it was members of the company. The Millennium Hall, where City Ballet performs, is only a few minutes away from the school – just a short walk down the Cut, near Waterloo station – so if they run out of rehearsal space they tend to come and use one of our studios, instead.
“It’s about time they were out! What are they rehearsing, anyway?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
“Let’s go take a look.”
We clustered outside the studio door, gazing through the glass panel. I could see Sean and Sergei Ivanov, another of the company’s leading dancers. They were moving energetically about the studio, ducking and dodging and every now and again lunging at each other. I couldn’t hear any music but I knew at once what they were doing.
“It’s Romeo and Juliet,” I said. The death of Mercutio. Very dramatic! “I’d forgotten they were bringing that back. It hasn’t been in the repertoire for ages.”
The others jostled to get a better look.
“Who’s dancing what?”
“Sean’s Mercutio, Sergei’s Tybalt.”
“I hate Tybalt,” said Caitlyn. “I can’t ever forgive him for killing Mercutio. Mercutio is so fun! Tybalt’s just a bully.”
“Well, but Mercutio does provoke him,” said Roz. “He does show off, rather.”
“That’s no excuse!” cried Caitlyn. And “Oh!” she wailed, turning her head away.
Oliver waved a hand. “Bye-bye, Mercutio!”
We all watched as Tybalt’s sword (imaginary, for rehearsal purposes) found its mark, plunging deep into Mercutio’s back.
“How cowardly is that?” said Caitlyn.
“Only way he could get him,” said Oliver.
We watched as Mercutio went staggering off, reeling and swaying, trying bravely to make out that he was all right, but growing steadily weaker until, in the end, his strength gave way and he sank down, mortally wounded.
Caitlyn wailed, “Oh, I hate this scene! When I first saw it, I really didn’t think he was going to die. Now I just can’t bear to watch it!”
“It’s one of the best bits,” said Carlo.
“It’s not! It’s heartbreaking.”
“But I thought Romeo and Juliet was one of your favourite ballets?” I said.
“They’re all her favourites.” Tiffany said it scathingly. “Just name me one ballet you don’t positively adore.”
“There are lots I don’t adore!”
“So, go on … tell me one.”
Roz cackled. “Anything that Sean’s not in!”
Caitlyn’s cheeks immediately turned pink. She is so easy to tease!
“I don’t much like ZigZag,” she said. “He dances in that.”
And then she glanced at me, obviously worried I might think she was being disrespectful. ZigZag is one of Dad’s ballets, but it’s a very early one from what Mum calls his abstract period. No storylines, just pure dance. It’s known in the family as Dad’s bendy ballet, cos of all the weird shapes the dancers have to twist themselves into.
“You’re just a hopeless romantic,” I told Caitlyn. “I bet you wouldn’t mind half so much if it was Sergei that got killed!”
The fact is she has this massive crush on my brother, though to be fair she’s not alone in that. I should think half the little ballet fans in the country have photos of Sean stuck on their bedroom walls. It really was time she started to grow out of it, though.
“Speaking personally,” said Tiffany, “I adore ZigZag. I think it’s really inventive.”
“It hasn’t got a lot of soul,” I said.
“So what? It’s clever! Makes a nice change from peasants doing their jolly peasant dances. You can get a bit sick of that.”
I privately agreed with her, but I wasn’t about to say so. It doesn’t do to agree too much with Tiffany. It just puffs her up and makes her even more big-headed than she already is.
“I don’t actually think that ZigZag is one of Dad’s best,” I said, “but I can see it might be your sort of thing.”
Tiffany bristled, immediately suspicious. “What’s that supposed to mean, my sort of thing?”
“Well …” I waved a hand. All I’d meant was that it suited her style of dancing: very brittle and showy without much in the way of emotion. Still, I didn’t want it to seem like I was criticising her; not on our first day back. We were bound to rub each other up the wrong way sooner or later – we always did. But for the moment I was in too good a mood to say anything that might upset her, even if she did tend to get on my nerves.
“It’s a ballet that needs a really strong technique,” I said. “That’s all.”
Tiffany made a little grunting sound.
“Not everybody could manage it,” I said.
“You could,” said Caitlyn. “You’ve got a strong technique.”
I said, “Yes, but technique’s not everything. I prefer parts where I can act as well as dance.”
“Obviously runs in the family,” said Oliver. He staggered and clutched at himself. “That was some death scene!”
Caitlyn pushed at him. “Stop it!”
“Why?” Oliver grinned. “It’s a great piece of acting!”
“I wish he’d dance Romeo,” said Caitlyn. “Why does he have to dance Mercutio? I’m sure he could dance Romeo, if he wanted.”
“Well, but Romeo dies too,” I said.
“Only right at the end. At least I could enjoy it up till then.”
“Oh, you’re such a softie!” jeered Roz.
Caitlyn hung her head. “I can’t help it. I don’t like sad things.”
“Giselle’s sad,” I said. “You adore Giselle!”
Roz cackled and said, “That’s cos it’s only Giselle that dies and not Sea— Oops!” She clapped a hand to her mouth. “Sorry! I mean Albrecht.”
We stood back as Sean and Sergei left the studio. There was a time when I might have said something, even if it was just “Hi”. To Sean, I mean. Everyone knows he’s my brother, but some people – Tiffany, for instance, and Amber, who’s her best friend – seemed to think it was gross for a lowly
