Katarina Ballerina

by Tiler Peck

  “Nope!” she said. “I told you, it’s going to be a surprise. I’d better go backstage and start getting ready.”

  “All right.” He bent down and kissed the top of her head. “Break a leg, sweetie.”

  “What?” Katarina asked. Why would her own father say something like that to her?

  But her dad just laughed. “Sorry! It means ‘good luck.’ ”

  “Ohhh, okay,” she said, giving him a quick hug. “See you after the show!”

  Katarina ran back to the choir room, which was where all the students participating in the talent show were supposed to get ready to perform. She spotted Amelie and Michael sitting by the window. Amelie was looking over the sheet music for the piano piece she was going to play, and Michael had a box filled with objects to juggle: balls, apples, and even four delicious-looking chocolate doughnuts with rainbow sprinkles.

  “They look so good,” Michael was saying when she walked up. “And I’m so hungry.…”

  “But you won’t have anything to juggle for your grand finale if you eat them!” Amelie replied.

  “I could just eat one, though, right?”

  “Hey, guys!” Katarina said, sitting down beside them. “Where’s Grant?”

  “In the audience,” Amelie said. “He never did figure out what he wanted to do for his talent.”

  “I thought he was going to do a magic act?” Katarina asked. Grant had told her all about it at recess the day before.

  “His sister wouldn’t let him borrow her pet rabbit,” Michael explained before he took a huge bite out of one of the doughnuts.

  “You ready to dance, Katarina?” Amelie asked.

  “Almost!” Katarina had given the recording of her music to Mrs. Murphy, who was in charge of the talent show, that morning, and she was wearing her swimsuit/leotard under her clothes. She took them off and pulled on her ballet shoes and tissue-paper tutu.

  “Ooh, that’s so pretty!” Amelie said, admiring the colored skirt.

  “Thanks!” Katarina said. “I made it myself.”

  “Okay, kids!” Mrs. Murphy appeared in the doorway of the choir room. “It’s time to start!”

  One by one, kids left the choir room to go perform on the stage of the auditorium. When it was Amelie’s turn, Katarina and Michael snuck into the theater’s wings to watch. Amelie walked confidently out onto the stage, sat down at the piano bench, cracked her knuckles once, and then started to play. She was great! Her fingers flew over the keys, never missing a note. Amelie would be stiff competition for that prize money.

  Michael went out next. He juggled the balls and then the apples perfectly, not dropping a single one. Then it was time for his grand finale—juggling the doughnuts—but he’d been munching on them all night and there was only one and a half left. The audience laughed when he told them what had happened, and they applauded when he juggled the one and a half doughnuts with one hand held behind his back. Katarina felt a little less nervous after watching him. At least she hadn’t eaten her tutu!

  Then Mrs. Murphy was announcing Katarina. This was it! She took a deep breath, walked out onto the stage, and looked out at the audience…

  … and the rows and rows and rows of faces staring back at her. There were so many more people than she’d expected! Had the auditorium always been so gigantic? It seemed at least ten times bigger than she remembered it. She loved dancing alone in her room, imagining a huge audience watching her, but it turned out real audiences were much scarier!

  A wave of nervousness crashed over Katarina like a tidal wave. She looked for the reassuring faces of her dad and Grant but couldn’t find them in the crowd, and then suddenly her music was playing over the speakers. It was time to dance, but she couldn’t remember a single step she’d practiced! Her mind had gone completely blank.

  But then she recognized the high violin notes where she normally spun. She did the spin, tottering a little, and her memory came back. She performed the moves she’d memorized, but everything felt a little off. Her jumps weren’t as high, her arms weren’t as graceful, and she was so busy worrying about all the people watching her and what they were thinking that she couldn’t lose herself in the music the way she usually did. She couldn’t wait for the song to be over so she could get off that stage.

