by Doris Miller
Diane D, Michael, Mary, Barry, Margarita, Tomas, Tonio and Marilyn walk down the corridor of a dance studio with Gordon, a black male around his early 40's who’s the director of the dance studio as Diane D carries seven cream colored dance outfits in plastic bags. Diane D turns to Gordon and asks, “Now who did you say our extra dancers were gonna be?”
“Some of the dancers from the Norton's School of Dance,” Gordon says. “There's ten of them that are gonna dance with you and the Dianettes. Five women and five men. You're gonna love these people Diane D. They're real good dancers.”
“Okay,” Mary says. “Let's meet them.”
“Okay.” Gordon turns his head around towards the other end of the hallway and shouts, “Jack! Y'all come here!”
Ten dancers, five men and five women of all mixed ethnicities around their twenty's and thirty's hurry towards Diane D and her family. They become excited and shout, “Oh my God! It’s Diane D! Hello Diane D!”
Gordon turns to Diane D and says, “Diane D, this is Jack, the choreographer of the dancers.”
“Hey Diane D!” Jack, a tall black male dancer around his mid 30’s who’s bald, smiles and says. “We always wanted to get a chance to meet you Diane D! Especially get a chance to dance on stage with you and the Dianettes! I can't believe it's going to happen! Well where are the Dianettes? Can't wait to meet them too!”
Diane D turns around towards the end of the hallway. She sees the Dianettes and says, “Oh here they are.” She calls out to the Dianettes and says, “Hey girls! Come and meet who we're going to dance with at our next show!”
The Dianettes hurry down the hall.
The Dianettes approach Diane D as Diane D says to them, “These are the dancers we're going to dance with. These dancers are from the Norton's School of Dance.”
The Dianettes look at the dancers. Then they look at Margarita and Mary as Nancy asks, “These are gonna be our dance partners?”
“They're going to dance with us?” Lonna asks.
“Yes,” Mary says.
“Where are the dancers from Africa?” Miranda asks.
“Yeah we thought they were gonna dance with us at our next show,” Charlotte says.
“They were,” Margarita says, “but they couldn't make it for the next performance.”
“But we were hoping to dance with them again,” Bernice says.
“I know Bernice, but for right now, you girls have to settle and dance with these dancers.”
“We wanted the dancers from Africa.”
“What difference does it make?” Mary says. “The dancers from Africa couldn't be here.”
“Well if the dancers from Africa aren't gonna dance with us, I don't know if I want to dance with anybody else,” Lonna says.
“Lonna the show is in another month,” Diane D says. “The dancers from Africa are not gonna make it here by then and we have to hurry and practice. Besides, I'm sure these dancers are good. Come on, it's not gonna be so bad. It's gonna be okay.” Diane D turns to Gordon and says, “Gordon where's the dressing room?”
“Just go right upstairs way down the hall to the left,” Gordon says. “You'll find it.”
“Thanks.” Diane D turns to the Dianettes and says, “Come on girls. We got to get ready and get changed.”
“How's your ankle Kelly?” Margarita says. “Does it feel better?”
“Yeah,” Kelly says. “It feels much better after y'all wrapped it in this bandage.”
“Are you sure you're able to practice?” Barry asks. “If not, you can still rest.”
“No that's okay Uncle Barry. I'm able to practice.”
“What happened to your ankle?” Gordon asks.
“Oh she twisted during rehearsal a week ago,” Margarita says. “We just want to make sure her ankle is okay and not to put too much strain on it.”
“Oh I see.”
“Okay girls y'all get going and get changed.”
“Okay Grandma,” Diane D says. She turns to the Dianettes and says, “Come on girls.” Diane D goes off as the Dianettes look at Jack and his dancers, then follow off after Diane D.
Gordon, Jack and the dancers look at the Dianettes. They then turn to Diane D's family as Jack says, “The Dianettes are not happy at all about dancing with us, are they?”
“They miss the dancers from Africa,” Margarita says, “but they'll get over it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes we're sure.”
“Okay,” Gordon says. “Well if you all want, you all can come to my office now.”
“Okay.”
