Chapter 1

Sharvona fiddled anxiously with the strap of her ballet bag, this was her first day of the six week summer school at the prestigious Shelham Ballet Academy. Megan who had also been invited gave her arm an encouraging squeeze. She felt scared herself, who knew what the girls in the class would be like?

The two friends walked into the large hallway, everywhere they looked there were girls milling around. Everyone seemed to know where they were going. Sharvona groaned inwardly, wasn’t anyone going to show them where to go? At that moment a young woman with wavy blond hair hurried up to them. Her pearl drop earrings jangled noisily and bracelets tinkled on her wrists. She carried a clip-board and seemed to be in a hurry.

“Ah you must be Sharvona and Megan my name is Madame Lilian.  I am going to be your teacher for the six weeks summer school. We are all very pleased to have you here with us, would you please step this way?”

So saying she turned on her heel and set off at a brisk pace along the corridor. Megan and Sharvona had to almost run to keep up with her. On the way to the practise room Sharvona was able to quickly glance at the other classes. They all seemed so confident and graceful as they posed in leotards or adjusted their hair pieces in the full length mirrors. Megan saw her looking and gave a smile.

“Don’t worry about them Sharvona, you have just as much right to be here as they do. You worked really hard to win the gala you know”.

Just then Madame Lilian stopped outside one of the doors. She pushed it open and beckoned for the two girls to follow her. Megan and Sharvona stepped into the room. A dozen or so girls were dressing in pale peach leotards; the ones who were already dressed were practising at the barre or chatting in small groups. Sharvona hurried over to a spare peg, hung up her kit and began to get ready.  When they were both ready Megan and Sharvona did each other’s hair. First they tied it into a pony tail, and then they fanned the hair out and put a hair bun ring over it. Sharvona pinned back a stray curl so that it would not hang down in front of her face.

Once everyone was ready Madam Lilian clapped her hands for silence.

“Girls today we are going to be having two visitors in our class” she motioned for Sharvona and Megan to stand up. “As you all know Sharvona won the gala competition and the first prize was a six week summer school with a friend of your choice.  I hope that everyone here will do their utmost to make them both feel welcome. Anyway enough with the introductions everyone line up at the barre and let us see how much you have been practising at home”.

The pianist warmed up by playing a few octaves on the piano while the girls rushed around to find spaces at the barre. While the girls bent and stretched, Madam Lilian walked around giving orders. She came to where Megan and Sharvona were standing and smiled.

“That’s good Megan but try to produce a more graceful curve with your arm. Remember that ballet dancers don’t have elbows.”

“Sharvona lovely piles try to keep your back a bit straighter, yes that’s it I believe you have got the hang of it now”.

“All right girls that’s enough barre exercises for one morning. Come into the centre of the room and we will work on our centre exercises”.

Once all the girls were assembled in the middle of the room and had spread out in rows, Madame Lilian gave instructions for the exercise.

“We are going to look at the first position, which is the foundation learning point for all ballet dancers. You must have this mastered before anything else is attempted. That’s very good girls , remember your feet must be turned out 90 degrees and your backs should be straight. Keep your chin up and you will find that your back stays straight without you noticing it. Now I want you to perform the eight ballet positions for me and then we will work on our jumps and pirouettes”.

At the end of the 10 minutes Madame Lilian again clapped her hands for silence.

“Well done girls, that was marvellous. Let’s see if your pirouettes and jumps are just as good shall we?”

Sharvona took a deep breath and tried to relax her muscles . She knew that tensing up was not good for ballet dancers. It made you tense and awkward in your dancing. She raised her right foot and twirled in the same direction as the other dancers. When the lesson finally ended Megan and Sharvona hurried over to sit down and have a drink.

“You’re really good Sharvona”, said a voice from behind her.

Sharvona looked around and saw a medium height girl with curly brown hair and hundreds of freckles. She seemed to be very friendly and Sharvona smiled up at her.

“Thanks, I just practise that’s all I’m not sure if I’m really talented”

“Well you must be, winning first prize in the gala performance is no easy matter and everyone knows how hard it is to get accepted into the Shelham dance academy”.

“That’s right Katherine”, called her friend who had just come over.

“Hi, I’m Stella you must be Megan and Sharvona”.

“Yeah Sharvona’s the prima donna round here! I’m just the tagger-on”, laughed Megan.

Sharvona gave her a playful punch on the arm.

“Idiot, Megan’s here because she’s my best friend and the prize was for two people so she was the obvious candidate.

New Book Title- Summer Showcase

The next book in the series is on the way. Get ready for the second book of the Sharvona series , "Summer Showcase" where Sharvona embarks on a six week summer school program at the prestigious Shelham Academy. I hope that this next book will be a success, happy reading and watch this space for more news.

Just a quick update on the blurb: Sharvona is thrilled to be selected for classes at the Shelham Academy but when her mother is blackmailed by a mysterious assailant Sharvona has more on her plate than she bargained for.

Message to readers

Dear Readers

I hope that you have enjoyed the first book in the Sharvona series. Watch this space for news of the next book!

Chapter 10

The following week was a flurry of activity. Sharvona had practises upon practises and a more homework on top of it all. She was beginning to get very depressed and secretly wondered if the gala was worth all this extra effort. Still she knew that Madame Tarknova wanted her to try her best and so try she would. She had found out from her Mum on Wednesday that Amy was able to come, Sharvona could not have been more pleased , she  really wanted her cousin to be proud of her.

On Friday afternoon Sharvona ran down to her ballet class, she had tried on her costume yesterday and today was the dress rehearsal. She tried not to feel nervous as she wound her pony-tail into a bun and made her tiara secure. The dress was a rich peach colour with diamante studded around the waistline and a gauze overskirt. Sharvona tied up her ballet shoes and admired her reflection in the tall mirror that ran around the four walls of the studio. She smoothed out her tutu and then headed into the staging area. The school had marked of an area in the auditorium that was exactly the same size as the area she would dance in at the Royal Opera House.

