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...
"We are not doing a group routine this week. Each and every dancer will be doing a solo. It's every man for himself. This is your chance to shine and for one time only, you all get to help out with costumes. This is your chance to go for that Tony, Christi. You're gonna come to me, show me what you have, and I can veto it or I can accept it. I don't want to see anything from any other studios. I want to see you come up with something original." Miss Abby stares at everyone, especially Jill, as the well known studiohopper.
The moms leave to go to Dance Jail and start their projects, while Kenzie starts learning her solo. We all sit against the mirror, watching respectively and having a quiet conversation. McKinna, Melissa's Daughter "Solo week is everyone's favorite. Everyone has a week to focus only on their solo, and the results are normally surprising. A lot of people just slack off because they think with one routine, it'll be easy. They are the ones who get replaced."
"Solo week, solo week, solo week." Maddie sings as we murmer. I give her a look to say shush, which makes everyone giggle.
"Man, I feel so rusty, plus, everyone knows how much pressure there is on me, I haven't had an aired solo in like, five weeks." the others nod their head.
"At least that means if you do come second or something, Miss Abby won't be as surprised, I have to win, or I'm gonna be, like, replaced." Maddie tells us.
"Abby's favorite doesn't get replaced." I tell her, which all the other girls nod their heads.
"With the rate I'm going, someone else is gonna take that position." Maddie miserabley says. Man, being a pre-teen sucks. I give her a hug, which she returns, but now Miss Abby wants it to be her solo rehearsal. Mads, Kenz and I all had privates or classes after this, so we needed to go first.
"Okay, McKinna. Your solo this week is an acrobatic jazz routine entitled 'Dance the Night'. It's sassy, fun and well within your capabilities. I expect you to win, and by a lot." I nodded and the choreography began. Firstly, I walked onto stage doing a handstand walk, then I 'fall' into a chinstand, stand up do some sassy dancing and then go like into a series of aerials. And that is like, only one and a half verses into the song.
After about forty five minutes of Miss Abby giving me corrections and new choreography, she sends me off to my private with Gia, who quickly shows me what she is thinking for my costume. It is a blue sparkly top with a skirt made out of tutu material that is the same color and fishnet stockings. Not sure how the moms will react, seeing as when we did 'Electricity' last season Holly and Christi nearly had a fit. Or how mom is gonna make it but, ya know.
-One Day To Competition-
Currently, I'm in the change rooms trying out my costume. I've just been with James in Studio C practising my solo and Miss Abby wants a dress rehearsal kind of thing with all the solos. Mom handed me it in a bag before, and honestly, I'm shocked. It looks exactly like the picture Gianna had sketched, which means it looks like a real costume. I love it! I'm just hopeful Abby won't stop me from wearing it.
Just as I make a beeline for the Studio A door, Paige jumps in front of me looking absolutely panicked. She came from the direction of the front desk, so something has obviously happened with Miss Abby, 'cause that is where she is.
"Kinna, the competition's canceled." she says, distressed. My jaw drops. Never in like, all of my years on the Elite Junior Competition Team had we ever not gone to a comeptition, or had one be cancelled. What about solo week? And Nationals? We need this competition for Nationals, especially if we want to enter with a good reputation.
"How? We're not gonna go? What about everyone's solos?" I wail. As the mom of the group, this was like everyone was a baby and they had all just lost their pacifiers and were hungry.
"Miss Abby is trying to find a new competition, but it is really late, being only one day till all competitions for the weekend go." Paige looks overly worried, which is understandable, seeing as her solo is one that could actually win. Finally she got good choerography, meaning that there were enough advanced moves. Paige is really good at all these advanced tricks because of Brooke teaching her, but Abby never puts them to use.
"McKinna, I'm done with Kendall- if no one is keeping you busy, can we do a practise of your solo, I saw a few things I wanted to correct." James told me, and I nodded eagerly. Every chance I got to work on my solo was a higher chance of winning. We go into Studio C and I start the solo.
My technique has to be flawless, my poses completely accurate and all my tricks faultless. Otherwise, I won't even make it into the Top 10, and that is not going to be happening. Nuh uh. I handstand walk across the stage, falling into my chinstand and do the gestures and poses. Then some front aerials before doing a circle of hairflips. Oh, and I was out of my costume now, in case you were wondering. After the hairflips, I do three beats of heart hand pumps, into three consecutive back walkovers, before this cartwheel circle thing. There's a lot more, but I think you get the gist.
"McKinna, Miss Abby wants us all in Studio A, immediately." Kendall pops in her head. Quickly, I thank James and follow her. Evidently, this is about the competition disaster. I wonder if this has ever happened before. I'll have to ask Gia.
"Ladies, uh, we are going to a competition this weekend." We already knew that. "There's a new competition in Clute, Texas, just outside Galveston. I want the girls to practise tonight, I'm keeping them here untilt he dances are finished and perfect. The show must go on." I gulp. I actually have a chemistry test coming up that I really need to study for, but hopefully we all perfect the dances soon so we can go home.
We spend the rest of the afternoon dancing and going into senior classes. Luckily for me, there were two scheduled jazz/acro ones for today left, so Paige, Brooke, Kenzie, Nia and I attended those because in the competition our solos are 'Open'. I think it means any style but I don't have a clue. Abby and Gia run my solo three times before I am dismissed, after the Hylands and Nia.
-Competition Day-
After the long drive to Texas, we arrive at the competition and I'm mindblown. Not only is it in a gym, but none of the studio names are familiar. For the Abby Lee Dance Company, that was really weird. Plus, I'm pretty sure the judges are like high school teachers by the looks of it!