Gordon leads Diane D's family and the Norton School dancers down the hallway.
Several minutes later, Diane D's family is sitting in the office with Gordon drinking coffee. Gordon turns to Diane D’s family and says, “So how are the Diaz-Davidson Youth performers and Athletes doing? Do they still perform games and shows with your organization?”
“Yes,” Margarita says, “but they‘re all on break right now.”
“They are?”
“Yeah.”
“I see. How are those twin brothers doing?”
“You mean Mike and Mitch?”
“Yeah. Where are they?”
“They got into trouble again.”
“No kidding! What did they do this time? Get into another fist fight with some other kids?”
“Wow,” Barry says. “You seem to know Mike and Mitch pretty well, don’t you?”
“I think everybody knows Mike and Mitch pretty well Mr. Barry. They do have a reputation. So where are they, in juvenile detention again?”
“No not this time Gordon. This time, they got sent back to Germany to live with their dad’s relatives for a while.”
“They’re living in Germany right now?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow! How long will they be living in Germany?”
“Maybe for a year or so.”
“For a year or so?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you all feel about that?”
“At the rate Mike and Mitch were going, constantly getting into fights with other kids and everything and going back and forth to court and juvenile detention, it’s a real break for all of us.”
“And it’s a break we all really needed,” Tomas says.
“I guess it is,” Gordon says. “So when will you all get to see them again?”
“Well we’re going to do a show in Germany sometime in the future,” Barry says. “Mike and Mitch’s family in Germany says while we’re in Germany, we can stay with them.”
“What? Mike and Mitch relatives in Germany say you all can stay with them?”
“Yes and while we‘re staying with them, Mike and Mitch will be there too and we‘ll see them.”
“Wow, that’s nice! How long will you be staying with Mike and Mitch‘s relatives?”
“For two or three weeks.”
“For two or three weeks?”
“Yeah.”
“They said it’s the least they can do for us after us putting up with Mike and Mitch for all these years,” Tomas says.
“I know what they mean,” Gordon says.
The door suddenly swings opens. A tall slim black male dancer hurries into the office and shouts, “They're arguing in the ladies' dressing room!”
“What!” everybody shouts.
“Who's arguing?” Gordon shouts.
“The Dianettes and the female dancers from the Norton school!” the male dancer shouts. Everybody hurries out of the room.
Five of the Dianettes, Nancy, Miranda, Charlotte, Lonna and Bernice are arguing with the five female dancers in the female dressing room as Nancy shouts, “Why don't y'all just leave so we can get changed!”
“No!” one of the Norton School female dancers shouts. “We got to get changed too!”
Diane D's family and Gordon rush to the commotion as Barry shouts, “What the hell is going on here?!”
“Th
ey're trying to kick us out the dressing room!” a second Norton School female dancer shouts.
“No we aren't!” Charlotte shouts.
“Yes y'all are!” the first female dancer shouts.
“It's not that we're trying to kick them out Uncle Barry!” Lonna shouts. “It's just that we want to get changed and they're in the way!”
“No y'all in the way because we have to get changed also! Y'all leave!”
“Wait a minute!” Bernice shouts. “Y'all want the dressing room, fine, have it your way!” Bernice turns to the rest of Dianettes and says, “Let's go y'all.” The Dianettes are about to leave.
“Now wait a minute!” Mary shouts. “It seems to me you two groups don't want to co-operate with each other!”
“We are trying to co-operate with them Aunt Mary!” Miranda shouts. “It's just that it's impossible for both groups to be in here together!”
“Yeah we need our own space!” Lonna shouts.
“Your own space?” Mary says. She looks around and asks, “Where are Diane and Kelly?“
“Diane took Kelly downstairs for a minute.”
“Listen, I'll tell y'all what,” Margarita says. “Why don't you girls stay in here and get changed and these dancers from the Norton School come with me then use this room when you all are finished. How about that?” Nancy, Miranda, Charlotte, Lonna and Bernice turn and look at the Norton School dancers. The Norton School dancers look at Nancy, Miranda, Charlotte, Lonna and Bernice. The Norton School dancers then walk towards Margarita and walk out the door. Margarita turns to Nancy, Miranda, Charlotte, Lonna and Bernice and says, “Now when you girls finish changing, I'll send these dancers back in here. Hurry and get changed.” Diane D's family leave the room as Margarita closes the door behind herself.