Sharvona warmed up by the barre with a sequence of pliés and battement de tendus. Madam Tarknova came hurrying in with the sheet of music rolled up under her arm.

“Ah, Sharvona it’s nice to see that you are practising. Remember to keep your back straight, posture is the key element to dance. When you are on that stage you want to draw all eyes towards you.”

Sharvona completed her exercise and then ran over to the practise square. She tried to focus her mind on her dancing as the first four bars of piano music floated around the room. Sharvona began to imagine that she was a blossom flower, spinning on its way to the earth; this was something she had been advised to do; in order to make her lighter on her feet. To anyone watching it seemed as though she were gliding over the smooth floor. The music drew to a close and Sharvona sank into a graceful curtsy, her right hand raised as though acknowledging the silent applause of her imagined audience.

Madame Tarknova laughed and then applauded enthusiastically, “well done Sharvona, you have a true sense of showmanship. You danced as though you were inspired just now. If you dance like this on the day then I can’t imagine you receiving anything less than a standing ovation.

Sharvona pirouetted around the room in a happy daze. She was a success, well may be not quite but she was very close. All the hard work seemed to be paying off gradually but the real test would be the gala.

The way home seemed even shorter as Sharvona ran past the various houses that she saw on her route. The gala was the next day so Sharvona needed make sure she got plenty of rest. She ran up to her room and hung up her costume in the wardrobe, she had made a list of the things she needed to pack in her ballet bag: ballet shoes, hair net and hair brush.

The morning of the gala dawned bright and clear, the sun danced in through the windows and onto the cream coloured rugs and polished wooden floor. The silence was broken by the persistent sound of the alarm clock ringing. Sharvona reached over and turned it off, the illuminated hands showed 6.45 this meant she had exactly one hour before she would have to leave for the gala. After she had washed she slipped on her lilac tracksuit and checked that everything was in her case. “Sharvona, are you nearly ready, Megan will be here any minute and so will your cousin. When they get here we need to leave immediately”, called her mum from out of the kitchen.

“I’m ready, shall I wait in the living room for them Mum?”

“Yes, please and can you ask your dad if he means to leave today or tomorrow. I can’t get him to hurry up in the shower”

Sharvona laughed , she knew that her mum was only teasing. Amy and Megan both arrived at the same time and soon they were all seated on the train taking them to the Albert. The Royal Albert was packed with spectators. Sharvona went with Madam Tarknova to find her dressing room , while the others made their way to their seats in the auditorium. Sharvona quickly changed into her costume and then proceeded to apply her make up. She wound her hair into a bun and then pinned it in place. The final accessory was the tiara , Sharvona  secured the tiara using hair pins to make sure that it did not come loose.

“Overture , beginners on stage please?” Called the stage assistant, Sharvona checked herself in the mirror one last time before hurrying into the wings of the auditorium. She could hear the buzz of chatter dying down and being replaced by thunderous applause. This must mean that the conductor and judges were coming in. Sharvona fiddled with the hem of her tutu nervously as she waited for her turn to come. When her name was called Sharvona glided gracefully across the brilliantly lit stage. Her entrance received a spontaneous burst of applause. She waited for the orchestra to begin and then raised her arms above her head. Her movements were fluid and graceful. The leg was extended to the full on the pirouettes and her grand jetés made her seem to quite literally fly through the air. The music drew to a close and Sharvona curtsied gracefully; she ran back to the wings and watched the rest of the performances. There were quite a few soloists and some group acts. There were all types of dancing ranging from tap to ballet and even the waltz. Eventually the performances concluded and everyone waited with bated breath to hear the outcome. One of the judges stood up and held a microphone to her mouth.

“I’m sure that you will all agree with me that this has been a spectacular event. The young dancers here clearly have talent and have done themselves proud, however we must award a 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd prize. So without further ado…3^rd prize goes to Amelia Smith”. There was a burst of cheering and a small girl who had performed a tap routine hurried to the stage. “2^nd prize goes to the Oscar stage school group”, six children who had performed the flamenco jumped up and down squealing in excitement. “1st prize has been awarded, by a unanimous vote to. Sharvona!” Sharvona looked stunned and then she realized that the audience were now on their feet applauding and cheering. She walked up to receive her trophy and the entrance ticket to the Shelham Dance Academy. Getting to her friends and family was by no means easy, everyone wanted to congratulate her and praise her performance. Eventually she reached the box where everyone was. Megan jumped up from her seat and flung both arms around Sharvona’s neck.

“You won, you did it”

Sharvona smiled, she had done it now she had a six week summer school to look forward to.

Chapter 9

Sharvona fished her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door of her flat. The smell of chicken pasta wafted out of the door and she sniffed the air appreciatively.  She plonked her bag down by the coat rack and hung her jacket on the hook before making her way to the kitchen. 

“Hi mum, been cooking it smells nice” 

“Thanks darling, actually tonight is a celebration dinner for us… I have a new job!” 

“Really when did you apply?” asked Sharvona feeling confused. 

“Well to tell you the truth I was made redundant from my last post, they needed to get rid of some workers. So I applied for the secretarial office at the Shelham Dance Academy. I’ll be starting in September. The wages are much higher than what I was normally earning, so between us me and your dad can now afford to get you extra things”. 

“That’s great mum, today I was told that the gala is a competition. The first prize is a six week summer school at that Academy. It’s all in the letter Madame Tarknova gave me”. Sharvona ran out of the kitchen and pulled out the letter. She gave it to her mum who sat down at the kitchen table to read it. She read it through twice and then smiled widely. 

