And All That Jazz (7 page)

Adjudication time! The moment of truth! I wondered if Silver Shoes could take home first, second and third. Would it be me with the tallest trophy?

Miss Caroline was standing at the side of the stage with us. Sometimes when she's side-stage she stares out through the wings and looks all dreamy. I guess she's remembering when she used to dance. But today she just
looked very excited for her Silver Shoes girls. Jasmine, Ashley and I each got a squeeze on the arm as we walked out onto the stage to hear the results.

The audience clapped for us again and over all of them I heard Lucas yelling, ‘Ellie, Ellie!' I gave him an embarrassed wave and everyone laughed. Then he stood up on the seat, held his arms out like a T-rex, and yelled ‘Rawwwrrrrr!' The audience loved it. Geez. It was like he was the one up on stage, not me!

After he'd got the most out of his ten seconds of fame (well, it was cute), the adjudicator said how delighted she was with this section, and what great choices of music and different styles of jazz she'd seen this afternoon. ‘Keep working on your technique,' she said, ‘and keep up all that wonderful energy.'

She then read out her choice for honourable mention – I secretly crossed my fingers that it wasn't me. There's nothing wrong with getting an HM, of course, but I was really after something a little higher for my solo. I'd worked so hard.

The HM went to a girl from Isolation. We all clapped for her as she collected her ribbon, but my mind was somewhere else.

Three places left. Jasmine. Ashley. Me. I felt sure it would come down to us. I kept my smile big, but I was starting to get tummy somersaults again.

‘Third place goes to a performer who was a breath of fresh air; so much fun and such a great understanding of the music – I really enjoyed this performance. Congratulations to competitor number one, Ashley.'

Ashley for third! You could tell she was thrilled. I was actually really happy for her.
But Ashley getting third meant there were now only two places left. I was so busy thinking about it that I didn't even realise the adjudicator had started speaking again. I only tuned in when I heard her say, ‘What a performer, competitor number ten, Eleanor!'

That was me! I looked over at the wings and there was the presenter, holding out my trophy. My brain clicked back into the present and I curtsied and dashed over to receive it. But what was it? Second or first? I almost didn't want to look.

But I did.

Second.

I'd come second.

And when I looked up again, Jasmine was rushing over to receive her first-place trophy.

Jasmine had won.

Jasmine, who threw a clown nose at me, and whispered mean things in class, and
flashed her bright white teeth whenever Miss Caroline gave her a compliment (which was always).

For a moment I felt absolutely crushed.

But only for a moment.

Because Jasmine deserved to get first. She had danced brilliantly. It would have been nice if her personality was as brilliant as her dancing, but I guess you can't have it all.

And I was still the second-best jazz dancer in my age group. I'd danced in front of all these people, and it was amazing. And when I looked out into the audience, Lucas was jumping up and down in his chair and Mum was standing and clapping with a huge smile on her face. And Paige and Miss Caroline were waiting in the wings with the biggest, warmest hugs.

And I was part of Silver Shoes, the best dance school ever.

 

Full name:
Eleanor Charlotte Irvin

Nicknames:
Elle, Ellie

Age:
10

Favourite dance styles:
Jazz & Broadway

Best friend:
Paige

Family:
Mum, Dad, and my five-year-old brother, Lucas

Favourite colour:
Pink

Favourite food:
Milkshakes, pancakes and jelly snakes

Favourite school subjects:
Music and creative writing (why don't they have dance as a subject!)

Hobbies:
Singing, dancing, acting, watching dance movies, fashion, writing stories, putting on shows (even if only Lucas watches them!)

What I want to be when I grow up:
A dancer, of course! Or a famous choreographer.

Best dancing moment:
When I won the whole school talent show in Grade One. Or the first musical I ever saw (
42nd Street
). Or maybe when I beat Jasmine in the Under 8s Dancefest Competition. Actually, pretty much every time I dance!

Things I love:
Dancing, being on stage, musical theatre, the applause after a performance, my pink jazz boots, anything sparkly, pop music, playing dinosaurs with Lucas, my friends, and whenever Jasmine gets in trouble

A grand jeté is a leap from one leg to the other where one leg extends straight out in front and the other straight out behind. Follow the movements in the illustrations below, from left to right, to complete a grand jeté that looks graceful and effortless.

Tips

• Try to create an arc with your jump. A grand jeté should go up and over, not up and down.
  
• Keep your head up and your gaze forward. This will help you jump higher and land smoothly.
  

Hi everyone! Here are some jazz dance terms – there are heaps more, though! You might like to search on the internet for a ‘dance glossary', which will tell you a lot more about all the cool moves we do in class. I also love YouTube-ing them so I know exactly how they're done.

Love, Ellie

 

adjudicator
the person who judges a dance competition. He or she uses a points system to rate dancers on things such as skill, performance quality, difficulty and presentation.

aerial
a cartwheel performed without your hands on the floor

arabesque
to position yourself on one leg, with the other leg raised straight behind your body at 90 degrees or higher

attitude
a pose where one leg is raised in back or in front with your knee bent and toe pointed. Usually you raise one arm too.

axle jump
a turning jump where you take off and land on the same foot, keeping your body upright and tucking your right knee into your chest as you turn

barre
a bar at waist level used for support during warm-up exercises

chassé
a travelling or connecting three-step pattern that is basically a gliding gallop where the same foot always leads

choreographer
the ‘designer' of a dance routine. Choreography is all the moves,
sequences, patterns and form that make up a dance.

fouette
a whipping move, where one leg opens and closes quickly from second to passé, allowing you to turn on your other leg. Usually done on the spot.

front aerial
a front walkover without using hands for support; different from a side aerial, which is a cartwheel without using hands for support

grande jeté
to leap from one leg to the other where one leg extends straight out in front and the other straight out behind

passé
a turned-out position, where one leg makes a triangular shape as the inside toe passes or touches just below the kneecap of the supporting leg; can be either to the front or to the side

pirouette
a turn performed on one foot, on the spot

plié
to bend your knees in any of the five positions, with your body upright

pointe
position on the tips of your toes

sickled
when you point your feet but instead of making a straight line from your leg through to your foot, your ankle rolls inward

side split kick
when you kick your leg upward to the side while standing on one foot, aiming for a straddle split in the air

side split leap
you can also call this a straddle leap, where you jeté but to the side in a straddle position

splits
a physical position where your legs are in line with each other and stretched out in
opposite directions. You can straddle split or front split.

stag leap
a high leap or jump in a split but with both legs in a bent (attitude) position. Your arms should be straight up in the air and your body squared to the front.

straddle jump
to jump into the side splits from a standing position

switch leaps
a jeté but where you swing one leg forward and then back, lifting into a split leap, so your legs ‘switch' places in the air. Also called a scissor leap.

swizzle
an acro move performed with two people, where the person standing up lets the other person ‘fall' towards the floor, but swoops them up and around

transition
the movement, passage or change that you use to get from step to step

Samantha-Ellen Bound has been an actor, dancer, teacher, choreographer, author, bookseller, scriptwriter and many other things besides. She has published and won prizes for her short stories and scripts, but children's books are where her heart lies. Dancing is one of her most favourite things in the whole world. She splits her time between Tasmania, Melbourne, and living in her own head.

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