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.