“Well done Sharvona, I had no idea it was a competition. There are 5 tickets here so let me see: me, your dad, Megan, Madame Tarknova and … I know how about your cousin Amy. She will be in London tomorrow and she is staying with her friend. I’ll call her and ask if she can come.” 

Amy was Sharvona’s favourite cousin. There was a big age gap but it did not stop her from loving her cousin just as though they were twin siblings. Amy was on leave from University; she had been studying law and was due to graduate in November. Sharvona felt like jumping up and down when she heard this news, she had not been able to contact her cousin for a while but she would be seeing her  next week. Two minutes later the door opened again and Sharvona’s dad came into the kitchen. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and a serious face; he wasn’t always serious and could be quite humorous when he wanted to be.  Sharvona ran up to him and told him the exciting news. 

“That’s brilliant Sharvona, do we get to come and see you perform?” 

“Yes and Mum says she’s going to ask Amy if she can come too”, replied Sharvona. Her mum fished out the pasta and the family was soon sitting down.  Sharvona tried not to feel too worried about the approaching gala. She had practised as hard as she could and all she could do was her best and hope that the judges would be fair. Suddenly she remembered that she had a History essay to complete, to make matters worse it was due tomorrow second lesson. Sharvona bolted down her food quickly and prepared to leave the kitchen. She snatched up a muffin from the cupboard and headed off to her room. She knew her parents were watching her with concern and so she tried her hardest to walk in a calm manner. 

Sharvona switched on her desktop lamp and stared gloomily at the sheet of lined paper. If she spent at least an hour on the essay tonight she could add any finishing touches during registration. She clicked her biro pen and began writing furiously, glancing every and now and then at her open textbook and exercise book. Fifty-five minutes later she pushed back the two sheets of paper with a smile of satisfaction. Her eyes felt very heavy but she was proud with the effort she had put into it. 

The next morning Sharvona was awake very early. She lay in bed listening to the dawn chorus and trying not to worry about the day ahead. She had completed her essay so she had no need to panic.  There was no noise from any part of the flat and so she assumed her parents must still be sleeping. Tying her dressing gown belt and slipping her feet into a pair of slippers Sharvona made her way into the kitchen. She quickly made herself a cup of tea and poured some cereal into a bowl. She sat down to eat her breakfast at the kitchen table, the clock showed half-past seven so that meant she had exactly half an hour left before Megan would knock for her. Sharvona shovelled the last spoonful into her mouth and ran off to get showered. She was out by ten to and by the time she had brushed her hair properly Megan was rapping on the door. Megan and Sharvona raced down their road to the school, Sharvona suddenly realized how much fun it was to run. It was one of the ways she could make herself think clearly, she always found she had more energy after a lot of strenuous exercise or a long run. 

School passed by without any mishaps and before anyone had realized the last bell had rung. Sharvona waited for Megan by the cloakroom. She had already told her about the tickets and the competition. Megan slipped on her coat and hooked her arm through Sharvona’s. 

“Can you come with me to Costa, my mum gave me some extra money because it’s Friday. I know you have the ballet rehearsals but I believe a break might do you good”, suggested Megan. Sharvona knew that she was right, even though the gala was a week from Saturday she probably could do with a quick break; surely it wouldn’t hurt that much. Sharvona smiled her thanks and the two of them set off for the nearest Costa branch. It was a fairly large one with leather seats and cream coloured walls. There was a big selection of cakes and teas. Sharvona and Megan selected their food and sat down at one of the tables. Sharvona was very grateful for Megan’s offer; she really did need a break. 

“I guess that’s what makes Megan the great friend she is, really good friends look out for your interests as well as their own”, thought Sharvona as she tucked into her ham and cheese Panini. 

“So, the gala’s next Saturday?” asked Megan as they prepared to leave. Sharvona zipped up her jacket and slung her backpack over her shoulder. 

“Yes, it is next week and you’re coming as well, do you want to knock for me or should we pick you up in our car. My dad’s driving us down but I’m guessing we are going to take the train down to Central London. My dad never knows the driving route around there”. 

Megan laughed and slipped her arm through Sharvona’s. 

“I’ll knock for you at 8 o’clock next Saturday. Then we can all go down to the station together”, said Megan as they walked back home. 

Chapter 10 

The following week was a flurry of activity. Sharvona had practises upon practises and a more homework on top of it all. She was beginning to get very depressed and secretly wondered if the gala was worth all this extra effort. Still she knew that Madame Tarknova wanted her to try her best and so try she would. She had found out from her Mum on Wednesday that Amy was able to come, Sharvona could not have been more pleased , she  really wanted her cousin to be proud of her. 

On Friday afternoon Sharvona ran down to her ballet class, she had tried on her costume yesterday and today was the dress rehearsal. She tried not to feel nervous as she wound her pony-tail into a bun and made her tiara secure. The dress was a rich peach colour with diamante studded around the waistline and a gauze overskirt. Sharvona tied up her ballet shoes and admired her reflection in the tall mirror that ran around the four walls of the studio. She smoothed out her tutu and then headed into the staging area. The school had marked of an area in the auditorium that was exactly the same size as the area she would dance in at the Royal Opera House. 

Sharvona warmed up by the barre with a sequence of pliés and battement de tendus. Madam Tarknova came hurrying in with the sheet of music rolled up under her arm.  

“Ah, Sharvona it’s nice to see that you are practising. Remember to keep your back straight, posture is the key element to dance. When you are on that stage you want to draw all eyes towards you.” 

