Lights fade, the show is over.
now tip toeing behind a black curtain.
A line of pink tutus, walks towards the exit.

I turn to Emily in the hall, our eyes meet,
congratulating each other with a high five.
We turn towards the dressing room, inside about forty girls,
ages three to eighteen.

Glitter and makeup everywhere,
costumes cover the room,
stray dance shoes cover the floor.

Our things are thrown in the corner,
mirrors and the lights cover the walls above.
Bags of makeup and shoes, placed messily along a counter.

Time for the finale,
girls appear at the entrance to the dressing room,
scrambling to find their things.

Dressed in purple shirts,
black booty shorts, and jazz shoes,
Emily and I hustle into the hall, into the wings.
Staring between people, onto the stage.

A tap on my shoulder, Mrs. Sue.
She is close enough to be able to hear her breaths
Close to my ear she whispers:
¨I’m going to have those girls move,
make a line there behind Stephanie.¨

Mrs. Sue walks over to the girls,
she whispers something,
and they all flee the area.

Three of us walk over to the edge of the stage
hidden, by a tall black curtain.
All the nerves flood in at once,
I’m hot,
starting to sweat,
and heart beginning to race.

My name is called, all the attention is on me,
clapping, yelling, whistling.
Mrs. Roxana my dance teacher turns, and places a metal over my head.

It says:
¨Roxana’s Dance Expressions
Five Year Dancer.”

Looking into the pit of darkness, that is the audience,
I smile,
bow and turn to skip off the stage,
with the biggest smile.