that energy going with. After her solo there were group dances from the intermediate level classes—all three classes of them, then the beginning level classes—four different groups, then a few solos before intermission when they would come back with the advanced level class dances and the troop dances, with Ariana closing the show as always.
Zahara looked at her reflection in the mirror once more and smiled. She had on far more makeup than she ever wore—which was easy to do because she never wore makeup. She liked the look of the makeup actually. She still looked like herself, just with more colors. Her hair was hanging in a straight ponytail combination that made her look hot, she would say. It was the first time she really looked at herself and thought she looked hot. The section of hair she had braided and wrapped around the ponytail like a cinnamon bun was pretty and made her feel like a sexy goddess.
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She was ready for this.
“Ten minutes,” Ariana patted her on the shoulder as she whisked on by her. Zahara smiled. Her few minutes of contemplative peace had nearly made her forget the chaos back stage. The first time performers in one of these shows seemed to be nervously trying to make sure their coin belts and other accessories were secure on their body. They had all heard the stories of dancers losing articles of clothing while shaking their body on the dance floor. Perhaps the most embarrassing of the stories was the one who had the unfortunate experience of her top coming off. At least she had managed to stop it from falling away from her breasts and gracefully dance herself off the stage in the process of continuing to conceal her breasts. Zahara thought that she personally would have ran off the stage with flushed cheeks and never returned, but Ariana assured her she would do no such thing. She was probably right. Zahara hoped she would handle the situation with grace too.
Thinking about what could go wrong with costuming made her double check her own costuming accessories. Because she knew the routine for the advanced level group Ariana had decided last minute that Zahara should dance the veil routine too. That was the dance that would come right before the last dance of the show—Ariana’s closing dance. Zahara had laughed when she realized that Ariana would not have made a decision last minute at all. Ariana had made sure she learned the routine, not because she wanted her to try out double veil dancing, but because she was plotting this move.
Two days before the show Ariana broke the news that she needed her to actually do the routine because the ladies had gotten used to the extra beautiful body in the routine and she didn’t want to throw them off by taking her out before the show. Zahara had tried to get out of it by reminding Ariana that she really only had the one stage costume. She had several class costumes, but this was her first really professional performance costume. Ariana hadn’t let her use that as an excuse. She had simply told her that the costume she wore for her first performance would work just perfectly for her second performance too. And of course she just happened to have matching veils for her to dance with. She had set her up. Somehow that didn’t upset Zahara at all. She was looking forward to it actually. Of course she was still nervous, but after the first dance she was going to be ready to go again—she always was. Although the last few times she danced in front of people had either been dancing in the class-only recitals where they danced their dances for the next level up, which last time had been in front of the troop instead of the next level up for her class, or the couple restaurant dance nights she had done outside of Round Rock.
She took another series of calming breaths as she listened to the announcements about the evening, the food, the basic have respect for the people around by not
Zahara looked at her reflection in the mirror once more and smiled. She had on far more makeup than she ever wore—which was easy to do because she never wore makeup. She liked the look of the makeup actually. She still looked like herself, just with more colors. Her hair was hanging in a straight ponytail combination that made her look hot, she would say. It was the first time she really looked at herself and thought she looked hot. The section of hair she had braided and wrapped around the ponytail like a cinnamon bun was pretty and made her feel like a sexy goddess.
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She was ready for this.
“Ten minutes,” Ariana patted her on the shoulder as she whisked on by her. Zahara smiled. Her few minutes of contemplative peace had nearly made her forget the chaos back stage. The first time performers in one of these shows seemed to be nervously trying to make sure their coin belts and other accessories were secure on their body. They had all heard the stories of dancers losing articles of clothing while shaking their body on the dance floor. Perhaps the most embarrassing of the stories was the one who had the unfortunate experience of her top coming off. At least she had managed to stop it from falling away from her breasts and gracefully dance herself off the stage in the process of continuing to conceal her breasts. Zahara thought that she personally would have ran off the stage with flushed cheeks and never returned, but Ariana assured her she would do no such thing. She was probably right. Zahara hoped she would handle the situation with grace too.
Thinking about what could go wrong with costuming made her double check her own costuming accessories. Because she knew the routine for the advanced level group Ariana had decided last minute that Zahara should dance the veil routine too. That was the dance that would come right before the last dance of the show—Ariana’s closing dance. Zahara had laughed when she realized that Ariana would not have made a decision last minute at all. Ariana had made sure she learned the routine, not because she wanted her to try out double veil dancing, but because she was plotting this move.
Two days before the show Ariana broke the news that she needed her to actually do the routine because the ladies had gotten used to the extra beautiful body in the routine and she didn’t want to throw them off by taking her out before the show. Zahara had tried to get out of it by reminding Ariana that she really only had the one stage costume. She had several class costumes, but this was her first really professional performance costume. Ariana hadn’t let her use that as an excuse. She had simply told her that the costume she wore for her first performance would work just perfectly for her second performance too. And of course she just happened to have matching veils for her to dance with. She had set her up. Somehow that didn’t upset Zahara at all. She was looking forward to it actually. Of course she was still nervous, but after the first dance she was going to be ready to go again—she always was. Although the last few times she danced in front of people had either been dancing in the class-only recitals where they danced their dances for the next level up, which last time had been in front of the troop instead of the next level up for her class, or the couple restaurant dance nights she had done outside of Round Rock.
She took another series of calming breaths as she listened to the announcements about the evening, the food, the basic have respect for the people around by not
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