - Rosa and the Magic Moonstone

“It’ll be OK,” Rosa told her. She stretched her left foot out in front of her and lifted it quickly upwards as she practised a grande battement.

Back still, knees tight… the things to remember ran through her head as she lowered her foot slowly to the floor.

“I feel like I’m going to be sick,” said Olivia.

“Me too,” said Rebecca, sitting down beside her.

“And me,” said Asha, looking alarmed. “What happens if we are sick in the exam?”

As she spoke the door opened and Madame Za-Za came in. As usual, the ballet teacher was wearing a long ballet skirt, bangles and necklaces. Her greying hair was tied back in a bun. She caught Asha’s words. “You will not be sick, Asha,” she said in her slight Russian accent. She smiled. “You will go into the exam room and perform your very best. I am sure all of you are going to make me proud. Now, when you’re ready, please come to studio two and start to warm up.”

Rosa hurried eagerly through the door.

Half an hour later, Rosa stood with Olivia, Asha and Rebecca in the corridor, waiting for Madame Za-Za to tell them they could go into the studio where the examiner was. They were going to be the first group in. Rosa was glad. She wanted to get started. Each of the four girls had a different coloured ribbon pinned to her chest so the examiner would know who was who. Each of them was also holding the skirts and shoes they would need for their character work at the end.

“Does my hair look OK?” Rosa asked Olivia.

Olivia nodded. “How about mine?”

“You look great!” Rosa squeezed her hand. “Good luck!”

“You too!” Olivia said nervously.

Madame Za-Za held the door open. A bell rang inside the room. “In you go, girls.”

Taking a deep breath, Rosa followed Asha, Rebecca and Olivia into the studio. The exam was about to begin!

Rosa and the other girls put down their shoes and skirts at the side of the room and curtsied to the examiner who was beside a small table. The examiner, a small slim woman, smiled and looked at their ribbons. “Good morning, girls. Let me just check I have your names and colours right. Asha – pink, Rebecca – blue, Olivia – yellow and Rosa – white?”

They all nodded.

“Excellent. Take your places at the barre, please.”

As they began to go through their exercises, Rosa felt happy and relaxed. She remembered to keep her back straight, her chin up, her hips still and her movements smooth. She wished she could look over at the others and see how they were doing, but she was concentrating too hard. She enjoyed stretching every muscle as much as she could, keeping her arm movements flowing and graceful.

After working at the barre they went to the centre of the studio. The first few exercises went well. I’m really doing OK, Rosa thought, as they got ready to start their pirouette exercises. I wonder what mark I’ll get. Mum would be so pleased if I…

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