Read Online Let the Dance Begin by Lynda Waterhouse - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lynda Waterhouse
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your emotions is essential. When you are moving,
think of the beautiful sand dunes and how they move and shift. How they are both light and strong at the same time.’
Cassie tried it again and this time she felt she was doing it better.
Mrs Sandskrit made them practise the moves over and over again, until the sand glass at the front of the room dropped its final grain.
As they were packing up she said, ‘Before tomorrow’s class I would like everyone to spend at least an hour rehearsing all the moves in your head. As well as lacking technical skill
you all lack imagination. There is no fire in your bodies.’ She sniffed and sat down for the first time on her chair, before jumping back up again with a loud scream. ‘What is
that?’
Lexie came forward. ‘It is a sea pasty. I brought it for you as a mid-morning snack. I thought you would like it! My mother, Viola Seacouch, told me that you used to love your snacks, and
I wanted to do something to please you.’
‘Only hard work and excellent dancing pleases me!’ Mrs Sandskrit snarled as she wiped the pasty off the back of her dress. ‘Any more gestures like that and I will send you packing! Do
you understand?’
A very pale Lexie nodded and whispered, ‘Yes, Madame.’
It was only when they were removing their dancing slippers that Cassie realised how much her body was hurting.
‘The Sand Dragon was giving you a pretty hard time.’ Shell took off her slippers beside her.
Lexie gasped. ‘Don’t be so rude about Mrs Sandskrit!’
Shell frowned. ‘I can’t help it. When someone has made me stand for hours and twist my body into all these shapes it makes me say nasty things. I don’t really mean it. It just
makes me feel better. Oh no, look – my hair ribbons have torn.’
‘I can mend them for you, no trouble,’ Lexie offered.
‘That would be great. I also have a tiny hole in the edge of my practice skirt,’ Shell said.
‘I can do that too,’ Lexie said.
‘I’m off for a swim. Do you want to come?’ Shell asked after she had changed and handed over the slippers and practice outfit to Lexie.
‘I’m going to flop in my room and study,’ Cassie said.
‘I’ll join you,’ Lexie replied. ‘I don’t think I could stand all the stares and comments about sea pasties.’
Up in Cassie’s room Lexie rubbed some rosemary oil on to her legs. ‘I can feel my muscles firming up already.’
‘I don’t think I’ll ever be able to dance properly. My legs and my brain don’t seem to be able to work together,’ Cassie complained.
Lexie tugged at one of Cassie’s braids. ‘That’s just it. You mustn’t think about it! Dancing is about disciplining your body so that it can control the feelings and make
them more beautiful and powerful.’
‘It’s going to be such a slog going over the same moves day after day trying to get them perfect,’ Cassie grumbled.
Lexie stared out of the peephole. ‘But when the dancing flows, everything changes inside of you. It’s like that perfect moment when sunlight lands on the inside of a shell and makes
everything that once was dull and drab look shiny and special. That’s how I feel about it, anyway.’
‘I hope that dancing will have that effect on me one day.’ Cassie said but, as she thought about it, she realised that the more she danced, the more she enjoyed it. It seemed as if
she’d been suppressing the urge to dance for all these years . . .
Lexie smiled softly. ‘It will. I’m sure it will.’
Shell shouted up from the bottom of the stepladder. ‘Where’s Lexie? I need her help. The ribbon on my slippers keeps coming undone.’
‘I’m up here,’ Lexie called down to her.
‘Catch,’ Shell shouted as a pair of dancing slippers hurtled into the room, followed by Shell.
‘I am falling apart,’ she said to Lexie. ‘I need your help.’
Lexie inspected Shell’s shoes. ‘I can repair these really easily.’
Shell flopped down on Cassie’s bed.
Cassie sighed. It
think of the beautiful sand dunes and how they move and shift. How they are both light and strong at the same time.’
Cassie tried it again and this time she felt she was doing it better.
Mrs Sandskrit made them practise the moves over and over again, until the sand glass at the front of the room dropped its final grain.
As they were packing up she said, ‘Before tomorrow’s class I would like everyone to spend at least an hour rehearsing all the moves in your head. As well as lacking technical skill
you all lack imagination. There is no fire in your bodies.’ She sniffed and sat down for the first time on her chair, before jumping back up again with a loud scream. ‘What is
that?’
Lexie came forward. ‘It is a sea pasty. I brought it for you as a mid-morning snack. I thought you would like it! My mother, Viola Seacouch, told me that you used to love your snacks, and
I wanted to do something to please you.’
‘Only hard work and excellent dancing pleases me!’ Mrs Sandskrit snarled as she wiped the pasty off the back of her dress. ‘Any more gestures like that and I will send you packing! Do
you understand?’
A very pale Lexie nodded and whispered, ‘Yes, Madame.’
It was only when they were removing their dancing slippers that Cassie realised how much her body was hurting.
‘The Sand Dragon was giving you a pretty hard time.’ Shell took off her slippers beside her.
Lexie gasped. ‘Don’t be so rude about Mrs Sandskrit!’
Shell frowned. ‘I can’t help it. When someone has made me stand for hours and twist my body into all these shapes it makes me say nasty things. I don’t really mean it. It just
makes me feel better. Oh no, look – my hair ribbons have torn.’
‘I can mend them for you, no trouble,’ Lexie offered.
‘That would be great. I also have a tiny hole in the edge of my practice skirt,’ Shell said.
‘I can do that too,’ Lexie said.
‘I’m off for a swim. Do you want to come?’ Shell asked after she had changed and handed over the slippers and practice outfit to Lexie.
‘I’m going to flop in my room and study,’ Cassie said.
‘I’ll join you,’ Lexie replied. ‘I don’t think I could stand all the stares and comments about sea pasties.’
Up in Cassie’s room Lexie rubbed some rosemary oil on to her legs. ‘I can feel my muscles firming up already.’
‘I don’t think I’ll ever be able to dance properly. My legs and my brain don’t seem to be able to work together,’ Cassie complained.
Lexie tugged at one of Cassie’s braids. ‘That’s just it. You mustn’t think about it! Dancing is about disciplining your body so that it can control the feelings and make
them more beautiful and powerful.’
‘It’s going to be such a slog going over the same moves day after day trying to get them perfect,’ Cassie grumbled.
Lexie stared out of the peephole. ‘But when the dancing flows, everything changes inside of you. It’s like that perfect moment when sunlight lands on the inside of a shell and makes
everything that once was dull and drab look shiny and special. That’s how I feel about it, anyway.’
‘I hope that dancing will have that effect on me one day.’ Cassie said but, as she thought about it, she realised that the more she danced, the more she enjoyed it. It seemed as if
she’d been suppressing the urge to dance for all these years . . .
Lexie smiled softly. ‘It will. I’m sure it will.’
Shell shouted up from the bottom of the stepladder. ‘Where’s Lexie? I need her help. The ribbon on my slippers keeps coming undone.’
‘I’m up here,’ Lexie called down to her.
‘Catch,’ Shell shouted as a pair of dancing slippers hurtled into the room, followed by Shell.
‘I am falling apart,’ she said to Lexie. ‘I need your help.’
Lexie inspected Shell’s shoes. ‘I can repair these really easily.’
Shell flopped down on Cassie’s bed.
Cassie sighed. It
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