McKinna Maryen Ziegler had lived in the shadows for most of her life, letting her sister have the spotlight. Until an opportunity for a chance to be on a reality TV show sent her into a spiral of fame, friendship and favoritism.
People can only be t...
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We all enter Studio A for pyramid, standing nervously. Last week she had been really happy with some of us, but pyramid was always brutal.
"Girls, I'm very dissapointed." Miss Abby starts, "Every single one of you could have done better in your solos. Moving on, I want to forget about last weekend, what's gonna happen this weekend?" Paige answers, saying it is the ALDC showcase. Then Miss Abby provides us with pyramid.
I was back on top! I beamed excitedly and I looked at Nia, who obviously couldn't believe she was second.
"Yeah, thank you very much. We're doing a new number, 'Sugar Daddies' at the showcase." Miss Abby looks at us all. "McKinna, not only did you win overall high score at the competition, you stood your ground and asked for a duet and won with it. Boom. Nia, forgot the solo, kept dancing, made it up, went on, finished with the music. Not to mention your acting was great in the duet, you really played the role. Maddie. I'm dissapointed. Not once have you been top this season or won with your solo. You better prove to me you deserve to go back on top and beat your sister, yes?" Maddie nods, looking ashamed.
"Chloe, did a great job. There were some other situations." the producer cued us all to glance at Chrisit, 'You're here, I want to see that attitude improve on stage. Yes? You never know who's watching you."
"Alright, I have a few suprises during the showcase." Miss Abby looks over to the moms. "I don't want to pressure you, in the audience, at the showcase, is going to be an agent coming to seek new talent and looking for clients to sign. Moms, you are going to be performing at the showcase, as well. Cathy, you're going to be the choreographer." Cathy then joked about how the moms were in for trouble.
"Nationals are getting closer and closer. With every competition you get better and stronger. So, this showcase is going to be a nice chance to entertain rather than compete. But it all is leading up to Nationals, because we want to do what?"
"Win!" we all exclaim. The ALDC showcase is one of my favourite times of the season.
For the rest of the day, I practised the parts of the 'Sugar Daddies' dance and helped the younger kids by taking them through an acro class for their dances in the showcase. Then I taught them some poses and cool little tricks to make the performance pop. Miss Abby called me in then for a contemporary private, in which we went over my first ever solo for the season, 'Dandelions', and of course, 'Cry'.
Then we had this photoshoot and Maddie and I got to pose together, in our respective colours (green for me and pink for Maddie). Then we had the individual ones where I dressed up in this gorgeous black costume. Maddie wore white and we grinned.
I love my twin.
-Four Days To Showcase-
We were all sitting up in Dance Jail, in our moms' seats. Chloe started fake arguing with Mads, Kenzie and I while Nia pretended to try and ease out the arguement. Brooke and Paige just looked at us and pulled Kelly's signature outraged look. What were the moms doing? Practising their dance. Even worse, it was called 'That Girls Just Gotta Be Kissed'. Like, ew. We were all laughing our butts off when Cathy tried to pretend that she knew how to do the signature spin of ALDC.
"This is embarassing." Paige covers her face as Kelly tried to follow Cathy's poor lead. Then Christi ran into the studio, late as always. But then Kelly started doing a solo part. "Oh God, mom said she used to be a good dancer." Paige weeped, half laughing, half crying.
"Things have changed." Brookie Cookie comments. Then mom started doing her solo part. It was so horrible that I had to use Maddie to block my eyes. At least Holly seemed to know what she was doing. I wanted Nia's mom. Well, at least for dance instructions if we ever get to that point in life. I'm kinda begging we don't ever have to. Let us all hope.
-Three Days to Showcase-
I had just finished my singing/acting lesson for the week while I waited for solo practise when Abby calls the other girls and I in. Weird. Maybe we had a group practise before. The choreography for 'Sugar Daddies' still needed to be polished so I guess that makes sense.
"Come on in moms- I have a big announcement today." the moms all rushed in, standing behind us. I squeezed Maddie's hand. "We have a casting associate from Telsey + Company coming right here to my studio to look at all of you. The new production of 'Annie' that's going back to Broadway." we all clap, "Cesar is the representative that will be in town. He wants you to have a picture and a resume. Apparently, Cathy and Holly have somewhere better to be, so please make sure they know what's going on. I don't want their kid to be left out because they're not here. Okay, moms, you're dismised. Let's work on 'Sugar Daddies', then McKinna we'll practise your solos." we practised the dance and then it was solo time. But Abby rushed through it and then sent me up to get ready for the photoshoot for the casting director.
I chose the 'Cry' costume, as it was what I was most well known for, for now at least. Then Gia called me up, just as I placed one last bobby pin in my hair.
"Okay, McKinna, I want you to lean forward and rest your head on your hands. Perfect, perfect, smile, wonderful. Now, do your finishing pose for 'Cry'. Great, great, bigger eyes! Perfect, you're dismissed. James is waiting for you in Studio B for your contemporary private. Next!"
The rest of the day flew by. I practised a few group dances and tried to make sure I was helpful for Miss Abby.
That's all you can do when your sister is the favorite.
-One Day To Showcase-
Maddie and I stress-cleaned the studio, making sure the table was spotless and that the chair was extra comfortable. Then we started to make sure we were stretched to perfection and I led the whole team in some vocal exercises. Miss Abby is crazy stressed. Paige, being the awesome hairdresser she is, manages to make my hair look somewhat incredible and then I try my hardest to do the same. Not bragging or anything, but it does look really pretty.
"He's here!" Kassidy, an older girl, yells and we all run to Studio A, lining up. Then the agent enters and somehow a wave of confidence comes over me. We aren't the Abby Lee Dance Company Elite Junior Competition Team for nothing.
"Hello everyone. As you know, I work for Telsey + Company, we cast, Wicked, In the Heights, South Pacific. We're always looking for young talent. And even for you guys, we just did a movie where we found little kids for Disney films." we all gasp, "We never know when we're gonna find that next star." Cesar tells us.
"Alright, girls, we're gonna start soon." Miss Abby, ever the performer, says and we all go to the Dancer's Den. I take the paper with some lines and I start reading them, over and over again, memorizing them. Chloe is called first and she starts to tear up. Christi insists she doesn't cry and then it goes by as a flash. It went Nia, Paige, Brooke, Maddie, Mackenzie and Vivi-Anne. I was the last one. And I had to sing because Kenzie refused to in her audition because she didn't sing and mom was mad at her.
"McKinna." I grab my resume and headshot, entering Studio A.
"Cesar, this is McKinna Ziegler, one of my star dancers." Miss Abby introduces me and I try hard not to blush.
"Hello, how are you?" Cesar asks.
"Wonderful, thank you."
"Great, now what are you going to do first? Sing, go over the lines...?"
"The lines please." I walk up to the middle of the studio, where the green 'x' was marked. "Yes, Miss Hannigran. I'm not an orphan. My mother and father left a note saying they loved me and they were coming back for me." I spoke fondly, imagining my only parents before they were divorced and in love. I decide to move onto a different scene. "Yes, officer? A stray? Oh, no, officer. He's my dog. His name? His name is... Sandy. right, that's it. I call him Sandy because of his nice sandy color. Well, you see, officer... I just got him and sometimes... here, Sandy, here, boy. Sandy. Good Sandy. Good old Sandy. Yes sir, I understand." Cesar and Miss Abby clap as I finish, smiling widely at the 'policeman' also known as the wall.
"Can you sing, McKinna?" Cesar questions. I smile and nod. "Wonderful, would you mind singing 'Maybe'?"
