DANCING TO THE END - #WRITEAPAGEADAY #BLOGCHATTER
When she danced it was as if the whole world held its breath,
so graceful were her moves, her expressions and the emotions which spilled out
of her lustrous eyes. The first time her parents had taken her for a ballet
recital, she had watched, wide-eyed, her hands clenched, her heart beating so
loudly in time to the music. Before they got home, she had made up her mind.
She wanted to be a ballerina, and a world renowned one at that.
Her parents were ecstatic. Her mother had also wanted to learn
dancing, but she never got the chance to when she was growing up because her father
was a diplomat who moved about a great deal. She was determined to see that her
dream was realised by her daughter.
The classes began and they were gruelling. The little girl
suffered aches and pains, her toes were bruised with the routines. However, she
pushed herself to extremes and there were nights when she had to put her bleeding
feet in hot water to ease her pain. Her mother was amazed at her capacity to endure
the long, strenuous rehearsals. There was a fire deep within the girl’s heart to
become the best dancer ever.
Soon the hard work began to pay off. Newspapers began to write
about her, comparing her to the great artistes of all times. She turned into
the lead dancer and even her contemporaries gazed at her in awe as she
pirouetted her way into stardom, setting every stage she graced on fire. Her parents
were obviously proud of her achievements and there was a whole room at home
dedicated to all the trophies and prizes she had won.
Her final triumph came when she was chosen to play Odette in Tchaikovsky’s
famed ‘Swan Lake’, a ballet classic that held the elements of great passion,
betrayal and drama. She knew that this was the role that would catapult her to
fame. Her heart pounded at the very idea of being part of a recital so wondrous
and she put in her soul in the rehearsals, drinking in the beauty of the epic
drama. It was as if she needed nothing else – food, drink, rest or sleep. Her
mother pleaded with her to cut down on the routine which consumed her, but she
shook her head and continued to twirl around, long after all the other dancers
had gone home to rest.
One day, after a particularly difficult routine, she collapsed
on stage and the director, and her co-dancers, rushed her to hospital. She lay
there, pale and wan, as her parents hovered outside the ICU, their hearts in
their mouths.
“Your daughter is exhausted. Her body has collapsed due to the
strain,” the young doctor’s tone was grave. “She needs complete rest.
Obviously, she has not been eating enough and her body is weak.”
Her mother burst into tears. “Oh, doctor, it is all my fault. I
wanted her to become the best dancer ever and she took it too seriously. What
do we do now?”
Her husband held her hand, trying to console her. The doctor
gazed at her distress, but he had to break the bad news to her.
“I am afraid she will not be able to dance till her body recuperates.
She will need to stop her dance routines till she recovers completely.”
“That will break her heart,” her mother wept. “This is what
she has wanted to do ever since she was a child.”
The doctor was polite, but firm.
“No dancing, for at least the next few months! She can always
take it up again once her health improves.”
She lay in bed, tears rolling down her gaunt cheeks. How much
she had struggled to get to this point! She could not bear to think of giving
up ‘Swan Lake’, not when she had come this far. The recital was five months
away and she knew that she had to get back onstage to play the role of her
life. She dashed her tears away, and assured the doctor that she would work on
her health. All she wanted to do was play the role of Odette.
The next two months went by as she took particular care of her
diet, her rest and her exercise. She did her normal dance routines, taking care
not to overstrain. The doctor was happy with her progress as he monitored all
her levels. By the fourth month, she had a bloom on her face, and a smile as
she slowly got back to her dancing in tiny doses.
“No strain, mind you!” warned the doctor who was keeping an
eagle eye on her progress.
********
The audience held its collective breath as they watched the
enthralling ballet recital come to life on stage. The exquisite music of Tchaikovsky,
the grace and beauty of the dancers in their tutus, the enchanting story of the
Prince who fell in love with Odette. When she made her appearance, she owned
the stage with her radiant presence. The swan song left not a dry eye as she
danced her heart out. The applause at the end went on and on, with shouts of ‘Encore!
Encore!” As she bowed low along with her fellow dancers, she knew that this was
the happiest she would ever be, this perfect moment that she had dreamt of all
her life.
Her parents hugged her as she came towards them, her mother’s
eyes awash with happy tears.
“My child, you have achieved the impossible! We couldn’t be
prouder of you!”
As the accolades continued and people kept congratulating her,
she looked around for the one person she hoped to see. Her gaze moved from
person to person and suddenly, there he stood, his eyes filled with admiration.
She blushed as she held her slender arm out to him. He came closer and he took
her hand in his and lifted it to his lips.
“You are magnificent!” he whispered in her ear as she blushed all
over again.
It had been a tough challenge, but he had met it headlong, little
realising that he would lose his heart to his patient.
She leaned forward and whispered back, “You are magnificent yourself!”
An invigorating tale. 👍
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