  She made it through the dance, and though everyone clapped when she was done, Katarina was so disappointed that she felt like she might cry. She rushed off the stage, blinking to keep the tears at bay. That hadn’t even been close to the triumphant debut of her ballet skills that she’d dreamed about! There was no way she’d win first place and the prize money that came with it.

  “How do you think you did?” Amelie asked when Katarina threw herself down in a chair in the choir room. She had watched from behind the curtain with Michael.

  “Terrible,” Katarina said.

  “You didn’t fall down,” Michael said.

  “No, but I totally froze up,” Katarina said.

  “Aww, it wasn’t as bad as you think!” Amelie said, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly.

  “Yeah, I bet no one else even noticed you messed up,” Michael said. “Hey, do you want my last doughnut? That would make me feel better if I were you.”

  As miserable as she was, that still made Katarina smile.

  “Yeah, thanks,” she said, taking the doughnut Michael handed her. She took a big bite, and the taste of chocolate, sugar, and rainbow sprinkles did make her feel a little better. “I guess it could have gone worse.”

  “Yeah, and it was only your first time dancing in front of people!” Amelie added. “Next time you come over to my house, I’ll show you the video from my first piano recital. That will make you feel way better than any doughnut, because I was terrible.”

  “Really?” Katarina asked. “But you’re such an amazing player.”

  “I am now,” Amelie said. “I’ve been practicing for five years! But during that first recital, I think I played more wrong notes than right ones. No one’s great at something hard the first time they try it.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Michael said in a grand voice, turning his nose up in the air. “I was born the world’s greatest juggler!”

  The girls laughed. Katarina already felt way better than when she’d come off the stage, because what Amelie said made perfect sense (and because that doughnut was delicious). She may not have danced perfectly, the way she always did when she imagined it, but it had been pretty good for her first try! If she kept practicing, in five years she could be as great at ballet as Amelie was at playing the piano.

  Soon it was time to award the prizes, and Mrs. Murphy brought all of the kids back onto the stage for the announcement. She asked the audience to give them all one last round of applause before she announced the winners, and even over all of the clapping and cheering, Katarina heard her dad’s whistle. When she spotted him in the crowd, he gave her two big thumbs-up, and she waved back.

  “Wonderful job, everyone!” Mrs. Murphy said. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re all winners. Now, for the judges’ decisions…”

  Katarina took Amelie’s and Michael’s hands.

  “In third place”—Mrs. Murphy looked down at the notecard in her hand—“we have Kayla McConnell and her gymnastics routine!”

  They all clapped as Kayla did a cartwheel up to Mrs. Murphy and took the small trophy she handed her.

  “And in second place…”

  Katarina held her breath as Mrs. Murphy checked her card.

  “Amelie Reyes on the piano!”

  Beside her, Amelie gasped. Katarina and Michael clapped wildly for Amelie as she went up to accept her trophy. Katarina even tried to do her dad’s patented whistle, but she hadn’t mastered it yet, so instead she just cheered.

  Then it was time for Mrs. Murphy to announce the winner of the talent show. Katarina didn’t really think she would win after the way her dance had gone, but she couldn’t stop herself from hoping. Her heart beat faster in her chest as Mrs. Murphy got
ready to read out the name, and she accidentally squeezed Michael’s hand so hard that he said, “Ow!” under his breath.

  “And the winner of the talent show and the one-hundred-dollar grand prize is…”

  Kat-a-ri-na, Kat-a-ri-na…

  “Cody Johnson singing ‘Feeling Good’!”

  Katarina slowly exhaled the breath she’d been holding. Well, that was that. She hadn’t won the talent show, and she wouldn’t be able to use the prize money to pay for real ballet lessons.

  But when she met up with her dad in the hallway after the show, she was surprised that he swept her up into a giant hug, swinging her so that her feet came off the ground.

  “Katarina, you were fantastic!” he said. “And look at that tutu! A Katarina original.”

  “No, I wasn’t,” she said with a sigh. “I got so scared I forgot all my moves, and I didn’t even place. I really wanted to surprise you with how good I’ve gotten, but nothing went the way it was supposed to.”

