“Anna?” Alexandra said disgustedly. “Why her? Okay, okay, we’ll all go.” She grabbed her uniform and went to get changed.
Up in the studio, Alexandra went to the center barre, mirror side, Mao and Jessica quickly moving to make room for her.
“Aww, Lexi, I missed you baby!” said Tristan, smirking at her.
“Missed you toooo, honey sugar,” she said matching his tone and smiling at him.
“Come, I’ll stretch your feet if you tell me how it was, Miss Bronze!” Tristan rolled over to her. “Did you find any hot guys?”
“No, the only straight one was five feet tall and didn’t speak English,” Alexandra sighed, sticking out her feet to be stretched.
“Well, were there any hot ones that were sort of bent? Slightly curvy?” Tristan asked, giggling up at her. “God, your feet are like rocks. My arms are in pain!”
“Ow!” Alexandra groaned. “Um, there was one that was, like, almost a full circle, but he was really good looking. He got to finals, but didn’t win anything. I added him on Facebook, so I can show you later if you want.” Mr. Yu walked into the room grinning happily. “This is going to be a good class!” Alexandra whispered excitedly to everyone in the general vicinity.
Mr. Yu walked over to the barre and bent over backwards on it, cracking his back. Swinging his arms violently, and then pushing his hips out towards all four corners of the room, he proceeded to pop and crack every part of his body. Finished, he began stretching his hamstrings and said, “Before you take class, you should crack everything.”
“Uh oh,” groaned Tristan to Delilah. “I think this is gonna be a lecture day.”
Mr. Yu continued, “Ballet dancing is the hardest sport. It is not just a sport, because it is art. That makes it double, triple times harder. And ballet dancers need to be smart,” he tapped his head. “Cannot be stupid. Actually, ballet makes you smarter. That is why you need to work double, triple times. Stretching when you warm … not as good as when cold. If you want to be flexible, you should stretch when you first wake up, before you go to school, when the body is cold.”
“I think that goes against what every other fitness instructor and physiotherapist in the world would say,” Julian whispered to Tristan.
“Wait, it gets better,” Tristan said gleefully.
“At Beijing Ballet Academy, we would run in the park. At maybe 5:30 or 6:30. First run, then run with jumps, all through the park. After this, we would stretch on trees,” Mr. Yu continued, sticking his leg on the bar and bending his body over his leg to demonstrate how they stretched.
“I can’t believe he can still do that,” Julian whispered in astonishment, as Mr. Yu pulled his toes till they rested under his chin, his whole body lying flat on his leg.
“He keeps flexible by showing off for us,” Tristan said cynically.
“Canadians are wasteful,” said Mr. Yu, suddenly changing the topic. “In China, nothing is wasted. Even hair is sold. You die, hair sold. Make stuff like the eyelashes you wear for performance.”
“Ewww!” the class groaned in unison. Mr. Yu looked pleased with himself, having achieved the effect he wanted.
“You mean when it says ‘real hair’ on the fake eyelash box they mean it? And it comes off of dead people?” Alexandra asked horrified. Mr. Yu nodded. “Gross!”
“Okay, pliés,” said Mr. Yu, satisfied. He taught a very exhausting class, and everyone left the room groaning and complaining about their various body parts. Alexandra beamed happily as she left: a good hard class was exactly what she’d needed.
They moved languidly as they added layers, rolled up tights and pants, and took down their hair for contemporary class. The class took little interest in the contemporary teacher. She was wearing Lululemon pants and looked like almost every other contemporary teacher, not a ballet teacher.
Mrs. Demidovski walked into the studio, her heels clicking firmly on the floor. “Hello,” she said, staring around at the class. Almost a quarter of the students were missing. “Where are the rest of the students?” No one answered. Angela put up her hand, but Mrs. Demidovski ignored her. “Tristan! Come here.” Tristan obeyed. “Sit down,” The class immediately fell to the floor, happy for the break. Tristan dropped to the ground right in front of Mrs. Demidovski and folded his long legs into a cross-legged position. “Tristan,” she asked. “Where is everyone?”
“I don’t know,” he put a sincere expression on his face. “Maybe they are sick?”
Angela rocked back and forth, whispering urgently to Jessica, “They’re not sick, they’re skipping! Just because its contemporary doesn’t mean they can skip!”
“Quiet, please!” Mrs. Demidovski sounded irritated. “It’s okay, it’s okay …” she gestured at Tristan to move back again. He scooted back on his butt, coming to a halt between Delilah and Julian. Coughing, Mrs. Demidovski introduced the new teacher. “This is … Sukuuuya. Sukuuuya Paulen.”
“Actually,” corrected the contemporary teacher, smiling sweetly, “it’s Sequoia.”
“Oh god, another freak,” Alexandra whispered to Anna.
“I, like, need to meditate right now,” answered Anna, sighing. “I can’t move.” Mrs. Demidovski frowned at the girls.
“Yes, Sukuuuya,” Mrs. Demidovski said firmly. “Sukuuuya is a very good teacher. She teaches all over world. Everybody likes her very much. I want everyone to take the contemporary class, and work hard. Maybe those who do not have good feet, too tall, too this, too that,” she mimed huge boobs, “you can do contemporary. Many things not okay for ballet, okay in contemporary. You try. See?” she said gesturing at Sequoia. “She maybe not have so good body for ballet, no good feet, try contemporary. Possible okay.” Sequoia looked at her, her vague expression focusing into an expression of sadness for the unenlightened. Looking rather uncomfortable, Mrs. Demidovski started to leave, saying, “Tristan, you tell all boys must come to contemporary class! De-Li-Lah, you tell girls.”
“Class, I am so happy that we have this opportunity to get to know each other,” said Sequoia. “I want everyone to just scatter around the floor, but not too far. If you have something on your feet, I want you to take it off,” Alexandra groaned. Now she knew her blister was going to get infected for sure. “Take your hair down if it is still up. I want you to be able to feel it swing and lead you.”
“Eww,” Alexandra complained to Anna, “my hair is all sweaty and gross. And the gel isn’t helping.”
Kaitlyn was at the front. She kept her eyes on the teacher, nodding after everything she said.
“Do you believe that?” Anna whispered to Alexandra, pointed at Kaitlyn.
“Mphh,” Alexandra muttered, not paying attention and trying to smooth her hair down in the mirror.
“Everyone, just walk,” said Sequoia. “Let your arms swing, and breathe normally. Walk at a steady pace, pick a path and keep on that path, but do not walk into anyone.… Now, speed up, and move closer to each other. Yes, weaving in and out, through each other, tighter.…
