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She was dancing Odette's solo.
In a way, it felt strange. The part, so longed for, still felt like it was Nina's and when Lily practiced, she had a tendency to avoid Swan Lake altogether, though she could never put her finger on why it felt off. It was only a ballet, just another solo in a long line of beautiful solos and it wasn't like she hadn't danced it before. But it was still Nina's somehow.
Still, the studio was empty now, which meant Lily didn't have to hold herself back from anything. There was a noticeable lack of music and she wished she had her iPod, something she could disappear into, if only for a few moments. The music wasn't necessary to dance, but it was beautiful and it was important. And it wasn't here. Even so, she could dance the part, her shoes loud on the floor of the studio as she moved from one side to the other.
She paused to catch her breath, then moved back toward the barre and began again, her arms lifting as she looked toward the ceiling. Her hair was pulled off her face, but the bun was a mess, strands of hair slipping free, clinging to her damp forehead, but she couldn't be bothered to fix it. This wasn't a stage in New York, it wasn't a stage in California and there was no audience to complain about how untidy Odette looked in that night's performance.
It wasn't late, but classes were done for the day and she didn't expect to see anyone else as she hummed the solo quietly. She never got the chance to dance the part in New York, but here she could have any part she wanted, even if only for an evening. And this evening, she was Odette, even if it still felt like it would never truly be hers.
In a way, it felt strange. The part, so longed for, still felt like it was Nina's and when Lily practiced, she had a tendency to avoid Swan Lake altogether, though she could never put her finger on why it felt off. It was only a ballet, just another solo in a long line of beautiful solos and it wasn't like she hadn't danced it before. But it was still Nina's somehow.
Still, the studio was empty now, which meant Lily didn't have to hold herself back from anything. There was a noticeable lack of music and she wished she had her iPod, something she could disappear into, if only for a few moments. The music wasn't necessary to dance, but it was beautiful and it was important. And it wasn't here. Even so, she could dance the part, her shoes loud on the floor of the studio as she moved from one side to the other.
She paused to catch her breath, then moved back toward the barre and began again, her arms lifting as she looked toward the ceiling. Her hair was pulled off her face, but the bun was a mess, strands of hair slipping free, clinging to her damp forehead, but she couldn't be bothered to fix it. This wasn't a stage in New York, it wasn't a stage in California and there was no audience to complain about how untidy Odette looked in that night's performance.
It wasn't late, but classes were done for the day and she didn't expect to see anyone else as she hummed the solo quietly. She never got the chance to dance the part in New York, but here she could have any part she wanted, even if only for an evening. And this evening, she was Odette, even if it still felt like it would never truly be hers.