By: Ellie Zhang 1

Crowds were lined up outside Dancefair, with the ticket booths almost completely swallowed up. The lines were moving inch by inch, almost tripping on one another.
“I’m a dancer.” Lucette showed her lanyard in front of the elderly staff who wrinkled up her mouth and eyes, squinting.

“Next,” She said in a quivery voice.

After Lucette passed through the gates, there were several humps of hills in front of her, each with a clump of people here and there at the vendor’s booths.
Ballet Pointes, read a sign as Lucette walked past. Below the tent cloth hung several pointe shoes–some ballet pink, some dark nude, and others white. At the back, there were sacks of shoes in shades of bordeaux and yellow and light blues, which didn’t quite sell out. They were only there for some cast members, like Nyasha and Hellen, who were from different cast days; both Alice In Wonderland in which they used light blue pointes.

Lucette was on the 3rd hill already, feeling like she did a whole Swan Lake recital. Up ahead, on the 4th mountain, she could see the giant Chaussure De Ballet; Ballet Shoe. It was a delicate and fragile-looking building, made up of tiny silver gems and shards. When the sun comes, everyone’s eyes are blinded from the shiny light reflected off.

“Dancers should be up ahead, 5th hall from the left, and turn again when you see the bathrooms. There will be another staff member there outside the practice room to tell you.” A guide named “Hatepo” as the tag said, bellowed in his poor Danish accent.
The building was much bigger inside, with a tall waterfall sprinkling onto Lucette’s cheeks. Countless people were lining up to check in for Les orteils en relevé; Toes on Releve.

The show was about to start, and the cast members got in line behind the curtains. Lucette was dusting off her silky top, and practicing her relevé and pirouettes.
“32 in a row is impressive.” Belle said in her usual sweet voice.
“Thank you. I still don’t know if I can do it on stage, though.” Replied Lucette, huffing and puffing.
As Belle was just going to calm her down, the narrator spoke.

“Ladies and gentlemen, little ones and elderly, welcome to Les orteils en relevé, our premiere show for this year! Please no flash photography as the show is about to begin,” He spoke, as the lights slowly faded away. “Please silence your cellphones, and no food inside the theaters. Thank you.”
Light footsteps could be heard traveling to the center of the stage, and then stopping.

The music started and the lights came on, revealing Cheyenne in her sparkling red platter tutu and Blara in her purposely designed-to-be brown and dusty powder-puff tutu with tiny rips and sews in them. The two arabesqued and did their pas de chat. Lucette couldn’t think as the song slowly faded away and a familiar song–her song slowly fading in. These dances were really quick! She tried running through her dance quickly, but finally, after Cheyenne and Blara came off the stage, it was her turn.