Sharvona completed her exercise and then ran over to the practise square. She tried to focus her mind on her dancing as the first four bars of piano music floated around the room. Sharvona began to imagine that she was a blossom flower, spinning on its way to the earth; this was something she had been advised to do; in order to make her lighter on her feet. To anyone watching it seemed as though she were gliding over the smooth floor. The music drew to a close and Sharvona sank into a graceful curtsy, her right hand raised as though acknowledging the silent applause of her imagined audience. 

Madame Tarknova laughed and then applauded enthusiastically, “well done Sharvona, you have a true sense of showmanship. You danced as though you were inspired just now. If you dance like this on the day then I can’t imagine you receiving anything less than a standing ovation. 

Sharvona pirouetted around the room in a happy daze. She was a success, well may be not quite but she was very close. All the hard work seemed to be paying off gradually but the real test would be the gala. 

The way home seemed even shorter as Sharvona ran past the various houses that she saw on her route. The gala was the next day so Sharvona needed make sure she got plenty of rest. She ran up to her room and hung up her costume in the wardrobe, she had made a list of the things she needed to pack in her ballet bag: ballet shoes, hair net and hair brush. 

The morning of the gala dawned bright and clear, the sun danced in through the windows and onto the cream coloured rugs and polished wooden floor. The silence was broken by the persistent sound of the alarm clock ringing. Sharvona reached over and turned it off, the illuminated hands showed 6.45 this meant she had exactly one hour before she would have to leave for the gala. After she had washed she slipped on her lilac tracksuit and checked that everything was in her case. “Sharvona, are you nearly ready, Megan will be here any minute and so will your cousin. When they get here we need to leave immediately”, called her mum from out of the kitchen. 

“I’m ready, shall I wait in the living room for them Mum?” 

“Yes, please and can you ask your dad if he means to leave today or tomorrow. I can’t get him to hurry up in the shower” 

Sharvona laughed , she knew that her mum was only teasing. Amy and Megan both arrived at the same time and soon they were all seated on the train taking them to the Albert. The Royal Albert was packed with spectators. Sharvona went with Madam Tarknova to find her dressing room , while the others made their way to their seats in the auditorium. Sharvona quickly changed into her costume and then proceeded to apply her make up. She wound her hair into a bun and then pinned it in place. The final accessory was the tiara , Sharvona  secured the tiara using hair pins to make sure that it did not come loose. 

“Overture , beginners on stage please?” Called the stage assistant, Sharvona checked herself in the mirror one last time before hurrying into the wings of the auditorium. She could hear the buzz of chatter dying down and being replaced by thunderous applause. This must mean that the conductor and judges were coming in. Sharvona fiddled with the hem of her tutu nervously as she waited for her turn to come. When her name was called Sharvona glided gracefully across the brilliantly lit stage. Her entrance received a spontaneous burst of applause. She waited for the orchestra to begin and then raised her arms above her head. Her movements were fluid and graceful. The leg was extended to the full on the pirouettes and her grand jetés made her seem to quite literally fly through the air. The music drew to a close and Sharvona curtsied gracefully; she ran back to the wings and watched the rest of the performances. There were quite a few soloists and some group acts. There were all types of dancing ranging from tap to ballet and even the waltz. Eventually the performances concluded and everyone waited with bated breath to hear the outcome. One of the judges stood up and held a microphone to her mouth. 

“I’m sure that you will all agree with me that this has been a spectacular event. The young dancers here clearly have talent and have done themselves proud, however we must award a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize. So without further ado…3rd prize goes to Amelia Smith”. There was a burst of cheering and a small girl who had performed a tap routine hurried to the stage. “2nd prize goes to the Oscar stage school group”, six children who had performed the flamenco jumped up and down squealing in excitement. “1st prize has been awarded, by a unanimous vote to. Sharvona!” Sharvona looked stunned and then she realized that the audience were now on their feet applauding and cheering. She walked up to receive her trophy and the entrance ticket to the Shelham Dance Academy. Getting to her friends and family was by no means easy, everyone wanted to congratulate her and praise her performance. Eventually she reached the box where everyone was. Megan jumped up from her seat and flung both arms around Sharvona’s neck. 

“You won, you did it” 

Sharvona smiled, she had done it now she had a six week summer school to look forward to. 

Chapter 8

Sharvona waited for Megan outside the school gate, she felt very nervous and fiddled self-consciously with her bag strap. She could see Megan approaching from the main building.

“Megan, come here a minute I need to talk to you”, called Sharvona.

Megan turned and looked at her before walking over with a very unpleasant look on her face.

“Well!”

“Look I understand how you feel about us not being able to meet after school much, but we’ve got lunchtimes and Saturdays to see each other. You don’t need to make an argument out of it; I’m going to see if you can come to the gala on Saturday the 18^th of July”.

Megan smiled at Sharvona and hugged her.

“Sorry, I should never have gotten mad at you, I should have known you weren’t like that.

Sharvona could not have been more relieved, the last thing she wanted was an argument. She took hold of Megan’s hand and pulled her along with her.

“So when do you have the costume fitting?”

“I think it might be today, Madame Tarknova always does these things in advance”.

Megan gave Sharvona’s hand a squeeze before turning into her own street. Sharvona shouldered her rucksack and jogged the short distance to the ballet school. She had only started going here recently but to her it was almost like a second home, she felt comfortable and relaxed. Sharvona ran up the stone stairs and heaved open the door; she was greeted by the sound of waltz music floating out of the ballroom class. She hurried along the corridors until she came to Madam Tarknovas’room. Madam Tarknova was flicking through a pile of designs and was so absorbed that she did not notice Sharvona until she felt a slight tap on her shoulder.

“Oh sorry Sharvona, I never noticed you were here. I am looking at some possible outfits for the gala and I’m sure you will agree that a shade of pink would be very appropriate hmm?”

“Oh yes, I was thinking the same, what about a headdress and will I need to wear wings?”