  “Oh, honey,” he said. “I thought you were beautiful up there. I was so impressed. I had no idea you could dance like that!”

  “I’ve been practicing on my own for months,” she explained. “I wanted to win so I could use the prize money to take some real lessons. Oh well. I guess I’ll just keep practicing and maybe I’ll win next year.”

  Her dad was quiet for a second as they walked toward home and then said, “You really love ballet, huh?”

  Katarina nodded. “More than anything in the world. Except for you and Lulu, of course.”

  “And you’ve worked so hard at it,” he said. “Just like your mom.” Suddenly he stopped walking and turned to face her. “Okay, you can take lessons.”

  Katarina froze. “What?”

  “We’ll sign you up for ballet lessons tomorrow,” he said. “You love it, and you’re really talented. You deserve it.”

  “But I thought we couldn’t afford it?” Katarina asked.

  “You let me figure that part out,” her dad said. “What do you say? You still want to take lessons?”

  Katarina could hardly believe her ears. She leapt into her dad’s arms and hugged him tightly around the neck. “I say yes!”

  Chapter 5

  THE NEXT DAY, just like he’d promised, Katarina’s dad called around and found a ballet studio that had an open spot in one of their classes. The woman on the phone told him that the other dancers in the class had been doing ballet for a while, but Katarina had been practicing too, even if it was just alone in her bedroom, so Katarina was sure it would be okay.

  Katarina was so excited for her first class that she practically floated down the sidewalk as she, her dad, and Lulu walked to the subway. Her new ballet school was across the East River in Manhattan, which made it seem even cooler and more official. Manhattan was home to the New York City Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and many more, and these were some of the best dance companies in the world! And now it was home to Katarina’s ballet school too. She was practically a real ballerina already.

  Katarina and her dad swiped their MetroCards, and Katarina scooped Lulu up and put her in the shallow tote bag they used whenever they needed to take her on the subway. The three of them jumped onto the 7 train just seconds before the doors closed and it rumbled away from the platform. In her other bag, Katarina carried her tissue-paper tutu and the new pink ballet slippers her dad had bought for her after he’d signed her up for the lessons. Katarina had been wearing them around the house all week.

  The train car was crowded, all the seats already taken, so they grabbed one of the silver poles that ran from the floor to the ceiling and held on as the train shook and swayed down the tracks.

  As they crossed aboveground toward Manhattan, Katarina gazed out the window as the big Manhattan skyline came into view. Even though she had seen the view a gazillion times, this time felt different. She could feel the dreams of all the dancers who had walked between those big skyscrapers and danced on some of the world’s biggest stages in this city. And she hoped she would be joining them one day.

  Somewhere in the car an upbeat song with lots of intricate drumbeats was playing, and Katarina’s toes began tapping. When lots of people got off at the next stop, she was able to see where the music was coming from.

  At the other end of the car, a young man dressed in colorful clothes was playing the song. He held a guitar in his arms, and around his neck he was wearing a metal frame that held a harmonica up to his lips. On his back he wore a collection of drums and cymbals of all different sizes, which were connected to other parts of his body. When he kicked his left foot, the big drum thumped. When he moved his right elbow, the cymbal crashed. The man’s entire body was working to make the music, and it was the most fascinating thing Katarina had ever seen.

  “Wow,” she breathed, watching the man play.

  “That’s pretty neat,” her dad said. “Want to go stand closer and watch?”

  “Yeah!”

  They carefully moved from pole to pole down the train car until they were standing right in front of the man. He had a hat on the ground in front of him, which contained a few bills and change, and Katarina’s dad gave her a dollar to drop in it. The man flashed her a dazzling smile in between riffs on the harmonica.

  When the song was over, most of the train car continued ignoring the man, but Katarina clapped wildly.

  “That was amazing!” she told the man. “How did you learn to do that?”