Around thirty minutes later, Margarita, Nancy, Lonna and Charlotte stand around together on the dance room floor as Nancy Lonna and Charlotte are dressed in the cream-colored dance shirts and dance leggings and long thick ponytails. “Hey everybody!” a voice shouts. Margarita, Nancy, Lonna and Charlotte turn around and look.
Bernice, Kelly and Miranda are at the doorway also dressed in the cream-colored dance outfits and long thick ponytails with Kelly in the middle as Bernice and Miranda hold on to her. Bernice then shouts, “Kelly's gonna test her ankle out now!”
“That's right everybody!” Kelly shouts. “So ready or not, here I come!” Kelly runs across the dance room floor towards Margarita, Nancy, Lonna and Charlotte and does a few somersaults and high flips! She then lands perfectly on her feet. They all clap and become excited for Kelly as they surround her.
“Alright Kelly!” Margarita, Nancy, Lonna and Charlotte say.
“Your ankle got better!” Margarita shouts. “That was great!”
“Thanks Grandma,” Kelly says. They all continue to happily surround Kelly.
Around fifteen minutes later, Mary, Barry, Tomas, Tonio, Marilyn and Gordon walk back into the office. Inside the office, Diane D is sitting backwards on a chair dressed in the cream-colored dance outfit and long thick ponytail down her back as Jack sits directly behind her also sitting backward on a chair as he and Diane D hold each other's hands doing a dance routine on the chair. Diane D then says, “Hey Mom, Dad, Grandpa check this out. How do y'all like this dance routine me and Jack are doing?”
“That looks nice Diane,” Barry says.
“It does? So what do y'all say? You think we can do this chair routine at our next performance?”
“I don't see why not,” Mary says. “That looks real nice.”
The door suddenly swings open again. One of the male dancers Horace, a big husky dark skinned black male, bursts into the room and shouts, “We're quitting!”
“What!” everyone shouts.
“We're quitting!”
“Quitting?” Gordon asks. “What do you mean you're quitting, Horace? What's going on?”
“The Dianettes don't want to rehearse with us! They keep saying they want the dancers from Africa! Are the dancers from Africa that important to them?!”
“Obvious it is,” Barry says.
“Well we all decided to quit! All the other dancers are in the dressing rooms right now changing back to their regular clothes! We're all leaving!”
“Now you all can't leave!” Diane D shouts. “The show starts in another month! We have to rehearse!”
“Yeah I was hoping to dance with Diane D and the Dianettes Horace!” Jack shouts.
“The Dianettes don't want to dance with us Jack!” Horace shouts. “They keep talking about the fellows from Africa that they wish those fellows from Africa were here!”
“But those fellows from Africa are not here!” Diane D shouts. “The girls already know that! Now come on, you guys have to rehearse with us!”
“Diane D, you and your girls can rehearse, but not with any of us! I'm sorry, but we're out of here!”
“Now wait a minute!” Tomas shouts. “We paid you and your dancers a lot of money to perform with Diane and the girls! I don't want to lose that money!”
“We rather pay you your money back then to be any place we're not wanted! You can call our dance school first thing in the morning and speak to Mac! He'll pay you your money back, but during the mean time, we're out of here!” Horace turns away.
Diane D gets up and hurries towards Horace and shouts, “But wait!”
Horace turns towards Diane D and says, “Sorry Diane D.” Horace turns back around and walks out the room.
Diane D worriedly turns to her parents and Tomas and shouts, “Mom, Dad, Grandpa what are we gonna do?!”
“I don't know what y'all gonna do Diane!” Mary shouts, “but I know what I'm gonna do! I'm gonna put those girls on a new assignment!” Mary is about to walk out the room.
“Wait a minute Mary!” Barry shouts. Mary stops and looks at Barry as he says, “Maybe we can try to work something out.”