“Wait a moment sweetie” laughed Madam Tarknova “you will most definitely have wings for your costume, I have ordered a pair of artificial gauze affect wings that can be attached to your tutu. We don’t want it to look fake now do we? As for the headdress a miniature tiara should be appropriate, just something that catches the light when you dance”.

Sharvona studied the costumes; there was a wide range of colours and designs so that one was almost spoilt for choice.

“Could I have design number 45 please? I think that will suit the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy very well”.

“You know I was thinking the same thing, I’ll place the order as soon as possible and the dress should come by Thursday, then you can have a dress rehearsal on Friday and practise again on Saturday; which leaves us exactly one week until the gala. Which reminds me, I need to give you this letter to give to your parents, it gives all the details of the gala and I have included 5 tickets.”

Madame Tarknova handed a cream coloured envelope to Sharvona. Sharvona put it into her bag and laced up her practise shoes. Madame Tarknova was flicking through a sheaf of sheet-music. Sharvona moved over to the barre and began her warm-up exercise. She knew she needed to concentrate on balance, so far she had not been told if it was a competition or a concert.

“Well I’ll just pretend it is a competition at least that way I’ll be in the correct mind-set”, mused Sharvona as she swung her right leg into the air holding it above her head with her left-arm. She lifted her right leg over her head and sank down into the splits before moving both legs around and standing up gracefully.

“Very good Sharvona, your balance is improving. We just need to work on your arm positions for a bit today… so did you practise the dance at all?”

“Not really”, admitted Sharvona “but I believe I remember most of it”

“Right then we’ll go with that, move into the centre and I’ll put on the CD”.

Sharvona did a grand jeté right into the centre of the room. She had timed it perfectly landing softly and not heavily. She tried to think of herself as a fairy, so she would need to be light on her feet if she was going to convince the audience and any possible judges. The first few bars of music played and Sharvona shut her eyes to try and focus more on her dancing. She rose of tiptoe and took dainty steps, leaping high in the air for the jumps. She forgot herself completely and was absorbed by the role. When the music drew to a close she sank gracefully into a curtsy.

“How did I do Miss?”

“Brilliant, absolutely brilliant just make sure you keep on practising for the gala”.

“Is the gala a competition?”

“Yes, I didn’t want to tell you too early because I know what your level of confidence is like … I did not want you to be scared. The competition will have a panel of judges, all ex-dancers who will be assessing each competitor. There will be three winners; third prize £250, second prize £ 500 and first prize is a 6 week summer school at The Shelham Dance Academy. Now Sharvona I want you to aim for first place, I know you can do it but I will equally proud of you no matter where you come.

Sharvona’s head was in a whirl. The Shelham Academy was one of the best in London; it was the dream of all dancers to get to learn from its teachers. If only she could pull off the performance she would have the once in a lifetime opportunity to study there, even if only for a short amount of time.

Chapter 7

Sharvona reached out her hand to stop the ringing alarm clock. The illuminated hands showed her that it was 6.50. She really felt too tired to get up but she had no choice. By the time she had eaten and was fully ready it was 7.55. Sharvona unlocked the front door and stepped into the light rain. Pulling her raincoat hood firmly over her curly hair she trudged towards the school, inwardly grumbling about the weather.

Megan had arrived in school 10 minutes earlier and was reading a book when Sharvona came in and dumped her rucksack on the table. She sat down on the table swinging her feet.

“I’ve got the gala in two weeks”        

“Really, can I come or…”

“I don’t know yet my teacher said she’ll give me more information nearer the time. Did you finish your English work?”

“Sure I did, I don’t want a detention for no reason”.

“Mind you Miss Carson is fair with her detentions but still it isn’t really worth it”.

Sharvona jumped down from the table and went to sit at her desk.  The clock showed 8.27 which meant exactly 3 minutes until the bell rang. Sharvona took out her English notes and stared at them critically. They were not very long, just the right amount. In any case she was not going to use them in the lesson; all she needed to do was read over them during registration and make sure that all her points made sense. She reached into her bag to check for her ballet shoes, she had wrapped them in tissue paper so that if her drink spilled they would be partly protected. As normal there was nothing interesting in the register and Sharvona was only too glad when the bell rang for the next lesson.

“Megan, wait for me a second can’t you”, called Sharvona flinging her bag over her shoulder and chasing after her.

“Sorry I was in a bit of a hurry, you know what she’s like about punctuality”, grimaced Megan as she opened the door. Most of the class was there already, going over their presentations and getting their friends to listen to them. The noise was deafening and in the middle of the confusion Miss Carson walked in with a sheaf of papers. The noise died down instantly and the offenders slunk guiltily back into their seats. Miss Carson put her papers on the desk and sat down.

“Girls I could hear you from half-way down the corridor. I expect to be able to leave the classroom without it turning into some kind of zoo. I am very disappointed; if you can’t behave sensibly we will not be doing anything fun. I don’t have to do this, I have my own marking to do and it would be very easy to give you a boring essay to complete. Now sit down and be quiet!”

There was a low shuffling of chairs as the class sat down. Miss Carson switched on the monitor and moved to sit by an empty desk.

“Okay, does anyone want to go first, or do I need to go down my list?  Right Savannah you can go first are you ready?”

“Miss I forgot my USB stick”

“Well telling me at the beginning of the lesson is not going to help; I gave you enough time to do your presentation. I want you to have it ready by tomorrow, Sharvona why don’t you go”, she suggested.

Sharvona grabbed her USB stick and sat down at the computer.

“Miss my presentation slides are short because I’m doing a demonstration afterwards”, explained Sharvona.

“That’s fine, you can start now”.

“As many of you know I do ballet and will be taking part in a gala event very soon , ballet is a form of classical dancing and most girls and boys will start around the age of 5”.

