Darcey Bussell - Magic Ballerina 7-12

She’d had an amazing time in Enchantia. When would she go again? And what would happen next time? Feeling excited, she put the shoes in her bag and ran after Olivia.

1. Stand on your tiptoes with your arms held out to the side.

2.Take little steps forwards whilst still on tiptoes, starting slowly and then move into a gentle, graceful run.

3.Make your arms soft in the elbow and flap them gently up and down as if preparing for flight.

4.Finish with a small jump into the air.

Rosa Maitland sat in the darkened theatre, her eyes fixed on the stage as Cinderella and Prince Charming danced together. Cinderella spun round, moving lightly across the stage. The Prince leaped into the air before sweeping her into an embrace.

Rosa glanced at her mother sitting beside her in her wheelchair. There was a wistful look on her mum’s face and Rosa wondered if she was remembering when she had once been a ballerina and danced in theatres around the world, before she’d had the accident which had ended her dancing career.

“Isn’t this brilliant?” whispered Olivia, Rosa’s best friend, from the seat the other side.

Rosa nodded. It was the best birthday treat ever! Her mum had got the three of them tickets to see the Petrovski Ballet Company. Rosa watched as the Prince spun Cinderella round for a final time and then Cinderella curtseyed and everyone in the audience broke into a storm of applause.

One day that will be me! Rosa thought, clapping as hard as she could. She loved dancing and went to classes three times a week at Madame Za-Za’s ballet school. Her mum helped her practise between classes too.

And Rosa didn’t just dance in class and at home. She had a secret. She had a pair of red ballet shoes that were magic and whisked her away to the land of Enchantia, a place where all the characters from the ballets lived. Rosa had had an amazing adventure there recently and she really hoped she would go back again soon.

As the curtain fell for the last time, lights came up in the auditorium and one of the theatre staff came to help Rosa’s mum get her wheelchair out. All around them people started to stand up.

“That was amazing!” Olivia said as they all went out into the foyer. “Thank you so much for bringing me.”

Rosa’s mother smiled. “It’s a pleasure, Olivia. They’re a wonderful dance company. Their choreographer is Mikhail Gorbachevski. I danced with him many years ago.”

“Really!” Olivia’s eyes were wide. “Wow!”

“I’ll show you both some pictures when we get home,” said Mrs Maitland. “But first let’s find a taxi.”

Just as they reached the door of the theatre, Rosa heard someone call her mum’s name in a Russian accent. “Eleanore! Eleanore Maitland!”

Her mum looked round.

A tall, slim man with dark hair and a grey jacket was coming towards them through the crowds.

Rosa’s mother gasped. “Mikhail!”

The man took her hands and kissed her on both cheeks. “How wonderful to see you, Eleanore.”

“And you.” Rosa’s mother smiled. “Girls, this is Mikhail who I was just telling you about.” She turned back to the man. “Mikhail, this is my daughter, Rosa, and her friend, Olivia.”

“Your daughter.” Mikhail’s eyes swept over Rosa. “She looks like you, Eleanore.” He smiled at both the girls. “Did you enjoy the ballet?”

“Oh yes!” Rosa exclaimed. “It was brilliant!”

Olivia just nodded, seemingly lost for words at meeting such a famous ballet star.

“I want to be a ballerina one day,” Rosa told him.

Mikhail smiled at her. “Then I hope you are as talented as your mother. Maybe you will dance for me one day.” He looked at Mrs Maitland. “I would love to stay and catch up, Eleanore, but I have a meeting. Maybe you would like to bring the girls back to see The Firebird – the other ballet the company is performing? I can get you tickets.” He pulled a wallet out of his jacket pocket and took out a card with his name and telephone number on it. “Let me know when you would like to come, and I will make sure I am free to meet up afterwards.”

Rosa caught her breath. Now they would get to come to the ballet again! She turned to her mum in excitement. “Oh, wow! Wouldn’t that be…”

“It’s very kind of you, Mikhail,” her mum interrupted, “but I’m not sure we can manage it.”

Mikhail looked surprised. “But you must.”

Just then a taxi drew close. “Rosa could you get that taxi please?” Mrs Maitland said swiftly.

Wondering why her mum was being so strange, Rosa ran to ask the taxi driver to wait as her mum wheeled herself over.

“Here, let me help you,” offered Mikhail as the taxi driver came round to let down a ramp to get the wheelchair into the back.

“I’ll be fine, thank you,” Rosa’s mother said abruptly.

Mikhail’s hands dropped from the chair.

The taxi driver shut the door and Mikhail came to the open window. “Goodbye, girls. Hopefully I will see you again at The Firebird. ” He looked at Rosa’s mother. “Please come, Eleanore.”

Mrs Maitland smiled stiffly and the taxi drove off.

“Oh, Mum! Can we go? Please!” Rosa said eagerly.

“We’ll talk about it later. I’m tired.” Mrs Maitland put a hand to her forehead.

Rosa sat back in her seat. I’ll talk to her tonight, she decided. She’s got to say we can go…She’s just got to!

“But why can’t we?” Rosa demanded later that evening. Olivia had gone home and Rosa and her mum were talking about the ballet again. “Mikhail said we could have free tickets. You wouldn’t have to pay.”

“It’s not about the money, Rosa,” Mrs Maitland said briefly, busying herself in the kitchen with the washing up.

“So what is it about?” Rosa frowned, as her mum picked up a tea towel and started to dry the dishes.

She sighed. “It’s complicated, sweetheart. I haven’t kept in touch with any of my dancing friends because I don’t want them pitying me for not being able to dance when I don’t pity myself. You see, I think of all the good things that have happened since the accident – like having you. But they wouldn’t see it like that and I don’t want free tickets because they feel sorry for me.”

Rosa thought about the man they had met at the theatre. “But Mikhail didn’t seem to be offering you tickets because he felt sorry for you. He just said he wanted a chance to meet up.”

“That may be what he said,” Rosa’s mother said, “but I think he felt differently.” She sighed. “Look, it’s late. Go and get ready for bed. I’m not going to talk about it any more.”