The Smile of Dance

October 2, 2002
                             
The Smile of Dance
         “And five, six, seven and eight! Okay class, that’s it for today’s lesson. Thank you.” Kelly wiped the sweat from her face as she painfully walked from the room. Tap class was her favorite thing. She loved the old, dusty smell of pointe shoes and worn out taps. The long mirrors on the west side of the room were inviting to look at, and the freshly polished wood floor was made for tap dancing. Her teacher, Miss Heidi, always had a special scent to her. When Kelly smelled the scent, she knew she was in the right place and tap class was about to begin. However, class was over for today and Kelly made her way up the creaky steps to the dressing room. She heard her classmates talking with each other, wondering if anyone knew about her secret. As she drank from her water bottle, tasting the icy cold sensation in her mouth and feeling the condensation on her finger tips, she could feel the pain increase.
         Kelly was made to dance. She had the perfect legs for dancing that weren’t too short or too long. Her blond hair was pulled back in a tight bun, all the little flyaway hairs tucked away. She was a senior in high school who had ambition both in her school work and her dance. Once in the dressing room, she took off her tap shoes and pulled up her black tights over her feet. She reached down to her lower left leg. She knew something was wrong. Sharp pains had been bothering her throughout the week, like the excruciating pain of a failing grade in math class.
         She quickly pulled on sweats over her tights and leotard as Amanda walked in. Ever since the third grade, the two girls had been competing as dancers. They were never in competitions together, however they always just wanted to do better than the other girl. Amanda was taller than Kelly and had the build of a ballet dancer, even though she preferred tap. Her red hair flowed around her shoulders and her tap shoes were hanging from her right hand as she leaned back on her left leg. She looked disgusted as she peered over at Kelly. Her sneer always reminded Kelly of Ursula, the evil octopus in “The Little Mermaid” Disney movie. It was a look as if Amanda was after Kelly in some way. She is an evil octopus, thought Kelly.
         Everyday Kelly receives a nasty sneer from Amanda, but today she knew exactly why. They were both trying out for the one tap scholarship to go to a prestigious dance school in Boston. Tryouts were today, they both wanted the scholarship, and things were painful for Kelly. She had to deal with her leg and Amanda always eyeing her every move. She kept her leg injury a secret from everyone, even the teacher judges, who, if they knew, would disqualify Kelly from participating to earn the scholarship. The teachers always feared an injury would only worsen if it was continuously danced on. Kelly would not let the scholarship opportunity pass her by. She wanted it, and she was going to have it!
         Amanda, however, knew Kelly’s secret. She was saving to tell the teachers just minutes before the tryout. She would have to wait, though, because tryouts didn’t start until 1:30, one hour away, and then Kelly’s secret injury would be revealed. If Amanda knowing about the leg injury wasn’t enough, the teachers knew about it, too. They had been watching Kelly intently during class the last week and they knew no matter what, Kelly would not peep a word. She loved to dance too much, it showed in her every step. The scholarship was practically in the bag for Kelly Clarkson. The teachers knew Kelly would excel and use the scholarship to brighten her dancing career. The scholarship award fit Kelly like an old shoe fits its owner.
         The time had come. Kelly’s heart was racing. Usually, she doesn’t feel this way about performing, but because she was keeping a secret, she was nervous. At the dance school, it was against the rules to keep an injury a secret from the instructors. Kelly’s hands were clammy as she started her warm up exercises in the tap room. Shuffle, shuffle, ball change, ball change. She repeats it on her left side. Her leg tightens and she can feel the heat increase. She loosens the ties on her left tap shoe a bit. At the same time she was adjusting her shoe, there was a tap on the door. Kelly turns with a start, looks up at the clock above the stereo and realizes she still has thirty minutes before her tryout. Miss Heidi, with her brown, short, bob cut hair, walks in. The sounds of her step is magnified because she is wearing tap shoes and the room is empty except the two of them. She stops and puts her hands behind her back.
         “Amanda told me. Your injury. You know that will disqualify you from a chance at the scholarship,” Heidi begins, a serious tone in her voice.          
         Kelly swallows hard, a lump in her throat, her heart racing. Oh no! she thought to herself, there goes the scholarship!
         “However,” Heidi continues then pauses. The silence feels like time had stopped completely. Each second in the pause felt like an hour. “We feel you’re deserving of the scholarship...no matter what.”
         The light streamed through the laced curtains, light that was relevant to the way Kelly was starting to feel. The scent of Miss Heidi was near as she continued. A good smell. A comfortable smell. The smell of taping. The smell of the scholarship.
         “Your leg injury will not stop you from anything, especially dance. We feel you, Kelly. You’re amazing at what you do. Your leg will heal in time, for sure. To help it heal faster, we will award you the scholarship to the school in Boston. Congratulations, Kelly!” Heidi beams and opens her arms for a hug.
         Kelly was ecstatic. The blood was flowing through her again and her grin was never as big as it was at this very moment.
         “Thank you!” Kelly beamed. Tears welled up in her eyes that threatened to spill over, like a dam, releasing its waters. Kelly walked briskly out of the room, up the creaky stairs and into the auditorium where the tryouts were being held. No one was dancing, Amanda looked in shock, and everyone applauded Kelly as she walked in. Now this was the time that her smile was the most genuine it had ever been. The smile of achievement, hard work and pride. It was the smile of her love of dance.