Meanwhile Miss Carson was looking at her mark sheet, Sharvona was obviously a very confident speaker and she had no doubt that she was going to give a brilliant dance display, she had never seen her dance before but she knew she must be good if she was to be in a gala. Once Sharvona had finished her PowerPoint she put on her shoes and clicked on the music link. The whole class sat entranced as Sharvona performed Coppelias’ solo, her movements were almost doll-like and she had her hair in two bunches. The music came to a pause and Sharvona curtsied to her audience; a burst of cheering and applauding issued. Sharvona smiled around pleased.

“Sharvona you are an absolute star, one day when you’re famous I’ll be very proud to say I was one of your teachers – right any questions?”

“I have a question, why did you start doing ballet?”

“I went to see my first ballet when I was 8 and I loved it so I asked my parents if I could have lessons”.

The rest of the lesson went quite smoothly and before anyone noticed the bell sounded.

“Pack up and hurry to your next lesson please”.

Sharvona put her ballet shoes away and waited for Megan outside.

“What you doing after school?”

“Ballet practise”

“Skeen”

“Come on Megan, I’ll come to see you on Saturday see?”

“Yeah and you’ll have another practise”, snapped Megan.

Sharvona felt hurt, why was Megan suddenly so snappy she was normally cheerful; well she would try to make it up to her, maybe she could invite her to the gala.

Chapter 6

“Did you know that apparently football helps with ballet?”

“Really, I never knew that”

“I think it is because you are using your legs and making them stronger. So in your case you will have pretty good balance in football because you do ballet”.

“So what will we be doing?” asked Sharvona as she laced up her trainers.

“We normally start with a brief lap of the gym and then we get into groups to practise skills. You can be in my group today and I’ll show you what to do.”

Sharvona was a very quick learner and was soon almost as good as Megan.  Megan divided the groups into 10 players and an enthusiastic ten-aside match began. Sharvona felt very nervous when she saw just how quick the other players were. She tried hard to concentrate as the ball was passed to her; she dribbled it down the centre court and gave a neat pass to Megan. Megan kicked the ball to Anna who was tackled by an opposing player. Anna held her ground and the ball shot straight pass the surprised goal keeper.

“Way to go Anna that was great!” exclaimed Megan clapping her on the back. She turned to Sharvona, “you were good too, considering it’s your first time playing”.

Later Megan and Sharvona were sitting in their form class.  Sharvona pulled out her science book and set it on the table.

“Don’t tell me you never did your homework”

“What homework?” asked Sharvona looking puzzled.

Megan sighed and opened Sharvona’s  book . “These sheets remember, you had to do the quiz and answer the questions. You know what Miss is like , you’ll be in big trouble if you have only done half. I’ll tell you what , I’ll help you with the homework seeing as I’ve already done mine”.

Megan pulled out her own exercise book and proceeded to explain the work to Sharvona. After a few minutes she let Sharvona complete the work on her own.

“You’re so good at science Sharvy , I can’t understand why you don’t try to do all your homework”

“You know why , I have ballet practise almost every day after school. I try to get some done but I’m just too tired in the evenings”.

“Will there ever be a time when the school work clashes with ballet?”

“I hope not because I’ll have to choose between one and the other”

“Well in that case you’d better choose school work. At least you know that it’s definite in a way”.

The rest of the class came clattering in , Sharvona put away her science book and stared out of the window. She knew that Megan was right , ballet was causing a problem but she wanted to a Prima Ballerina and make her mum and dad proud of her. She would just need to really work hard to ensure that she could stay on top of all her school work. She sighed and tried to think of a way to overcome the mountain of troubles that seemed to have emerged from thin air.

2 hours later Sharvona was in the ballet room. Madam Tarknova was sitting by the piano playing a soft scale over and over again. She looked up when Sharvona came in.

“Ah Sharvona , you are here at last. I have decided what dance you are doing for the gala , it will be the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy ; not to hard I believe and an excellent way to showcase your talents. You will have most probably heard this piece of music before”.

She switched on her laptop and placed a CD into the drive. Sharvona sat entranced as the first few bars of music played and the Sugar Plum Fairy danced gracefully across the stage in a tutu of candy coloured pink embellished with silver stars.

“I wish I could dance like that”, sighed Sharvona when the video was finished. Her teacher looked at her seriously.

“Sharvona people don’t become good dancers because they are brilliant at dancing, yes you need a good technique but you also need to trust yourself and have some confidence in yourself. Sometimes not having enough confidence can be just as bad as having too much”, she smiled.

Sharvona walked over to her ballet bag and pulled out her shoes. She looked at them closely, they had been earned through hard work and determination and there was no way she was going to lose the privilege of wearing them. She considered it a great honour to be chosen to dance in the gala; there were probably girls nationwide if not internationally who would love to be in her position.

She placed on arm on the barre and executed a perfect battement de tendu with her toe pointed at the correct angle. She practised her attitudes and pirouette positions before moving to the middle of the room for centre practise.

“Sharvona, I want you to try and perform as much of the dance as you can remember, the movements are not as complicated as they seem; they are all ones that you know but I will teach you the other parts later”.

Sharvona adjusted her shoes and waited for the music to begin. She tried to think of herself as a fairy, light and airy. Her light feeling spread throughout her and she felt as though she were dancing on air. She hardly noticed when the music stopped and she had to do a very hasty curtsy.

“Well done Sharvona, I can see that you really lost yourself in the music and danced to the best of your ability. I am very proud of you even though you haven’t already performed in the gala. Speaking of which, I must tell you that the gala is in 2 weeks’ time on the 18th of July. I’ll give you more information nearer the time but for now just keep practising, yes?”

“Yes Madame Tarknova”

“Good, I’ll see you on Saturday then”.