“Work something out?! Like what?!”
Barry turns to Jack and says, “Jack, do you still want to dance with Diane?”
“Of course I do,” Jack says. “Soon as I heard my dance group might get a chance to dance and work on stage with Diane D and the Dianettes, that's all I've been thinking about!”
“Okay, here's what we're gonna do. Next month Diane and the girls will perform on stage. After their performance and everybody else's and the choir finish their performance, you and Diane can come on stage and do a performance together as a closing act. What do you say to that?”
“Woa that sounds great! I would love that!”
“That would give you the chance to still dance with Diane and you can do the performance y'all just did with the chairs.”
“Okay! I'm all for it!”
“Me too,” says Diane D.
“Okay good,” says Barry. “I'll go tell the girls. I'll be right back.” Barry heads towards the door and walks out the room, closing the door behind himself.
Barry enters the Dance Hall and approaches Margarita and the Dianettes. Margarita and the Dianettes turn to Barry as Barry says to them, “Hey listen up everybody. The dancers from the Norton School just quit. But Jack, who was supposed to be Diane's partner still wants to dance with her. What I decided to have done, is you girls and Diane will perform on stage. After your performance and everybody else's performance is finished, Diane and Jack will come out on stage and do a closing act.”
“What!” the Dianettes shout.
“Uncle Barry, we were supposed to do the closing act,” Miranda says. “Diane and all of us together, not this guy!”
“That's right Uncle Barry,” Charlotte says.
“I know,” Barry says. “Well how about you all, Diane and Jack.”
“No!” the Dianerttes say.
“No Jack,” Lonna says. “Because if he be there, I don't want to be there!”
“What?” Margarita says. “Now you girls are making it very difficult right now! Wha
t's wrong with Jack being with you all when you do a closing act?!”
“Because we were supposed to do it Grandma,” Bernice says.
“Okay you will do it! So would Jack, okay?”
“Hey Grandma, Uncle Barry, I have an idea,” Charlotte says. “How about those dancers from Africa do the closing act with us.”
“Yeah!” the rest of the Dianettes say.
Barry looks at the Dianettes. He then says, “Obviously the dancers from Africa are important to you all. Alright, I'll try to get those dancers from Africa.”
“You will?” the Dianettes asks.
“Yes I will.”
“How are going to do that Barry?” Margarita says. “Those dancers from Africa already said they couldn't make it next month.”
“I know Ma. Don't worry, I'll work something out.”
“Thanks Uncle Barry!” the Dianettes say as they happily hug Barry.
“Come on girls.” Barry turns and leads the Dianettes away as Margarita follows behind them.
The following day, a woman in the street is reading a small article in the newspaper that reads: DANCERS FROM THE NORTON SCHOOL QUIT REHEARSAL WITH DIANE D AND DIANETTES DUE TO DIFFERENCES WITH THE DIANETTES: The woman turns to several other people and says, “Hey. Did y'all read this article about the dancers from that Norton Dance School quitting rehearsal with Diane D and Dianettes?”
“Yeah, because the Dianettes keep wanting the dancers from Africa on their show,” one of the men says. “I read Diane D's dad is gonna try to bring those same African dancers back.”
“He is?”
“Oh I hope so, because I've seen those African dancers before and they're terrific. I'm planning to see Diane D and the Dianettes’ next show. I would love to see those African dancers there on stage with them again.”
“So would I.” The woman, the man and the rest of the people look at the article.
Two weeks later, Barry comes into the hallway with eight male dancers from Africa. He looks down the hallway and shouts, “Diane! Girls! Here they are!” Diane D and the Dianettes hurry down the hall towards Barry screaming with excitement. They approach the male dancers and start to hug all over them. “Y'all made it!” Diane D says.
“Yeah we did,” the African dancers say.
“Ariiiight!” the Dianettes say. Diane D and the Dianettes excitingly pull the male dancers away with them as Barry stands there and smiles on at them.
A woman in the street is reading a flyer. She becomes excited and turns to four other adults shouting, “Hey! The Diaz-Davidson Organization is gonna have a concert the week after next!”