  He smiled. “Lots and lots of hard work. So, what’s your name? I ride this train most of the day and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you on it before.”

  “I’m Katarina,” she said. “And this is my dad and my dog, Lulu. I’m going into the city to take my first ballet class.”

  The young man scratched Lulu’s ears and held out his hand to Katarina. “Nice to meet you, Katarina. I’m Beatz.”

  Katarina gave his hand a shake. “That’s a cool name!”

  Beatz leaned down close to her and whispered, “Actually, my real name is Harold. Harold Beatman. But Beatz sounds cooler, don’t you think?”

  She laughed. “Definitely.”

  Beatz began to play another song, and Katarina and her dad listened until the train reached their stop. They waved goodbye to Beatz as they exited, the sound of his drumming following them until it was drowned out by the hustle-and-bustle noises of the city.

  The ballet studio was only a couple of blocks from the subway station. Katarina’s heart seemed to beat a little faster with each step they took toward it.

  “Want me to go in with you?” her dad asked when they reached the little gray building with the sign that said BALLET ACADEMY EAST in fancy script.

  Katarina shook her head. She didn’t think the other girls would have their parents escorting them inside. “No. I’m okay.”

  “And you’re fine to get home on your own?” he asked. “Because Lulu and I can hang around until you’re done.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s an easy trip, and I’m going to have to get used to doing it on my own anyway.”

  “Do you have your phone in case you need to get in touch with me?”

  She nodded. “It’s in my bag.”

  “Okay, this is it, then.” He bent down to give her a kiss and took Lulu’s leash. “Good luck, honey. Have fun!”

  “I will!” Katarina said. She was finally starting ballet classes; how could it be anything but fun?

  Katarina went inside, where a friendly woman behind the front desk pointed her to a restroom where she could change. She already had her red swimsuit on under her clothes, but she needed to put on her tutu and ballet slippers before class. Once she’d changed, Katarina did a single spin in front of the restroom mirror, admiring the way her tutu floated on the air.

  She couldn’t control the grin on her face as she climbed the narrow staircase to the studio on the second floor. The walls were lined with black-and-white photographs of great ballerinas, and ea
ch picture was signed by the dancer herself. Katarina imagined being one of those ballerinas someday, surrounded by loving fans begging for her autograph.…

  Then she stepped into the ballet studio, and all of her fantasies instantly disappeared like popped soap bubbles.

  There were about a dozen girls and a few boys already in the room, stretching their muscles or chatting in small groups. They all turned and stared at her when Katarina walked in. Not only was she a stranger, but she didn’t exactly fit in. The girls—who had their hair slicked back into tight buns that would make even Stef and Darci jealous—were all wearing plain black leotards and pink tights with their ballet slippers, while the three boys were wearing white shirts and black tights. Katarina, in her bright red swimsuit and rainbow-paper tutu, looked ridiculous standing with all of them. It seemed her dad hadn’t gotten the memo about the uniform. Some of the other dancers whispered to one another and snickered behind their hands, and Katarina felt her cheeks getting hot.

  A tall blond girl stretching at the barre near her looked Katarina up and down and arched an eyebrow at her. “Are you… sure you’re in the right room?” she asked.

  Katarina felt like she was shriveling and shrinking until she was about two feet tall. Her throat was so dry she had to swallow twice before she could speak. “This is the ballet class, right?”

  Just then an older woman dressed all in black, whose silver hair was swept up in a French twist, walked into the room. She was followed by the tiniest brown dog Katarina had ever seen, who immediately curled up by the piano in the corner and went to sleep. The woman clapped her hands, and the room fell silent.

  “All right, ladies and gentlemen,” she said in a thick Russian accent. “Time to dance!”

  The other kids in the class immediately took their places at the barre that lined the walls of the room. Katarina didn’t know what to do, so she just stood there, feeling uncertain. The woman spotted her.

  “You must be Katarina,” she said. “I’m Madame Alla. This is your first class, yes?”