Chapter 5

“Sorry I’m late Miss Carson” apologized Sharvona.

“Do you have a note?”

“Yes Miss shall I bring it to you?”

“Yes thank you”

Miss Carson read the note and then nodded. Sharvona sat down in her chair and began pulling her books out.

“What happened Sharvy?”

“Wait till lunch then I’ll tell you”.

“Today girls we will be spending most of the lesson going in the ICT suite. I need you to get on with your presentations. Please leave the classroom quietly as there are other lessons taking place”.

Sharvona waited for Megan outside the door.          

“What are you doing your presentation on?”

“Well I haven’t quite decided yet, I mean it’s such an open topic. Will you be doing yours on ballet?”

“Yes, I need to ask Miss if I can do my presentation in the hall”.

The ICT room was large and modern. The computer screens had just been cleaned and several girls were using the monitors as mirrors.  Sharvona and Megan sat down at a computer each. Most of the class had already logged on. Sharvona opened up her PowerPoint; she flicked through the screen and then turned to Megan.

“What do you think?”

“Looks good, but maybe you need more pictures. I know why don’t you get photos of your ballet class?”

“Great idea! In fact I’ve got some with me now. I just need to plug in my SD card reader”.

Sharvona dug into her bag and pulled out her SD reader, she plugged it into the USB port and waited for it to load.

“Wow, is that you in that tutu?” breathed Megan.

Sharvona laughed, “that was just a photo shoot, I was helping to model for the magazine”.

“I’m guessing that the next one is of you doing your barre exercises?”

“You got that right. I think I’ll have 4 of these pictures in the presentation. My one is going to be quite short because I’m doing a dance demonstration afterwards”.

Sharvona noticed that Megan was staring blankly at her empty PowerPoint slide.

“Haven’t you decided what to do yet?”

“No” sighed Megan “I don’t really know what to do”

“You could do, ‘how to be the best friend in the world’”, suggested Sharvona.

Megan laughed and gave Sharvona a friendly punch on the arm. “Thanks but I need to think of something for a presentation”.

“Well what do you like doing?”

“Let’s see:  hanging out with you, football, swimming, drama, basketball”

“So you could do a presentation on football then, you’re the team captain in any case”

“Yeah, and I can put the photos from the tournament on the PowerPoint, thanks Sharvy”.

For 15 minutes the only sound to be heard was the clicking of computer mouse’s and the tapping of keyboard keys.

“Right girls it’s 5 to, everyone save your work log off and stand quietly behind your chairs. Can you all make sure you have your work completed for next lesson and save it either on a USB stick or on the school community folder? Please don’t save it your area because it wastes time”.

An eruption of chatter issued as the girls began saving their work and logging off their computers.

“Megan, are you going to football practise today?”

“Yeah, why don’t you come you’ll like it”

“But I’m not on the team”

“Doesn’t matter, just come with me and I’ll get you in”

“Megan, will you please stand quietly. Is there not one day where you are quiet!” snapped Miss Carson.

“I’ll buy some selotape for her mouth Miss”, joked Sharvona.

Miss Carson smiled, “thanks Sharvona”.

10 minutes later Megan and Sharvona were racing towards the canteen area. Although it was only ten minutes into lunch the canteen was teeming with life.

“We’d better get a packed lunch”, advised Megan as they queued up.

“Yeah, because we don’t want to be too full”, agreed Sharvona

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The break bell sounded and the girls poured out of the classroom. Sharvona raced towards the canteen area with Megan close behind her.

“I had no idea you were interested in sports”, Sharvona laughed.

“Well I do have other interests besides makeup and fashion. In any case you would need someone to play against and I’d rather it was me”

“Are you afraid that if anyone else plays tennis with me they’ll become my best friend?” asked Sharvona.

“Well not really, I mean I wouldn’t be jealous or anything. I’ve been friends with you for ages and if someone takes over I don’t know how I’ll handle it”, whispered Megan.

Sharvona put her arm through hers, “stop worrying about it, look let’s put our names down and see when the practise is”.

“You’ll be a natural at tennis; you are athletic in any case”.

“I know and also it will strengthen my arms and legs for ballet, so it has advantages to it”.

They signed their names on a piece of paper and went to the playground.

“They have their first practise today after school Sharvona, can you come?”

“I think so, because if it is from 3.20 to 4.20 then I can go to ballet afterwards… oh no the tap dance try-outs, I won’t be able to make it”, groaned Sharvona.

“Never mind, I won’t go either how about we go tomorrow instead”, suggested Megan.

“Yeah I’ll see what I’ve got on; maybe I have too many commitments?”

“I don’t think so; I think that at the moment you’re stressed because of the gala, once it is all over you will be able to relax”.

“Yeah I guess so” Sharvona.

Just then the bell rang for the end of break and Sharvona and Megan made their way to the gym.

“I wonder what sport we’re playing?” commented Megan, she was looking at the tennis nets and rackets scattered around the gym.

“I think we’re probably playing tennis Meg, so I won’t miss out on a practise after all. If we get changed quickly then you can partner me”.

5 minutes later the girls were dressed in green tracksuit bottoms and white polo tops trimmed with green and the school logo.

“Have you got a spare hairband Sharvy?”

“Yep, here catch” she called throwing her a white hairband. Megan tied back her hair and then picked up a racket.

“Your serve or my serve?” called Megan.

“Don’t know, we haven’t tossed for sides yet”

At that moment the gym teacher walked in. She was a young woman, of 20 with fair hair and brilliant blue eyes. She wore a peach tracksuit with white trainers and had her hair tied back with a rose hairband.

“How nice to see you ready early. You can start practising the backhand serves and the overhead shots” she said before walking away.