“They are?” a second woman asks.
“Yeah! It says it right here!” The woman hands the flyer to the other people. The people take the flyer and look at it. It has a headline that reads: THE DAVIDSON ORGANIZATION PRESENTS: NICOLAS AND MICKEY DAVIDSON, DIANE D AND THE DIANETTES, MICHAEL AND THE DAVIDSON BAND, THE DAVIDSON CHOIR AND MANY MORE AT THE KORR'S THEATER!
“Oh wow!” a man says.
“It says Diane D's dad was able to get the dancers from Africa for their next performance!”
“He was?”
“Yeah! They're gonna perform at the theater in two weeks! They're selling tickets now! I'm gonna by some!”
The man turns to a second woman and asks, “You want to see the concert?”
“Sure I want to see it,” the second woman says. “I always wanted to see The Diaz-Davidson Organization's shows. Where do we purchase tickets from?”
“It has a number right here you can call,” the first woman says. “I'm gonna call that number when I get home.” She looks at the third woman and asks, “You going to the concert?”
“Yeah I want to go,” the third woman says. “I'll bring my family with me. You have an extra flyer on you?”
“No, someone just gave this one to me.”
“Well can I copy this number down?”
“Sure.”
“The third woman and the other people take pens and paper out of their pockets. They all start to copy the phone number down.
Diane D is at the Dance Studio standing on a platform in front of the room facing the Dianettes and the male dancers from Africa. Michael and the Band are on the side ready to play their instruments. The Dianettes each have microphones in their hands as Diane D waves her hand and finger at everyone and shouts, “Okay everybody! The concert is in two weeks, alright! We gotta be prepared to hit the stage, we don't have much time! We got to get these steps right! Now again, when I count to five, I want you all to do your steps and I want you girls to lift your feet up a little higher and sing louder, okay! Ready?! One, two, three four five, hit it!” Michael and the Band start to beat the drums and play the music.
The Dianettes and the dancers from Africa start to dance as the Dianettes sing, “Where's the party at? Where's the party at?”
Diane D steps off the platform. She walks slowly around the room, firmly watching everybody's steps and performance. She suddenly stops and looks across the room. She points her arm and finger across the room and shouts, “Uh let's get those steps right you two! You're a little off key!” Diane D continues to look across the room. She then walks around the room watching everybody's steps. She stops and stares at everybody‘s steps. She bends to the floor and puts her head near the floor, watching everybody's steps from below. She gets back up and firmly walks back to the front of the room.
Diane D steps up on the platform again and puts her arms out in the air towards everyone and shouts, “Hold it!” The music stops. Everyone in the room stops rehearsing and look at Diane D as Diane D shouts, “You guys are missing a step and missing a beat! Some of you are still off key! We're gonna go at it again! If you don't get the steps right this time, we're gonna go at it a few more rounds! Okay when I count to five, I want everybody to do their steps again! Ready?! One, two, three four five, hit it!” Michael and the Band start to beat the drums and play the music again.
The Dianettes and the dancers from Africa start to dance as the Dianettes sing, “Where's the Party At? Where's the Party At?”
Diane D steps off the platform and walks slowly around the room, firmly watching everybody's steps and performance again. She suddenly stops again. She stares at everybody steps. She bends to the floor and puts her head near the floor again, watching everybody's steps from below again. She gets back up and goes back to the front of the room again.
Diane D steps up on the platform again and puts her arms out in the air to everyone and shouting, “Hold it!” The music stops again. Everyone in the room stops rehearsing and look at Diane D again as Diane D shouts, “You guys are still missing a step and still off key! I'll tell you what! We're not gonna do this song and step! We're gonna try a different song, step and beat! But first we're gonna take a thirty minute break then come back and do a different tune and beat! So everybody, take a break!” Diane D turns and walks towards the side of the platform as she points her arms and index finger out towards Michael and says, “Michael let me speak to you for a minute!” Michael waits for Diane D as everyone else in the room heads towards the exit door.
Chapter 4
Controversy Over Diane D’s Dance Steps