Sharvona and Megan took their places at the net; Sharvona bounced the tennis ball before giving it a graceful smack across the net. Megan raced to the backline and smashed it over the fence. They were an evenly matched pair, Megan was very athletic and Sharvona had a very graceful style.

“Hey guys you started already?” called Alice who was coming in with Sarah.

“We were inside in any case, why don’t you get a racket each and join us?”

Alice and Sarah picked up a racket and a game of doubles began. Since everyone was playing their hardest they did not notice the others begin to play in either singles or doubles; and no one noticed the teacher making notes on an A4 clipboard.

“Hey, I just noticed Miss is making notes, why?”

“I think it’s for the tournament against Manor High” said Sharvona, tying up her shoelace which had come undone. Sharvona was right, for towards the end of the lesson Miss Rose called the girls over.

“As some of you may be aware there is a tennis tournament coming up a week before half term. Today I have been paying special attention to the girls who put their names down to join the tournament. You all played very well; however I can only enter 10 of you for the tournament. The girls who have been chosen are: Sharvona, Alice, Megan, Sarah, Kyla, Sabrina, Saffron, Florence, Esther and Miriam. The others of you who have not be chosen, don’t despair, your time will come. All of the girls, who I have called, need to meet here tomorrow after school” she paused and glanced at the clock. “Right go and get changed, Sharvona when you have finished I want to talk to you”.

The girls raced off towards the changing room, Megan ran over and high-fived Sharvona.

“We’re in the tournament!” yelled Megan cartwheeling around the changing room. The others laughed.

“Hurry up and get changed idiot or you’ll be late for English” said Sharvona. She changed quickly and then slung her bag over her shoulder. She pushed open the door and called back over her shoulder.

“Wait for me Megan”.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The break bell sounded and the girls poured out of the classroom. Sharvona raced towards the canteen area with Megan close behind her.

“I had no idea you were interested in sports”, Sharvona laughed.

“Well I do have other interests besides makeup and fashion. In any case you would need someone to play against and I’d rather it was me”

“Are you afraid that if anyone else plays tennis with me they’ll become my best friend?” asked Sharvona.

“Well not really, I mean I wouldn’t be jealous or anything. I’ve been friends with you for ages and if someone takes over I don’t know how I’ll handle it”, whispered Megan.

Sharvona put her arm through hers, “stop worrying about it, look let’s put our names down and see when the practise is”.

“You’ll be a natural at tennis; you are athletic in any case”.

“I know and also it will strengthen my arms and legs for ballet, so it has advantages to it”.

They signed their names on a piece of paper and went to the playground.

“They have their first practise today after school Sharvona, can you come?”

“I think so, because if it is from 3.20 to 4.20 then I can go to ballet afterwards… oh no the tap dance try-outs, I won’t be able to make it”, groaned Sharvona.

“Never mind, I won’t go either how about we go tomorrow instead”, suggested Megan.

“Yeah I’ll see what I’ve got on; maybe I have too many commitments?”

“I don’t think so; I think that at the moment you’re stressed because of the gala, once it is all over you will be able to relax”.

“Yeah I guess so” Sharvona.

Just then the bell rang for the end of break and Sharvona and Megan made their way to the gym.

“I wonder what sport we’re playing?” commented Megan, she was looking at the tennis nets and rackets scattered around the gym.

“I think we’re probably playing tennis Meg, so I won’t miss out on a practise after all. If we get changed quickly then you can partner me”.

5 minutes later the girls were dressed in green tracksuit bottoms and white polo tops trimmed with green and the school logo.

“Have you got a spare hairband Sharvy?”

“Yep, here catch” she called throwing her a white hairband. Megan tied back her hair and then picked up a racket.

“Your serve or my serve?” called Megan.

“Don’t know, we haven’t tossed for sides yet”

At that moment the gym teacher walked in. She was a young woman, of 20 with fair hair and brilliant blue eyes. She wore a peach tracksuit with white trainers and had her hair tied back with a rose hairband.

“How nice to see you ready early. You can start practising the backhand serves and the overhead shots” she said before walking away.

Sharvona and Megan took their places at the net; Sharvona bounced the tennis ball before giving it a graceful smack across the net. Megan raced to the backline and smashed it over the fence. They were an evenly matched pair, Megan was very athletic and Sharvona had a very graceful style.

“Hey guys you started already?” called Alice who was coming in with Sarah.

“We were inside in any case, why don’t you get a racket each and join us?”

Alice and Sarah picked up a racket and a game of doubles began. Since everyone was playing their hardest they did not notice the others begin to play in either singles or doubles; and no one noticed the teacher making notes on an A4 clipboard.

“Hey, I just noticed Miss is making notes, why?”

“I think it’s for the tournament against Manor High” said Sharvona, tying up her shoelace which had come undone. Sharvona was right, for towards the end of the lesson Miss Rose called the girls over.

“As some of you may be aware there is a tennis tournament coming up a week before half term. Today I have been paying special attention to the girls who put their names down to join the tournament. You all played very well; however I can only enter 10 of you for the tournament. The girls who have been chosen are: Sharvona, Alice, Megan, Sarah, Kyla, Sabrina, Saffron, Florence, Esther and Miriam. The others of you who have not be chosen, don’t despair, your time will come. All of the girls, who I have called, need to meet here tomorrow after school” she paused and glanced at the clock. “Right go and get changed, Sharvona when you have finished I want to talk to you”.

The girls raced off towards the changing room, Megan ran over and high-fived Sharvona.

“We’re in the tournament!” yelled Megan cartwheeling around the changing room. The others laughed.

“Hurry up and get changed idiot or you’ll be late for English” said Sharvona. She changed quickly and then slung her bag over her shoulder. She pushed open the door and called back over her shoulder.

“Wait for me Megan”.